Sending automatic booking confirmation text messages
Last updated: March 31, 2025
This feature is restricted and only available to US and APAC based enterprise clients. Follow the process below to request approval for your client:
- Join the #sms-escalation-and-client-management-group Slack channel.
- Request approval from @ent-am-leadership, making sure to provide the reasons for enabling both SMS default opt-in and and automatic SMS booking confirmation functionalities for the shortname.
In addition to all the other ways clients can text their customers, they can also enable immediate text (SMS) booking confirmations.
As soon as their customers complete their booking, the customers will receive a text message at the phone number they have provided with a link to their booking overview page. These text confirmations give their customers confidence that their booking was successfully completed.
How it works
When this setting is enabled on their Dashboard, all customers will be opted in to receiving text messages by default, which includes both booking confirmation messages as well as any other text messages sent later.
Note: During the online booking process, the customer is still able to opt out of receiving text messages by deselecting the checkbox next to the Get text notifications about your bookings option.
What does the booking confirmation text say?
When the customer successfully completes a booking, this is the message that will be sent to the phone number they provided:
[your_company_name]: Your booking is confirmed for [date]: [link to booking]
When the customer taps on the link, they will be redirected to their booking confirmation page. The confirmation page will contain the same information as their confirmation email.
What happens when a customer opts out of text messages?
If clients has enabled the automatic default opt-in status and the customer chooses to opt out during the booking process, they will not receive the automatic booking confirmation text message.
How to enable
Enabling the default opt-in for all customer
The first step for SMS booking confirmations is enabling the default opt-in to SMS behavior for customers. To enable the automatic (default) opt-in for all customers:
- Go to Advanced settings, and scroll to the Bookings > Text messaging (SMS) section.
- Select the checkbox next to Automatically opt clients in to all text messages.
Click Save.
Enabling automatic booking confirmation text messages
- Go to Advanced settings, and scroll to the Bookings > Text messaging (SMS) section.
- Select the checkbox next to Auto-send customers text message confirmation on booking.
Click Save.
If an existing company already has text messaging enabled, then international SMS will automatically be enabled on their Dashboard. Otherwise, international SMS will be disabled.
New companies will have both SMS and international SMS enabled by default.
FAQs
Can clients enable automatic opt-in without enabling the booking confirmation text message?
Yes. Enabling automatically opt in customers to text messages is independent of customers receiving the booking confirmation messages. Keep in mind, however, that if clients do not enable the default opt-in status and the customer does not enable it on their own before checking out, they will not receive the booking confirmation message.
Can clients customize the text for the booking confirmation text messages?
No, the text generated in the automatic booking confirmation text message is standardized and cannot be customized.
Customers have opted out of receiving text messages, can clients still send them a booking confirmation text?
While we do not prevent clients from texting a customer even if they have opted out of receiving text messages, if clients want to send a booking confirmation text to them, they will have to do so manually.