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Introduction to SMS notifications using Twilio

Discover how integrating Twilio SMS notifications lets you reach Customers instantly with booking updates, reminders, and alerts.

Read this introduction to our Twilio integration, including how to use SMS notifications to contact your Customers and Staff and how to create an account in Twilio.
 

Accessing the features mentioned in this article


Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

  • Manage > Integrations > Communication
     

What more do I need to use this feature?

  • Admin permissions to manage Integrations.
  • You must have a Twilio account before enabling this integration.
     

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic items, classic products, or both?

  • This feature is available in both our classic items version (Inventory > Items) and our classic products version (Inventory > Products).  → Learn more about products

 

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Learn more about email notifications

The purpose of this guide is to look at our Twilio SMS Notifications. Learn more about email notifications here:

 

About Twilio

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Twilio is a Customer engagement platform that we integrate with to deliver SMS notifications, allowing you to personalize the communication experience between you and your Guests.

The SMS text can include dynamic details using booking variables, for example:

 

Hello! This is just a reminder that your booking for {$BOOKING_ITEMS} is on {$BOOKING_DATE}.

 

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Check the status of Twilio's services here:

 

Integration Overview

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SMS notifications in Checkfront work similarly to email notifications. With our integration, you can:

  • Send short text messages to Customers and Staff with SMS notifications.
  • Remind Customers about a booking date, follow up with a quick thank-you post-booking, and update Staff on the booking status.
  • Select Staff and/or Customers as recipients and trigger an SMS based on the booking status.
  • Schedule your notifications based on the booking start or end date.
  • You can choose to have your telephone number as the sender of your message in Twilio or use Twilio's Messaging Services to manage multiple types of senders (Alphanumeric Sender IDs, phone numbers, WhatsApp, etc.). 

 

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Action required to comply with upcoming regulations


As of 00:00 GMT, June 1, 2023, network operators in the UK will block SMS messages submitted from International long codes. 

As of 00:00 GMT, July 5, 2023, all SMS and MMS messages sent to US phone numbers using 10DLC (10-digit long codes/phone numbers) must be sent via a registered application-to-person (A2P) campaign. Messages using unregistered phone numbers will be subject to a gradual increase in message blocking by Twilio, leading up to a full block of all unregistered US-bound messages sent after August 31, 2023.


How can I comply with these regulations?


Sending to UK Customers
To prevent your SMS notifications to UK Customers sent through Twilio from being blocked, please ensure that messages sent to UK phone numbers use Alphanumeric Sender IDs. Alphanumeric Sender IDs are not supported in the US.

Sending to US Customers
To prevent your SMS and MMS notifications to US Customers sent through Twilio from being blocked, please ensure that messages sent to UK phone numbers using 10DLC (10-digit long codes/phone numbers) are sent via a registered application-to-person (A2P) campaign. 

 

Creating a Twilio account

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To enable the Twilio integration, you must first create a Twilio account.

In the following article in the series, we help you find your Twilio account credentials. You need these to connect the Checkfront integration to Twilio.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can a Customer respond to a Twilio text?

    No, Customers cannot reply to SMS messages sent by Twilio.

  • Can you add URL links to your Twilio messages?

    No, you can only send plain-text messages with Twilio. You cannot create links. You must send the full URL.

  • Why was my SMS notification not sent?

    SMS notifications may not be sent for several reasons. 

    • Ensure you have selected all intended inventory in the notification's Apply To area. The integration does not send notifications for bookings that include inventory you have not chosen to receive notifications for.
       
    • Sometimes, Twilio may return an error message about a problem you need to fix, such as an SMS message that's too long and needs to be shortened in Checkfront.

      Error messages can be found in the booking's Log (Booking Invoice > Log tab) or in the Account Activity report (Reports > Account Activity).
       
 

Next Steps

Once you’re comfortable with the basics above, check out these deeper-dive articles:

To learn more about the functionality of the Twilio integration, please read the full series of articles:

In the next article, we look at how to find your Twilio account credentials.

 

Finding your account credentials in Twilio >

 

 

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