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Installment SMS reminders: what is sent to the customer and when
The most time-consuming part of selling on installments is calling customers to say “your payment is due today”. With dozens of agreements, it is hard not to forget someone. pDaftar schedules an SMS for every payment date the moment the agreement is created and sends them on time.
Which SMS messages are sent
Under a single installment agreement, the customer receives several kinds of messages. The first goes out as soon as the agreement is created — the customer sees what they bought, for how much and over how many months. After that, separate reminders are scheduled for every payment date in the schedule.
A confirmation SMS also goes out when a payment is recorded: the “Payment completed” template if the row is closed in full, or “Partial payment” if it is not. This way the customer sees their balance at every step, and there are fewer “but I already paid” arguments.
- When the agreement is created — immediately
- A few days before the due date — the number of days you set
- On the due date — on the payment date itself
- After the due date — the number of days you set, if the payment is still outstanding
- When a payment is received — a full or partial confirmation
You set the days and the time
How many days before and after the due date to remind is set on the agreement page, under “SMS notifications”, in the “How many days before?” and “How many days after?” fields. Leave them empty and the defaults apply — 2 days before and 1 day after. The setting applies equally to every payment in that agreement; for the next agreement you can enter different numbers.
Reminders go out at the “SMS send time” from your shop settings; the default is 09:00 in the morning. Messages arrive from the short number 4546. For a reminder to be sent, SMS notifications must be enabled in the shop and the customer must not have opted out of SMS in their card.
No reminder for a month that is already paid
Although reminders are scheduled in advance, they are not sent blindly. If the customer pays a month early, every pending SMS for that row is canceled. When an agreement is fully closed or deleted, the remaining reminders stop as well.
Because reminders are scheduled on the server, they go out on time even if your phone is switched off. On the due date you also get a notification in the mobile app — in the morning you can see who is due to pay today. If a customer does not show up, by the end of the day you have a ready list of who to call, without leafing through a phone book.
Templates and your SMS balance
Installment messages have their own SMS templates: “Installment agreement”, “Installment soon”, “Installment due”, “Installment overdue”, “Payment completed” and “Partial payment”. You can rewrite the text in your own words; an edited template goes live after moderation. The free plan includes 25 SMS, and the other limits are listed on the pricing page.
Every SMS sent is deducted from your SMS balance, so templates with long text may use up more parts. A short, clear message is easier on the customer and on your balance.
How to use it
- In your shop settings, check that SMS notifications are enabled and that the “SMS send time” suits you.
- Make sure receiving SMS is enabled in the customer’s card.
- While setting up the installment agreement, fill in “How many days before?” and “How many days after?” under “SMS notifications”.
- Save the agreement — the first SMS goes to the customer immediately, the rest are scheduled by date.
- If you like, edit the text of the installment templates in the SMS templates section.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the reminder SMS arrive?
At the “SMS send time” from your shop settings — by default at 09:00 in the morning. On the day the agreement is created, the first message is sent immediately.
If the customer pays early, will they still get a reminder?
No. As soon as a row is paid, the pending reminders for it are canceled. Reminders for the following months go out on their own dates.
How many reminders does a late customer receive?
One reminder after the due date per payment row — after the number of days you entered in “How many days after?”, if the row is still unpaid. By default that is 1 day. The reminder on the due date itself is always sent separately.
Do these reminders work on the free plan?
Yes. The free plan includes 25 SMS, and installment reminders are taken from that balance. For larger volumes, SMS packages are listed on the pricing page.
Try it for free
The free plan has no time limit. Download the app or use the web version.