SMS reminders
Pro, Business, and the Pro trial. On lifetime plans, SMS runs on credits you buy.
Send text reminders to clients alongside email reminders. SMS follows the same schedule as email, and Portico sends the texts from its own number. You do not need a Twilio account.
Turn on SMS reminders
Go to Settings > Client experience.
Under SMS reminders, tick Enable SMS reminders.
The setting saves on its own. Owners and Admins can change it. Plans without SMS see an upgrade note in place of the checkbox.
Reminder schedule
SMS reminders follow the email reminder schedule. Set the default in Settings > Client experience under Default reminder schedule. New onboardings start with this schedule, and you can change it on each onboarding while it is a draft.
The default schedule sends reminders 3, 7, and 14 days after you send the onboarding.
Each row sets 1 to 90 days and a timing: after send, before due, or after due (overdue). Click + Add reminder to add a row, up to 20.
Due-date reminders go out at 09:00 in the due date's time zone. They need a due date.
With SMS reminders turned on, each row also shows an SMS checkbox. Only ticked rows also go out as a text. The default schedule has no ticked rows.
Send reminder on the onboarding page sends an email only, never a text.
The after send reminders do not need a due date. Reminders stop once the onboarding is completed, cancelled, or expired, or once its Link expiry date passes.
Monthly limits
SMS sending limits depend on your plan:
Plan | SMS per month |
|---|---|
Pro and Pro trial | 100 |
Business | 500 |
Lifetime plans | None included |
Each text counts as one message. On Pro, Business, and the Pro trial, Settings > Client experience shows your Usage this month once SMS is on. On a lifetime plan with credits, it shows your SMS reminder credits balance instead. The allowance resets on the 1st of each month, in UTC.
When you reach your monthly limit, texts stop until the next month. Email reminders continue regardless.
On a lifetime plan, the Owner can buy 100 SMS credits for $19 in Settings > Billing under Credit packs. Each text then uses one credit. Credits never expire.
What clients receive
The text names your firm and the template, says how many items are left, and links to the form. It looks like this:
Acme Bookkeeping: You have 3 items remaining for "Client intake". Complete here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.If a client replies STOP, Twilio stops sending your texts to that client. Their email reminders continue.
The text is always in English, whatever language is set for the client. The firm name is your Email sender name from Branding, or your team name when none is set. While the team name is still the signup placeholder, such as "Jane Smith's team", the text shows the owner's name. The text does not mention the due date.
SMS reminders need a phone number on the client record, with a plus sign and country code. Add it when you create a client in a new onboarding, through CSV import, or through the API. The Add client and Edit client dialogs have no phone field. Clients without a phone number get email reminders only. To check a number, open the client's page, which shows Phone when one is set. You cannot change it there.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own Twilio account?
No. SMS is included in your plan, and Portico sends the texts from its own number. You do not enter any Twilio credentials.
How many SMS messages can I send per month?
Pro and the Pro trial include 100 texts a month, and Business includes 500. Lifetime plans include none, but the Owner can buy packs of 100 SMS credits.
Can I use SMS reminders alongside email reminders?
Yes. With SMS on, each scheduled reminder goes out by email and by text to clients who have a phone number.