Tip #3 : Send SMS Reminders for your Subscription Business

Tip #3 : Send SMS Reminders for your Subscription Business

Hello everyone,

As you all know, we are coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation to the previous blog, this week we will be seeing how you can use SMS reminders for your Subscription Business.

Using SMS messages for your Subscription Business:

While managing your subscription business, more often than not, you need to keep your customers informed about upcoming renewals, payment reminders and cancellations. By keeping them informed in advance, you can get quicker payments and also retain the customers in the long run. As a business owner, you need to come up with ways to get your message/reminders to the customers in a more quick and efficient way.

Email notifications satisfy such requirements where you could just send out an email to your customers about the necessary upcoming reminders. However, with a contrasting ratio of four mobile devices to one computer, it is evident what our customers are using as their preferred mode of communication. Along with the growing number of smartphone users day by day, you should try to make your business more mobile-friendly. 

Now, wouldn't it be more efficient to keep your customers notified instantly via SMS about their upcoming reminders? Let us see how we can leverage SMS messages to effectively communicate with your customers.

How to set up a Custom SMS workflow for your business?

You can use our Custom Function workflow to integrate with one of the many third party SMS providers to send out your messages. You can choose your SMS provider based on your region or preference.

Since most of the reminders are events triggered, we are going to use event based workflow for this integration. You can choose the event according to your requirement. Few such examples would be new subscription, subscription renewal and subscription cancellation events. As soon as the event occurs, you will have to use the SMS provider's API to send an SMS to the customer with an appropriate message.

Below are few of the third party providers for which we have compiled the custom functions.

1)  Twilio


     Website                    - https://www.twilio.com/

     API Documentation -  https://www.twilio.com/docs/usage/api
     Custom Function      - GitHub Link

2) Text Local


    Website                    - https://www.textlocal.in/

    Custom Function     - GitHub Link


3) SMS Magic


   Website                     - https://www.sms-magic.com/

   Custom Function     - GitHub Link

For this particular blog, I will be explaining how to integrate with Twilio's API.

Obtain Twilio credentials for authentication:

In order to use Twilio's API, a Twilio account is needed. We will follow the simple token-based authentication using Custom variables. All requests to Twilio's REST API requires you to authenticate using the two important authentication parameters namely Account SID and Auth Token

Login to https://www.twilio.com/ and get the credentials after signing up. Obtain the Account SID and Auth Token.




Code Explanation:

As previously mentioned, you can refer the code for Twilio integration hereThe code is written in Deluge script, which is easily understandable to non-programmers.

1) Initially, we need to paste the Account SID and Auth Token values in the corresponding variables.

2) This snippet of code will be executed after the event which you configure in your custom function. So, construct the SMS message with regards to that context.

3) Once that particular event is triggered, we will be hitting an API request to Twilio with the customer's mobile number and the message.

Getting started with the Custom Functions:  


1. Go to Settings -> Automation -> Custom Functions. 


2. Create a new Custom function. Provide a name for the function. 


3. Choose the module and event according to your need.


4. Copy the code which was given above. Do the necessary changes that are required.


5. Save the Custom function and you are good to go.

Found this useful? Try it out and let us know how it works! If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask!


Cheers,

Sasidaran K,
Zoho Subscriptions.
    • Sticky Posts

    • Tip #4 : Refer and Earn Workflow system for your Subscription Business

      Hello everyone, We've been coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios which can be implemented for your business. In continuation to the previous post, this week we will be seeing about how you can implement the Refer and Earn Workflow system to acquire more customers. Why are Referrals important? Customer Acquisition is crucial for any business to sustain itself in a constantly evolving market. It involves persuading new consumers to purchase your products. Customers
    • Tip #2 - Cancellation of Offline Subscriptions based on the Expected Payment Date

      Hello everyone, As you all know, we are coming up with a custom function workflow every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation of this previous blog, this week we will be seeing about Cancellation of Offline Subscriptions based on the Expected Payment Date. Business Scenario: In general, for any business, the customers make payments via online as well as offline. In case of subscription where the automatic collection of charge is enabled (aka online subscription), the customer's
    • Tip #3 : Send SMS Reminders for your Subscription Business

      Hello everyone, As you all know, we are coming up with a tip every week to address specific business scenarios. In continuation to the previous blog, this week we will be seeing how you can use SMS reminders for your Subscription Business. Using SMS messages for your Subscription Business: While managing your subscription business, more often than not, you need to keep your customers informed about upcoming renewals, payment reminders and cancellations. By keeping them informed in advance, you can
    • Tips And Tricks - Announcement

      Hello everyone, Every business is unique and each of them follows a specific workflow. While managing your customers' subscriptions with Zoho, you might have some needs unique to your business. Custom Functions helps you address such needs. This is a start to a series of posts, where we will be coming up with a custom function workflow every week that addresses specific business scenarios. Watch this space for further updates! Also, if you have any specific business scenario which needs to be addressed,
    • Tip #6 : Accessing external URLs from Zoho Subscriptions

      Hello everyone, We have been sharing a tip every week to address specific business scenarios which you can implement for your subscription business. Last week, we shared a tip about implementing the Approval Workflow system. This week, let's look at how you can access external URLs with the help of Custom Link. Business Scenario: Every business functions differently and has its unique requirements. At times, businesses might want to access other websites or applications by appending specific information

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • Zoho CRM Webinar – Automate everything across Customer Journeys in CommandCenter 2.0

        How efficient is your current CRM automation setup? As customer journeys become more dynamic, it's common for data and actions to get scattered across teams and modules. This leads to broken processes and inconsistent customer experiences—especially across
      • Changing employees email address

        How do I change an employee's email address? I am an administrator on the account but it says that I am "not allowed" to do it?
      • MULTI-SELECT LOOKUP - MAIL TEMPLATE

        Dear all how are you? We need to insert data from MULTI-SELECT LOOKUP in a email template, but I can't do that, when I'm creating the template I can't find the field to insert it. is there any solution? PVU
      • Changing the owner of a call

        Am I correct in my conclusion that I cannot change the owner of a call in Zoho? The field does not show up in the screen, nor can I make it show up as the systems does not give me that option. I cannot "mass update" it either. I tried it, but Zoho refuses to change the name of the owner. Please help out: how do I change the owner of a call.
      • Global Fields

        Just like Global Sets for Picklists, we would like to have global fields for any kind of field. Three things that should be saved globally: 1. The Existence of the field 2. The Name and 3. Association with a module should be set up in a respective place
      • Introducing Screen Share with Audio

        Share your entire screen or just the chrome tab with audio for more engaging presentations. Your audience will hear sound just like you do, whether it's a video, demo or any other content. This is ideal for training sessions, team meetings, and client
      • Need Help Preventing Overselling in Zoho Inventory

        Hi fellow Zoho Inventory users, I'm reaching out for advice on managing inventory control in our growing business. We've recently encountered situations where sales orders get confirmed despite insufficient stock, creating operational challenges. Our
      • Tip #53: Populate and search values from tables using Table Lookup

        Qntrl supports tables to store organization-related data and access it easily. Data stored here can be populated and displayed in orchestration using Table Lookups. This helps organizations list sizeable data in dropdown or multiselect dropdown fields
      • Introducing more AES digital signature options in Zoho Sign

        Greetings! Zoho Sign has continually strived to partner with trust service providers across the globe to give you complete security and confidence, so you can e-sign documents no matter where you are. We've recently partnered with IgniSign, a trust service
      • Shuffling between one note to the next

        I usually start all my notes per interaction with a contact with the date and then a little detail. But when I search for it it only see a small portion of the note and can't immediately tell which contact its associated with. can we make the note content
      • Important Update: TRAI Mandates New SMS Header Format

        Hello everyone, We have an announcement regarding a new regulation by the Telephone Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that affects all application-to-person (A2P) SMS services. Starting on May 6, 2025, TRAI has mandated that telecom service providers
      • Preview generation in progress for days

        I uploaded a video file to Zoho webinar. The file has been showing Preview generation in progress for days. Pls help, why is not approved?
      • Workdrive Upload Notification

        Is there a way to be notified when someone externally has uploaded files to a folder? The "Unread" tab is really worthless because it shows all files from every directory on the system. I just need an email (or bell at worst) that says "someone has uploaded into <foldername>".
      • Workflow for "Expenses" module?

        Hi there, over the last 2 years, Zoho Expense has seen tremendous growth and we are happy with it. But, sometimes it is frustrating to see things are being implemented halfheartedly, or so it seems. For example, There is the possibility to create workflows
      • Markup instead of discount??

        Is it possible to have the discount field on an invoice or estimate be a markup instead? It's the very same functionality that I am looking for - to be able to markup an individual item by either a $ or a % and have that cost added (instead of subtracted) to the item cost.  Currently, I use the tax feature to accomplish this, but it's very awkward to have "Markup 15%" listed after the subtotal. Plus, if I want to markup items at different rates, I end up with several "markup" lines in the totals
      • Allow Mapping of Zoho Desk Knowledge Base Categories to Multiple Departments in Zoho SalesIQ

        Hello Zoho Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Zoho SalesIQ integration with Zoho Desk, specifically regarding the way Knowledge Base (KB) articles are mapped and displayed across departments. Current Limitation
      • Creator roadmap for the rest of 2022

        Hi everyone, Hope you're all good! Thanks for continuing to make this community engaging and informative. Today we'd like to share with you our plans for the near future of Creator. We always strive to strike a good balance of features and enhancements
      • Announcing new features in Trident for Windows (v.1.27.4.0)

        Hello Community, Trident for Windows is here with exciting new features to elevate your communication and enhance productivity. Let’s dive into what’s new! Smart Sign-in. You can now sign in to Trident with Smart Sign-in. With this new addition, you can
      • Inactive Items - Make Less Prominent by Default

        Currently, when one marks an Item as "Inactive", it really doesn't do much of anything to hide it or get it out of the way. Search and reporting within Finance should, by default, hide inactive Items from standard reports, searches, etc. If one specifically
      • Add Lookup Field in Tasks Module

        Hello, I have a need to add a Lookup field in addition to the ones that are already there in the Tasks module. I've seen this thread and so understand that the reason lookup fields may not be part of it is that there are already links to the tables (
      • Time Entry : Auto fill fields Hours minutes seconds

        Hello world, Do someone know a script (for workflow rules) which fill automatically fields hours spent, minutes spent, seconds spent when we fill Executed time and End time Formula should start from (End time - Executed time) Thx in advance
      • Zoho Forms - edit the settings of the Zoho CRM field to change the integration with CRM

        I've created a Zoho CRM field in my form to pre-populate selected CRM details into the form, following the instructions here https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm/integrations/zoho/zoho-forms/articles/zoho-forms-crm-integration#Step_2_-_Add_Zoho_CRM_Field_in_the_form
      • Ability to add notes to an appointment and add notes/attach docs to a consultation

        As an idea for the future, it would be helpful to be able to add notes to an existing appointment--there is a place to add notes for the customer, but I don't see one for the appointment. It would also be helpful to be able to add notes or attach documents
      • Im trying to white list domain dynamically in zoho desk extension

        Im trying to white list domain dynamically in zoho desk extension. But it show error Error: {errMsg: 'No entry found in plugin-manifest whiteListedDomains for requested URL'} syntax "config": [ { "displayName":"Shopify Admin API access token ", "name":
      • Zoho Payroll: Product Updates for India - May 2025

        This May, we are glad to unveil new capabilities in Zoho Payroll that simplify your payroll activities. Here's the list: Let Employees Choose Their Tax Deduction Method for One-Time Payments Calculate variable earnings based on percentage of CTC Carry
      • Bulk Update Tasks/Task Lists/Milestones

        Is there a way to bulk update tasks/task lists/milestones? We have several projects that are in the same template, and our staff complete them tasks at a time - and would like to go in an bulk update all related tasks/task lists/milestones at once. But you can't do this. I remember in an old version you could export your tasks, update the excel doc and reimport. But it doesn't seem like that option is available anymore. Can someone provide a solution/idea? Otherwise we are spending a lot of time
      • Sync failed: Invalid Date value

        Hi, I have a local .sqlite database. After importing one table through the Databridge, and produced my dashboards, I cannot sync. I get an error regarding the date column: [Line: 2 Field: 4] (2018-07-12) -ERROR: Invalid Date value The data found at the
      • Office 365 is marking us as "bulk"

        All of a sudden (like a couple of days ago) all of our customers who are on Office 365 are getting our mails in their junk email. This is not the case with Gmail or other random mail servers, nor between us. We got a 10/10 score on mail-tester.com. Also,
      • Zoho Assist

        Hi, We are using zoho assist unattended access in some windows server 2012 and recently the agent lets you connect but not let you do anything on the remote machine. Sometimes you can click on something but nothing happens. There's a issue with this new
      • Modify workflow from "ON CREATE & EDIT" to "ON CREATE" only

        Salut, Is there a way to easilly change my choice of trigger of workflow from on create & edit to on create only, or do I have to re-do the whole worklow from scratch ? Sylvain
      • Access custom modules via API?

        Is it possible to access a custom module in Zoho Inventory via the API? I can not find any reference to this in the API docs.
      • Welcome to the Zoho Service Plus community

        Hey everyone, We are excited to welcome you to be a part of the Zoho Service Plus community. Here's a quick overview of what Service Plus is all about and how the community can help us work together. What's Zoho Service Plus? Zoho Service Plus is a unified
      • Restrict Zoho Cliq Webinars and Announcements to Admins Only

        Hi Zoho Team, We hope you're doing well. We would like to raise a feature request regarding in-app announcements in Zoho Cliq, such as the recent webinar popup about the Cliq Developer Platform: While these announcements are useful, they are not always
      • Track ZohoForm Conversion using Postmessage event

        Hi, I’ve been using a third-party lead tracking tool to capture leads from my website along with their source. Earlier, with the HubSpot form, the third-party script was able to detect the postMessage event that iframe forms typically send back to the
      • Share Notebook with group created in Zoho One

        I have created a group in Zoho One for a section in my company. Is it possible to share a notebook with that Zoho One Group? Currently, it seems only possible to share to emails. Unfortunately for large teams, this will mean we are constantly having to
      • Create Tasks in arbitrary Zoho Project triggered from CRM [Zoho Flow]

        Community, hello What I'm trying to do is to create a Zoho Project when a Deal is created in CRM and then to be able to add tasks to this Project also from Zoho CRM with the trigger (Blueprint/ Workflow). I succeeded in creating Project using Zoho Flow,
      • Outlook Add-in security times out needs to login 10 times a day

        hi we've just switched the Zoho. We use Azure SSO. All users have stopped using it. Sometimes it asks every 5 minutes. What should I lot at to solve this?
      • Simplify Zoho API integration with Deluge’s invokeAPI task

        Hello all! Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, we’re excited to share some of the latest updates to enhance your Deluge experience. While Deluge already offered robust API integration capabilities, we’ve taken it to the next level with the introduction
      • Simplify Zoho API integration with Deluge’s invokeAPI task

        Hello all! Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, we’re excited to share some of the latest updates to enhance your Deluge experience. While Deluge already offered robust API integration capabilities, we’ve taken it to the next level with the introduction
      • Attention: Display Issues on Chromium Browsers with Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors

        Dear Customers, We've recently identified a display-related issue that may affect some of our Zoho Assist users, particularly technicians using devices powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors. What’s Happening? If you're running a Chromium-based browser
      • Next Page