Most of us know SMS as a simple communication tool to send messages quickly. Nevertheless, SMS is more than just an easy way to chat with friends.
Many businesses are relying on SMS to deliver creative, promotional and secure application-to-person (A2P) SMS, where an app issues messages to a mobile subscriber. This transmission method allows companies to offer text alerts via SMS to multiple customers or target a market at the same time.
How different industries benefit from the use of transactional business SMS
Enterprises operating in the B2C space especially rely heavily on transactional or two-way SMS as it can significantly improve customer engagement and ROI. The business verticals below provide an overview of how companies can integrate transactional SMS into their day-to-day business with a programmable SMS API.
Travel and Transportation
Travel and transportation companies often have essential time-sensitive information that is usually beneficial for their customers’ travel plans and best delivered immediately via text alerts, especially when passengers are on the move.
Critical alerts and notifications including flight status, delays or gate changes, etc., are usually provided via SMS to the traveler. Transactional SMS prompts customers to browse an app to see the updated flight changes or cancellations. This can be easily integrated via a programmable SMS API. For instance, American Airlines utilizes SMS services to inform their customers of gate changes, delays, cancellations, and the arrival of delayed baggage via test alerts. This messaging enables the consumer to react appropriately and plan.
Another international airline corporation relies on Retarus’ business SMS services for sending text notifications to its crew members.
Financial Services and Payment Processing
Financial services and payments sectors are also opening up their mobile communications channel to make services more accessible to their clients.
Mobile banking, for instance, is becoming a favorite two-way-messaging trend allowing people to request mini-statements or balance updates via text. Some banks provide their customers with a text banking service, which enables them to set up customized alerts for their account balances. This communication can be easily integrated via a programmable SMS API and helps customers to be more aware of their money spending habits without having to log into their bank account.
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
Major drugstores across the USA alert their customers via transactional SMS services as soon as their prescription is ready for pick-up. Pharmacies are also able to use transactional SMS Services to request information from suppliers regarding the list of unshipped orders or details of its status.
Who else uses Transactional SMS?
There is a significant shift happening across the various verticals, including healthcare, restaurants, social networks, automobiles, banks, which are now integrating transactional SMS into their business strategy. Thanks to the high open rates and the possibility of making communication processes seamless, companies are now using SMS to improve the customer experience. Retarus Transactional SMS can be easily implemented via a programmable SMS API.
How is Retarus Innovating Transactional SMS in the Cloud?
Retarus is continuously working on the further development of its Enterprise SMS Services. The new functions include an IP address filter, among others. When logging on via SOAP or REST, this ensures that only authorized senders can submit transmission requests from predefined sources.
Smart Duplicate Detection for Transactional SMS Services
SMS for Applications also offers a duplicate detection. This prevents a message from being sent to one recipient more than once within a short period of time. This function can now be set centrally via the EAS portal and no longer has to be set up for each job individually.
