# SMS Overview
> Source: https://development.fuze-store.com/docs/store/sms/overview

# SMS Overview

The **SMS add-on** lets your store send text messages to customers — "Your order is ready", "Your table is booked for 7 PM", "Don't forget your appointment tomorrow". Texts reach customers even when they're not looking at email, which makes them great for time-sensitive updates.

## How it works, start to finish

1. You turn on the **SMS add-on** for your store.
2. You keep some credit in your [Wallet](/docs/store/wallet/overview) (1 point = 1 message segment).
3. When something happens — an order is ready, a booking is coming up — Fuze Store sends the matching text.
4. Each text sent subtracts points from your Wallet.

**You only pay for messages that actually go out.** If a message can't be sent (for example, the customer opted out), you are not charged. There's no monthly message bundle to use up — it's pure pay-as-you-go from your Wallet.

## What sending costs

Messages are billed in **segments**. A normal short text is one segment (1 point). A longer message is split into more segments and costs proportionally more. The app shows your balance as both points and an estimated number of messages, so you always know roughly how many texts you have left.

To add credit, see [Topping Up Your Wallet](/docs/store/wallet/topping-up).

## What you can send

You can text customers about:

- **Orders** — accepted, ready, completed, and other order updates.
- **Events** — appointment and reservation confirmations and reminders.
- **Refunds** — confirmation that a refund was completed.
- **Waiting list** — "Your table is ready" when you call them from the queue.

Each store also has a free-form **Test send** so you can text your own phone and confirm everything works.

## The SMS hub

Everything SMS lives under **Store Settings → SMS**. From the hub you reach:

| Section | What it's for |
| --- | --- |
| **Wallet** | Your prepaid balance and top-ups. See [Wallet Overview](/docs/store/wallet/overview). |
| **Settings** | Turn SMS on, set your sender name, alert email, and low-balance threshold. Includes a test-send. |
| **Message templates** | Customize the exact wording of each message. See [Message Templates](/docs/store/sms/message-templates). |
| **Automation** | Choose which messages send automatically, and set reminder timing. See [Automation](/docs/store/sms/automation). |
| **Receipts** | Download receipts for your Wallet top-ups. |
| **Suppression list** | Numbers that have opted out and won't be texted. See [Suppression List](/docs/store/sms/suppression-list). |
| **Message history** | A record of every text and its delivery status. See [Message History](/docs/store/sms/message-history). |

## How your texts appear

Your messages are sent from a recognizable sender name and lead with your store's name in brackets, like:

> [Acme Cafe] Your order #1042 is ready for pickup.

This way customers instantly know who the text is from.

## If a text doesn't arrive

Most non-delivery comes down to one of these. Check them in order:

- **The wallet is empty.** A send needs at least one point. Top up, then try again. See [Topping Up](/docs/store/wallet/topping-up).
- **The number opted out.** If a customer is on your [suppression list](/docs/store/sms/suppression-list) (they replied STOP, or you added them), the message is skipped and your wallet is **not** charged. Remove them only if they ask to be re-subscribed.
- **The message wasn't set to auto-send.** Automatic messages only go out for the triggers you turned on. Check [Automation](/docs/store/sms/automation).
- **The customer has no mobile number on file.** Add one to their customer record.
- **The number isn't a valid mobile number.** Landlines and malformed numbers are rejected before sending.

Every send — delivered, queued, failed, or skipped — shows up in [Message History](/docs/store/sms/message-history) with its status, so start there to see what happened to a specific text.

## Before you start

- The **SMS add-on** must be active on your store (it's included free during a trial).
- Your [Wallet](/docs/store/wallet/overview) needs some points.
- Customers must have a mobile number on file for them to be textable.

Always respect customers who opt out. If someone replies **STOP**, they're added to your [suppression list](/docs/store/sms/suppression-list) automatically and won't be texted again. This keeps you compliant with messaging rules.

  - [Wallet Overview](/docs/store/wallet/overview)
  - [Message Templates](/docs/store/sms/message-templates)
  - [Automation](/docs/store/sms/automation)
  - [Suppression List](/docs/store/sms/suppression-list)
  - [Message History](/docs/store/sms/message-history)