Where to find this: Services → Integrations tab
Automated notifications keep you and your customers informed about important events via email and SMS. This guide explains the notifications sent and how to manage them.
Overview
Automated notifications help you:
- Confirm bookings and remind customers of appointments
- Keep customers updated on subscription changes
- Recover failed payments automatically
- Request reviews after completed bookings
- Alert you to important account events
Important: Notification templates are professionally designed and cannot be customized. They automatically include your business branding and relevant details.
Types of Notifications
Email Notifications (Included in All Plans)
Email is the primary notification channel. To use custom domain emails, connect SendGrid in Services → Integrations tab.
SMS Notifications (Plan-Based Feature)
SMS notifications are optional and have monthly limits:
- Base Plan: Not included
- Standard Plan: 50 SMS/month
- Pro Plan: 200 SMS/month
To enable SMS, set up a Twilio account in Services → Integrations tab.
Booking Notifications
These notifications are automatically sent for booking lifecycle events.
Booking Confirmation
Sent when: Customer completes a booking
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Booking date and time
- Service name
- Location and address
- Duration
- Cancellation policy link
Purpose: Confirms the booking was successful and provides all details.
Booking Reminder
Sent when: 24 hours before appointment
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email and/or SMS (if enabled)
Content:
- Booking date and time (tomorrow/today)
- Service name
- Location
- "See you soon!" message
Purpose: Reduces no-shows by reminding customers the day before.
If SMS is enabled and the customer has a phone number on file, they receive both email and SMS reminders. Otherwise, email only.
Booking Cancellation
Sent when: Booking is cancelled (by customer or business owner)
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Cancelled booking details
- Cancellation reason (if provided)
- Refund/credit information (if applicable)
- Link to rebook
Purpose: Confirms cancellation and explains next steps.
Booking Reschedule
Sent when: Booking date/time is changed
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Old booking date/time
- New booking date/time
- Service and location (unchanged)
Purpose: Confirms the rescheduling and provides updated details.
Review Request
Sent when: 24 hours after a completed booking
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Thank you message
- Request for feedback
- Link to leave a review
- Simple rating system
Purpose: Collects customer testimonials for your business.
Note: Review requests are only sent if the Reviews feature is enabled.
Subscription Notifications
Automated emails for subscription lifecycle events.
Trial Started
Sent when: Customer starts a free trial
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Welcome message
- Trial duration (e.g., 14 days)
- What's included in the plan
- Trial expiration date
- How to cancel if not interested
Purpose: Welcomes trial users and sets expectations.
Trial Ending Soon
Sent when: 3 days before trial expires
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Trial ending reminder
- Expiration date
- Benefits of subscribing
- How to add payment method
- How to cancel
Purpose: Encourages conversion while respecting customer choice.
Trial Expired
Sent when: Trial period ends without payment method
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Trial has concluded
- Access restrictions (if applicable)
- Option to subscribe
- Special offer (optional)
Purpose: Re-engages trial users who didn't convert.
Subscription Upgraded
Sent when: Customer upgrades to a higher plan
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- New plan details
- New features unlocked
- New pricing
- Prorated charge explanation
- Next billing date
Purpose: Confirms upgrade and explains billing.
Invoice Paid
Sent when: Monthly/annual subscription payment succeeds
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Payment confirmation
- Amount charged
- Invoice number
- Payment method used (last 4 digits)
- Next billing date
- Download invoice link
Purpose: Receipt for successful payment.
Subscription Cancelled
Sent when: Customer cancels subscription
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Cancellation confirmation
- Access until end of period
- What happens after period ends
- Feedback request (optional)
- Option to reactivate
Purpose: Confirms cancellation and explains what to expect.
Subscription Paused
Sent when: Subscription is temporarily paused
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Pause confirmation
- Duration of pause
- When billing resumes
- How to unpause early
Purpose: Confirms pause status.
Note: Pausing feature may not be available on all plans.
Subscription Resumed
Sent when: Paused subscription is reactivated
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Subscription reactivated
- Next billing date
- Features restored
Purpose: Confirms reactivation.
Payment Failure Notifications (Dunning System)
The automated dunning system handles failed payments for both your platform subscription and your customers' subscriptions. Different actions occur depending on which subscription type fails.
Two Types of Subscriptions
Platform Subscriptions (You):
- Your subscription to use the platform
- Failed payments affect your site's availability
- Dunning emails sent to you (the business owner)
Customer Subscriptions (Your Customers):
- Your customers' subscriptions to your services
- Failed payments affect their booking access
- Dunning emails sent to your customers
- Your site remains available
The dunning system sends escalating reminder emails for both types. However, site suspension only applies to platform subscriptions. Customer subscription failures affect only that customer's access to your services.
Platform Subscription Dunning
When your platform subscription payment fails:
Initial Payment Failure (Day 0)
Sent when: Your platform subscription payment fails
Recipient: You (account owner)
Channel: Email
Content:
- Payment unsuccessful notice
- Common reasons (expired card, insufficient funds)
- Link to update payment method
- Reminder that your account is still active
Purpose: Immediate notification with solution.
Site Status: Active (normal operation)
Day 3: Reminder
Sent when: 3 days after initial failure
Recipient: You (account owner)
Channel: Email
Urgency: Reminder
Content:
- Payment reminder
- Update payment method link
- Still have full access to your platform
- Support contact
Purpose: Gentle reminder with help offer.
Site Status: Active (normal operation)
Day 7: Urgent Notice
Sent when: 7 days after initial failure
Recipient: You (account owner)
Channel: Email
Urgency: Urgent
Content:
- Urgent payment required
- Your business account entering grace period soon
- Update payment within 7 days to avoid site suspension
- Clear call-to-action
Purpose: Escalates urgency, warns of impending restrictions.
Site Status: Active (approaching grace period)
Grace Period (Days 8-13)
Site Status: Grace period (limited features, prominent warning banner shown to your site visitors)
Day 14: Final Notice
Sent when: 14 days after initial failure
Recipient: You (account owner)
Channel: Email
Urgency: Final Notice
Content:
- Your platform subscription will be cancelled in 24 hours
- Your customer-facing site will be suspended
- Last chance to update payment
- Support escalation
Purpose: Final warning before cancellation.
Site Status: Suspended (maintenance page shown to your customers)
Day 15: Subscription Cancelled
Sent when: 15 days after initial failure
Recipient: You (account owner)
Channel: Email
Urgency: Service Suspended
Content:
- Your platform subscription has been cancelled
- Your service suspended
- How to restore your account
- Data retention policy (usually 90 days)
Purpose: Notifies of cancellation and restoration process.
Site Status: Inactive (fully disabled, customers cannot access your site)
Customer Subscription Dunning
When your customer's subscription payment fails:
Initial Payment Failure (Day 0)
Sent when: Customer's subscription payment fails
Recipient: Your customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Payment unsuccessful notice
- Common reasons (expired card, insufficient funds)
- Link to update payment method
- Reminder that they still have access
Purpose: Immediate notification to customer.
Their Access: Still active (can continue booking)
Day 3: Reminder
Sent when: 3 days after customer's payment failure
Recipient: Your customer
Channel: Email
Urgency: Reminder
Content:
- Payment reminder
- Update payment method link
- Support contact
Purpose: Gentle reminder.
Their Access: Still active
Day 7: Urgent Notice
Sent when: 7 days after customer's payment failure
Recipient: Your customer
Channel: Email
Urgency: Urgent
Content:
- Urgent payment required
- Account restrictions coming soon
- Update payment within 7 days
Purpose: Escalates urgency.
Their Access: Still active but warned
Day 14: Final Notice
Sent when: 14 days after customer's payment failure
Recipient: Your customer
Channel: Email
Urgency: Final Notice
Content:
- Subscription will be cancelled in 24 hours
- Booking access will be removed
- Last chance to update payment
Purpose: Final warning.
Their Access: Last day of access
Day 15: Subscription Cancelled
Sent when: 15 days after customer's payment failure
Recipient: Your customer
Channel: Email
Urgency: Service Suspended
Content:
- Subscription has been cancelled
- Booking access removed
- How to resubscribe
Purpose: Confirms cancellation.
Their Access: Subscription cancelled, cannot book services included in the plan
Both platform and customer subscriptions follow the same 15-day dunning cycle with escalating reminders (Day 3, 7, 14, 15). However:
- Platform subscription failures → Your site status degrades (active → grace period → suspended → inactive)
- Customer subscription failures → Only that customer loses access to their subscription benefits; your site stays active
Payment Refunded
Sent when: A payment is refunded
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Refund confirmation
- Amount refunded
- Original payment date
- Refund reason (if provided)
- Refund method (original payment method)
- Processing time (5-10 business days)
Purpose: Confirms refund and sets expectations.
One-Off Purchase Notifications
For single-purchase services (non-subscription).
Purchase Confirmation
Sent when: Customer buys a one-off service
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Purchase confirmation
- Service name and price
- Credits added to account
- How to use credits
- Booking instructions
Purpose: Confirms purchase and explains next steps.
Credit Expiring Reminder
Sent when: Credits are about to expire (if expiration policy set)
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Credits expiring soon notice
- Expiration date
- How to use credits
- Link to book
Purpose: Encourages use of credits before they expire.
Purchase Refund
Sent when: One-off purchase is refunded
Recipient: Customer
Channel: Email
Content:
- Refund confirmation
- Service name
- Amount refunded
- Credits removed from account
Purpose: Confirms refund transaction.
Administrative Notifications
Sent to business owners (not customers).
Payment Failed Admin Alert
Sent when: Platform subscription payment fails
Recipient: Account owner/admin
Channel: Email
Content:
- Your subscription payment failed
- Action required
- Impact on your business
- Update payment link
Purpose: Ensures business owner is aware of payment issues.
Quota Usage Alert
Sent when: Usage approaches plan limits
Recipient: Account owner/admin
Channel: Email
Sent at: 75%, 90%, 95% of quota
Content:
- Feature approaching limit
- Current usage vs. limit
- Recommendation to upgrade
- Link to plans
Purpose: Prevents hitting limits unexpectedly.
Contact Form Notification
Sent when: Someone submits a contact form on your website
Recipient: Account owner/admin
Channel: Email
Content:
- Contact form submission
- Sender name and email
- Message content
- Submission timestamp
Purpose: Ensures you don't miss customer inquiries.
Enabling SMS Notifications
SMS notifications are optional and require setup.
Requirements
- Standard or Pro plan (Base plan doesn't include SMS)
- Twilio account (sign up at twilio.com)
- Verified phone number
Setup Steps
- Go to Services → Integrations tab
- Click Connect Twilio
- Enter your Twilio credentials:
- Account SID
- Auth Token
- Phone Number
- Click Save
- Send a test SMS to verify
SMS Limits by Plan
- Standard: 50 SMS/month
- Pro: 200 SMS/month
Exceeding your limit disables SMS for the rest of the billing month. Email reminders continue to work.
SMS Content
SMS reminders are short messages:
- "Reminder: Your [service] appointment is tomorrow at [time] at [location]. See you soon! - [Your Business]"
Cannot be customized.
Managing Notifications
Enabling/Disabling Notifications
Most notifications are always enabled to ensure customers stay informed. You cannot disable:
- Booking confirmations
- Subscription payment receipts
- Payment failure notices
Optional notifications you can disable:
- Booking reminders (reduce no-shows, recommended to keep enabled)
- Review requests (disable if not using Reviews feature)
Viewing Notification History
Track sent notifications:
- Go to Services → Integrations tab
- View sent email and SMS logs
- Filter by date range or type
- See delivery status (sent, failed, pending)
Email Deliverability
To ensure emails reach customers:
Use Custom Domain Email
- Set up a custom email domain (e.g., notifications@yourbusiness.com)
- Emails from custom domains have higher deliverability than generic domains
- See Email Domain Setup
SendGrid Verification
- Verify your sender email address
- Complete domain authentication
- Monitor sender reputation
SMS Deliverability
To ensure SMS messages are delivered:
- Use a Twilio phone number (not your personal number)
- Verify phone numbers comply with local regulations
- Monitor SMS delivery status in your dashboard
Notification Timing
Common Questions
Q: Can I customize email templates?
A: No, templates are fixed to ensure professional, consistent communication. They automatically include your business name and branding colors.
Q: Can customers opt out of notifications?
A: Customers cannot opt out of transactional emails (bookings, payments) but may unsubscribe from marketing emails (if you send them separately).
Q: What if a customer doesn't have an email address?
A: Email is required for bookings and subscriptions. The system will not allow bookings without a valid email.
Q: What if SMS fails to send?
A: Email reminders will still be sent. SMS failures are logged in your notification history.
Q: Do I get notified when a customer books?
A: Bookings sync to your Google Calendar immediately. You'll see them in your calendar app with notifications based on your calendar settings.
Q: Can I add custom messages to notifications?
A: No, but notifications automatically include relevant details like your business name, location, service descriptions, and cancellation policies.
Q: Are there additional costs for email notifications?
A: Email notifications are included in all plans at no extra cost. SMS notifications count toward your monthly SMS limit.
Q: What happens if I exceed my SMS limit?
A: SMS reminders stop sending for the rest of the billing month. Email reminders continue. Upgrade to a higher plan for more SMS.
Q: Can I resend a failed notification?
A: Failed notifications are automatically retried. If they continue to fail, contact support.
Best Practices
Monitor Delivery
Check notification logs weekly:
- Identify failed deliveries
- Update invalid email addresses
- Verify SMS are within monthly limits
Keep Customer Info Updated
Encourage customers to:
- Provide a valid email address
- Verify phone numbers (for SMS)
- Update contact info if it changes
Test Notifications
Periodically test:
- Book a test appointment to receive booking emails
- Send test SMS from integration settings
- Verify emails don't land in spam
Plan for Busy Seasons
If you approach SMS limits during busy months:
- Upgrade temporarily to Pro plan
- Prioritize SMS for high-value bookings
- Rely on email for lower-priority reminders
Troubleshooting
Emails Not Delivered
Check:
- Customer email address is valid
- Emails not in spam folder
- Domain authentication is set up correctly
- SendGrid account is active
Solution: Contact support if emails consistently fail.
SMS Not Delivered
Check:
- Twilio credentials are correct
- Phone number is valid and not landline