Notification preferences: letting customers choose which SMS notices they receive

WhatsApp & APIs·· 17 views· 3 min read

The short answer: in your own system, record for each customer which kinds of notice they want by SMS, when they agreed and in which language. Essential service notices stay on; optional reminders and marketing are the customer's choice. For anyone who wants no SMS at all, there is the opt-out list in our API.

Three levels of notice

Level Examples Can they switch it off?
Essential Account security, payment received, service suspended Usually not; say so in your terms
Useful reminders Appointment tomorrow, invoice due, order on its way Yes, one switch per type
Marketing Promotions, news, campaigns Yes, and only with explicit consent

What to store in your system

1 A confirmed phone number. A verification code at sign-up proves the number is theirs: verification codes through our API.
2 A yes or no per notice type, with the date and how they agreed (form, counter, contract).
3 The language they want notices in. See notices in Portuguese and English.
4 The preferred channel for each type, if you also send by e-mail.

Before each send, your system checks these choices. It is simpler than it sounds: a table with the customer, the notice type and a yes or no.

When the customer wants no SMS at all

Add the number to the account's list with POST /v1/sms/opt-outs. From then on, any send to it is refused with number_opted_out, even if someone makes a mistake. GET /v1/sms/opt-outs shows the list, and the number parameter checks a single number. On the SMS page in Meu MozOut, anyone on the list is left out of sends.

The list means "never again". Taking a number off it requires contacting support. So a customer who only wants to stop reminders or marketing is flagged in your system, not on the list.
Since SMS cannot receive replies, say in each optional notice how to stop it: the preferences page on your website, a phone number or an e-mail address. The general rules are in SMS good practices and consent.

Want notices customers appreciate rather than block? See the API page.

See the API page

SEE ALSO

SMS good practices and consent: who you may send to and how to let people opt out

SMS notices in Portuguese and English: sending each customer the notice in their language

Verification codes by SMS through our API: a practical guide for your site or app

SMS marketing: Sender ID, the rules here, and how to write one that works

Building an e-mail list legally: consent, sign-up forms and unsubscribing

Connecting an ERP, CRM or in-house system to SMS notices: what your developer needs

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