Two-Way SMS Subscription Management

What is two-way SMS subscription management?

Two-way SMS subscription management is a component of SkioSMS that lets customers view and modify their subscriptions directly via text message. Instead of logging into the Customer Portal, subscribers can interact with an automated menu to manage their subscriptions using simple text commands.

Key features include:

• Interactive subscription management through easy-to-navigate text menus

• Customizable actions and copy to match your brand voice

• Gorgias integration that lets customers request help via SMS and create support tickets directly

• Automatic opt-in for transactional messages (customers can opt out anytime by replying “CANCEL" or "STOP")

When enabled, all SMS notifications include a suffix prompting customers to reply and manage their subscription. By responding with "MODIFY" or "MENU", customers enter the management flow and can take actions like skipping orders, changing delivery dates, swapping products, or pausing their subscription.

Unlike two-way SMS management, one-way notifications are updates that subscribers receive but can't reply to or take action on. Learn more about one-way SMS notifications.

Who can use two-way SMS management?

Two-way SMS management is available to most merchants, but there are some regional limitations from Twilio and other SMS providers.

Requirements:

• Your phone number must have SMS capabilities (available in most countries)

• Twilio cannot guarantee support if your phone number doesn't match your customer's country of origin

International merchants:

If you're based in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, or anywhere outside the United States, contact support@skio.com to have a regional number provisioned.

Regulatory requirements vary by country, and we cannot guarantee phone number provisioning outside your primary country of operation. Learn more about Twilio's support for two-way messaging.

How do I set up two-way SMS management?

Step 1: Enable two-way SMS management

1. In the lefthand menu of your Skio Dashboard, go to Features > SkioSMS.

2. Navigate to the 2- Way subscription management tab.

3. Click the toggle at the top of the page to enable.
   

Step 2: Configure available actions

You can customize which actions customers can take via SMS. All actions are enabled by default, including:

• Cancel a subscription

• Pause a subscription

• Skip a subscription

• Change billing date of a subscription

• Add a one-time upsell to a subscription

• Add a recurring product to a subscription

• Swap an item with another

If you enable the Cancel action, customers who try to cancel will be redirected to the online Customer Portal through a magic login link. This ensures you can still collect cancellation data and churn statistics via Cancel Flow.

Step 3: Customize the notification suffix

When two-way management is enabled, all SMS notifications include a suffix that prompts customers to reply and manage their subscription.

To edit this suffix:

1. Scroll down to the 2-Way Messaging Copy section.

2. Under General copy, click on the 2-Way subscription management customer prompt copy item to edit.

3. The default is set to:

   Reply with 'modify' to make changes to your subscription(s).

How do I customize copy for two-way SMS notifications?

Step 1: Access the copy editor

1. In the SMS Subscription Management tab, click any copy item to open the editor.

2. Edit the message text using plain language and dynamic variables.

Step 2: Use dynamic variables

Each copy item includes two types of variables:

Available variables

These are fixed variables (similar to one-way SMS notifications) that you can insert anywhere in your copy. All variables must be wrapped in double curly braces, like {{variableName}}.

Some variables reference other copy items you can customize. For example, {{actionDescription}} might reference the "Set order date action description" copy item.

Subscription context

These context objects let you reference specific subscription data for deeper personalization. To view available context properties:

1. Expand the Subscription context dropdown.
   

2. Hover over any property to see more information.

3. Click any property to copy it to your clipboard. Like static variables, subscription context properties must be wrapped in double curly braces {{ and }}

Learn more about dynamic templating.

Step 3: Preview your changes

Below the editor, you'll see a preview of how the message appears to customers. You can:

• Enter any customer's phone number to preview their specific message

• Set a default preview number in Settings under Default customer preview number

How do I test two-way SMS management?

Step 1: Navigate to the simulator

1. In your Skio Dashboard, go to Features > SkioSMS.

2. Navigate to the Simulator and testing tab.

Step 2: Test as a customer

1. Enter the phone number of your test customer.

2. Send messages as though you were that customer.

3. Type "MODIFY" or "MENU"to enter the main management menu.

4. Follow the prompts to test different actions.

Customers can message your store's phone number at any time to manage their subscription. They don't have to wait for a notification.