Order confirmed
SMSHi {#var#}, your order {#var#} is confirmed. Amount Rs {#var#}. Expected delivery {#var#}. -{#var#}Register under the transactional category. Keep any offer out of this text.
Transactional alerts customers can rely on
A transactional alert is a message a customer expects because of something they just did: a payment, an order, a booking or a change to their account. It carries information, not a promotion, and in India it travels on a separate route that is not held back by DND or the promotional time window.
Customers judge you on these messages more than on any campaign. If the payment alert arrives four minutes late, nobody remembers the discount you sent last month.
C
CONNEX
SMS · Transactional
Payment of Rs 2,499 received for order #48213. Delivery by Thu, 24 Sep. Track: cnxb.in/t/48213
11:04 AM
Order #48213 has been packed and handed to the courier. Tracking ID: 7729-3381.
3:18 PM
- Route
- Dedicated transactional route, separate from promotions
- DND / time window
- Not restricted, if the content stays informational
- Typical speed
- Seconds, with delivery reports through API and webhook
- RCS rate
- ₹0.15 per transactional message + GST
How an alert gets from your system to the phone
- 1
An event fires in your system
A payment clears, an order ships, a slot is booked. Your backend calls the API with the customer’s number, the template ID and the values that fill the blanks.
- 2
The template is checked before it leaves
The message must match an approved DLT template word for word, apart from the variables. A mismatch is the most common reason an alert never arrives, so it is validated before it goes to the operator.
- 3
It goes out on the transactional route
Alerts move on a route kept apart from promotional traffic, so a large campaign never queues in front of a payment confirmation.
- 4
You get a delivery report
Status returns through the API or a webhook. Delivered, failed or pending, with the reason. Use it to trigger a retry on another channel.
- 5
A fallback covers the gap
If SMS fails, the same alert can go over WhatsApp or RCS. For alerts that cannot be missed, a voice call is the last step.
Which channel does which job
| Channel | Use it for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | Payment, order and account alerts to any handset | Fastest and most universal. Works without data or an app. |
| Order tracking, invoices and booking confirmations with PDFs | Utility templates carry documents and buttons and keep the whole conversation in one thread. | |
| RCS | Rich alerts with a verified sender for Android users | Shows your brand name and logo. ₹0.15 per transactional message. |
| Voice | Critical or high-value alerts that need acknowledgement | A call reaches people who ignore texts. Use it sparingly. |
Message templates worth starting from
Variables are written as {#var#}, the way they appear on a DLT template. Adapt the wording to your brand, then register it.
Appointment reminder
WhatsAppHello {{1}}, this is a reminder for your appointment on {{2}} at {{3}}.
[Confirm] [Reschedule]Submit as a utility template. Buttons cut down replies you have to handle by hand.
Failed payment
SMSYour payment of Rs {#var#} for {#var#} did not go through. Please retry or use another method. Ref {#var#}. -{#var#}Say what happened and what to do next. Do not attach a discount.
What usually goes wrong
Sneaking a promotion into an alert
One line about a sale turns the message promotional. It can be delayed, blocked or fall outside the allowed window. Send the offer separately.
Rewording the template in code
Developers tidy up the text and the alert stops arriving. Treat the approved wording as fixed and only change the variables.
No plan for failure
If the only channel is SMS and the phone is off, the customer never knows. Decide in advance what the second attempt is and how long to wait.
Ignoring delivery reports
A steady rise in failed messages often means a template or header problem you can fix in an afternoon. Nobody sees it if nobody reads the report.
What to have in place
- Entity and header registered on DLT, with the header approved for transactional use.
- One approved template per event, worded exactly as it will be sent.
- API or webhook integration tested with real numbers, including a failure case.
- A fallback rule: what channel, how long to wait, and when to stop.
- Delivery reports logged and someone assigned to look at them weekly.
- Alerts and promotions kept on separate templates and headers.
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between transactional and promotional SMS?
A transactional SMS gives information the customer expects because of an action they took, such as an OTP, order update or payment receipt. A promotional SMS advertises or encourages a purchase. They use different routes, templates and rules, and transactional messages are not subject to DND or the promotional time window.
Can transactional messages contain a link?
Yes, if the link is a full URL that is whitelisted on your DLT account. Public URL shorteners are not accepted in templates.
Why did my transactional SMS not get delivered?
The usual causes are a template that does not match the approved text exactly, an unregistered or wrong header, a non-whitelisted link, or promotional wording that moved the message to the wrong category. Check the delivery report reason first.
Can I send transactional alerts on WhatsApp?
Yes. WhatsApp calls these utility templates. They must be approved, sent to customers who have opted in, and billed per message by category under Meta’s pricing.
How fast are transactional messages delivered?
Typically within seconds when the template and header are correct. Operator congestion and handset status can add delay, which is why a fallback channel is worth setting up.
Get alerts that arrive on time
Tell us the events you want to notify on. We will map templates, routes and fallbacks and help you register everything on DLT.