FAQ: SMS and messaging

What does an SMS cost, and which messages count against my balance?

You pay for every SMS sent from your account: verification codes, confirmations, reminders, message templates, manual SMS and SMS notifications to staff. One SMS is 160 characters, so a longer message counts as two or more SMS. Email is free. Current prices are on our pricing page at https://makeplans.com/en/pricing/ , and you can pre-purchase SMS at a discount under Setup > SMS balance.

How do I change the SMS sender name?

The default sender is "MakePlans", with your account name added at the end of the message. You can get your own sender name (max 11 characters; A-Z, 0-9, space and dash only; one per account). Contact us to set it up, as it requires manual verification with our SMS provider and has an extra cost. Note that custom sender names are not supported in all countries.

How do I turn off SMS notifications?

SMS reminders and SMS confirmations can be turned off under Setup > Customer notifications. The verification SMS is controlled by your verification method under Setup > Booking site: switch to email verification (free) to avoid it. Be careful switching verification method with an existing customer database, as profiles missing an email or phone number will get an error until you update them manually.

Can I send an SMS or email to all my customers at once?

Yes for SMS: go to Setup > Tools and use "Send SMS to all your customers". You must pre-purchase enough SMS to cover all recipients before sending. There is no built-in bulk email; export your customers under Setup > Export and use a newsletter service, or use our Mailchimp integration, which adds new customers to your Mailchimp list automatically.