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How to send text messages to customers from your business

To text customers, collect their mobile numbers with clear permission, then send messages from a business texting tool rather than a personal phone. Business texting and SMS marketing tools handle mass texts, two-way replies, opt-outs and scheduled messages. Appointment reminders can also come from your scheduling software, and a CRM can trigger texts tied to each customer's record. Texting rules on consent and opt-out can be strict, so check what applies where you and your customers are.

By Bill Belcamino · Page updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team

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Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare

Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: What do I need in place before my business starts texting customers?

Proof of consent comes before any software: record when and how each customer agreed to texts, separately from email, because texting people who never opted in brings complaints, blocked numbers and legal risk.

We don't track business texting software yet, so there are no verified prices here for the core tool, though Klaviyo's free plan includes $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month and Keap's free trial allows no texts. A text is the most personal channel you have, and people treat it that way. Every promotional send spends a little goodwill, and opting out is one word away, so I'd save texts for things a customer wants right now: a reminder, a delivery, a slot that just opened. Send during daytime hours where the customer is, and start with reminders from the scheduling tool or CRM that already holds the appointment.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 23, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

How to send text messages to customers, step by step

Decide what you'll text: reminders, order updates, offers or two-way customer service.
Collect consent to texts separately from email, and record when and how each customer agreed.
Set up a business number and complete any sender registration your provider or country requires.
Write short messages that name your business and say how to opt out.
Set up automatic reminders or triggers from your scheduling tool or CRM where they fit.
Watch replies and honor every opt-out right away.

The software this job takes

Which categories a job needs is Editorial assessment; the tools, prices and dates are Verified data.

None of the core software for this job is in a category we track yet. Below are related categories we do cover, which often help with part of the job.

Often added

Marketing Automation Software

Marketing automation runs follow-up emails and nurture campaigns without manual sending.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
ActiveCampaign	From $15/mo (1,000 contacts)	Per account per month, billed annually (1,000 contacts)	$15/moFlat per account per month, billed annually (1,000 contacts); includes 1 login, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	NoNo free plan — trial available	Sep 14, 2026Vendor pricing
HubSpot	Free tier, from $20/seat/mo (Starter; $7/seat/mo new-customer promo, limited time)	Per seat	$200/mo$20 × 10 seats	YesYes — free CRM for up to 2 users, no card required	Sep 23, 2026Vendor pricing
Klaviyo	From $20/mo	Per account per month, priced by active profiles	$20/moFlat per account per month, priced by active profiles	Yes250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month	Aug 11, 2026Vendor pricing
Mailchimp	From $13/mo	Per account per month (up to 500 contacts)	$13/moFlat per account per month (up to 500 contacts); includes 3 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	Yes250 contacts / 500 sends per month	Sep 18, 2026Vendor pricing
Keap	Starting at $299/mo	Per account per month; extra users $39/month each	$299/moFlat per account per month; extra users $39/month each; includes 2 logins, so more logins need a higher plan or extra users	NoNo free plan — limited free trial (no card required; 25 email sends, no payments or texts)	Sep 14, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all Marketing Automation pricing →Head to head:Keap vs Mailchimp Keap vs Klaviyo HubSpot vs Mailchimp HubSpot vs Klaviyo HubSpot vs Keap ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp22 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Often added

CRM Software

A CRM keeps every customer, lead and deal in one place so nothing falls through the cracks.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
HubSpot	Free tier, from $20/seat/mo (Starter; $7/seat/mo new-customer promo, limited time)	Per seat	$200/mo$20 × 10 seats	YesYes — free CRM for up to 2 users, no card required	Sep 23, 2026Vendor pricing
Salesforce	Free Suite (2 users), from $25/user/mo	Per user	$250/mo$25 × 10 users	YesYes — Free Suite, 2 users, no card required	Sep 12, 2026Vendor pricing
Pipedrive	From $14/seat/mo	Per seat	$140/mo$14 × 10 seats	No	Sep 12, 2026Vendor pricing
Zoho CRM	Free (3 users), from $14/user/mo	Per user	$140/mo$14 × 10 users	YesYes — up to 3 users	Sep 17, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all CRM Platforms pricing →Head to head:Salesforce vs Zoho CRM Pipedrive vs Zoho CRM Pipedrive vs Salesforce HubSpot vs Zoho CRM Pipedrive vs HubSpot HubSpot vs Salesforce14 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Often added

Scheduling & Booking Software

Scheduling software lets clients book time that fits your calendar, with reminders.

Tool	Entry price (as published)	Billing unit	Example: team of 10	Free plan	Verified
Calendly	From $10/mo	Per seat per month, billed yearly	$100/mo$10 × 10 users (per seat per month, billed yearly)	Yes1 event type (unlimited starts on paid Standard plan)	Sep 8, 2026Vendor pricing
Acuity Scheduling	From $16/mo	Per account per month, billed annually (1 calendar)	$16/moFlat per account per month, billed annually (1 calendar)	NoNo free tier — trial only; paid plans start at 1 calendar	Sep 8, 2026Vendor pricing
Cal.com	Free (1 user); Teams $12/user/mo (annual), $15 monthly	Per user	$120/mo$12 × 10 users	YesFree forever — 1 user, unlimited event types and calendars, 100+ app integrations	Sep 23, 2026Vendor pricing

Compare all Scheduling Software pricing →Head to head:Cal.com vs Calendly Cal.com vs Acuity Scheduling Calendly vs Acuity Scheduling6 switching guides Build a decision brief for these →

Not covered on HelpCompare yet

This job usually also needs SMS marketing / business texting. We don’t track that category yet, so we have no verified prices to show for it. We would rather say so than guess. The guidance on this page still covers what to look for.

What to look for

Editorial assessment

Two-way messaging If customers reply, your team needs a shared inbox to answer from the business number, not from personal phones.
Consent and opt-out handling Check that the tool records consent and processes stop requests automatically across every campaign.
How messages are counted Texting is often priced per message or credit on top of a plan, and long or international texts can count as more. Check how the tool counts before you send at volume.
Reminders from tools you already use See whether your scheduling software or CRM can send text reminders itself, and whether that's included on your plan.
Help with sender registration Look for support registering your business number where carriers or regulators require it. Unregistered business texts may be blocked.
CRM connection Contacts and replies should sync with your CRM, so texts appear in each customer's history.

Common mistakes to avoid

Texting without clear consent Texting people who never agreed can lead to complaints, blocked numbers and legal risk. Check the rules where you operate before the first send.
Using staff phones Texts from personal phones leave no shared record and leave with the employee.
Too many promotional texts Texts feel personal, so frequent promotions drive opt-outs. Keep texts for things customers want to know now.
Ignoring replies Customers expect to be able to answer a text. A no-reply number or an unwatched inbox frustrates them.

What to settle before you buy

What will we text customers about, and what stays on email?
How do we collect and record texting consent today?
Who answers replies, and during which hours?
Which scheduling tool or CRM should trigger texts?
How many customers will we text, and how often?
Where are our customers located, and have we checked the texting rules there?

Ready to take it to whoever signs off?Turn your shortlist into a one-page decision brief with verified prices, or price the whole job for your team size.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I send mass text messages to customers?

Use a business texting or SMS marketing tool, import only customers who agreed to receive texts and send from a registered business number. Include your business name and opt-out instructions in each message. Check the texting rules where you and your customers are before the first campaign.

How do I set up text message reminders?

Start with the tool that holds your appointments or orders, since scheduling software and some CRMs can send reminders automatically. Check whether text reminders are on your plan or need an add-on. Confirm that customers agreed to receive them.

What is a business texting app?

It's a tool that lets your team send and receive texts from a business number instead of personal phones. It typically adds a shared inbox, templates, scheduled messages and opt-out handling, and some also run bulk SMS marketing campaigns.

How does SMS marketing for small business work?

You build a list of customers who opted in, send short offers, updates or reminders from a texting tool, and track replies, clicks and opt-outs. Because texts feel personal, they suit time-sensitive messages. Longer updates and newsletters usually fit email better.

How we built this page

We start from the job, not the product. The phrasings people search for this job (for example “how to send text messages to customers”) come from our research into how small and mid-size teams describe it. Which software categories the job takes is our editorial judgment. Every tool, entry price, billing unit and date comes from HelpCompare’s open dataset, recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page; nothing is estimated, and where a vendor publishes no price we say so. We take no affiliate commissions and publish no scores of our own. See our methodology or download the data from Open Data.

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Cite this page: HelpCompare, “How to send text messages to customers from your business”, helpcompare.com/start/text-customers/ (updated 2026-09-23).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check October 4, 2026. How sources are checked.

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How to send text messages to customers from your business

Bottom line up front: What do I need in place before my business starts texting customers?

How to send text messages to customers, step by step

The software this job takes

Marketing Automation Software

CRM Software

Scheduling & Booking Software

Not covered on HelpCompare yet

What to look for

Common mistakes to avoid

What to settle before you buy

Frequently asked questions

How do I send mass text messages to customers?

How do I set up text message reminders?

What is a business texting app?

How does SMS marketing for small business work?

How we built this page

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