Set Up Transactional Messaging

Transactional messaging allows you to send order-related, non-marketing texts through Postscript to a unique category of subscriber: a transactional-only subscriber. Before setting up transactional messaging, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager to enable the feature in your Postscript account.

By sending transactional messages to non-marketing subscribers, you can:

Configuring transactional messaging is two-parted: the first part is in Shopify and the second part is in your Postscript account.

In this article, we'll guide you through how to set up transactional messaging in Shopify. Then, we'll instruct you on how to set up the feature in your Postscript account. You can set up transactional messaging with either legacy automations or flow builder. We cover both below.

Set up Transactional Messaging in Shopify

To begin, you’ll set up transactional messaging in Shopify. To ensure subscribers do not get multiple transactional text messages from both Postscript and Shopify—and to avoid having transactional messages come from two different phone numbers (a Shopify number and your Postscript number)—you will disable Shopify’s transactional text messaging using the following steps.

1. Within your Shopify admin, head to Settings, then Checkout
2. Under the header Customer contact method, locate the sub-header Select what contact method customers use to check out. Select Email.
3. Under the same header, locate the sub-header Select how customers can choose to get shipping updates. Deselect SMS or email. Step 2 (above) and step 3 will disable Shopify’s one-way only transactional SMS messages.
4. On the same page, under the header Customer information, locate the sub-header Shipping address phone number. Select Optional. This allows shoppers to enter a phone number at checkout that can be used for transactional messages only.
5. Save your changes in the upper right-hand corner. Then scroll down and click the Manage Checkout Language button at the bottom of the page.
6. Locate the Phone tooltip field about three-fourths of the way down the page.
7. Enter the compliance language below, replacing each URL placeholder with the URLs for your shop’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
   • • Send me updates about my order! Message and data rates apply. View our Terms of Service [mystore.com/policies/terms-of-service] and Privacy Policy [mystore.com/polices/privacy-policy].
     • Note: If you are unsure of your shop’s terms of service and privacy policy URLs, check with your CSMs. We recommend testing each URL before entering them into the phone tool tip to ensure you’ve entered the correct URLs.
8. Save your changes in the upper right-hand corner.

Set up Transactional Messaging in Postscript with Legacy Automations

Once you’ve set up transactional messaging in Shopify, you’ll have the option to add transactional messages to your shop’s legacy automations and submit them for approval to the Postscript Compliance team.

1. Navigate to Messaging on the left-side navigation bar, then select Automations.
2. Select Create Automation in the upper right corner. Select Create Legacy Automation.
3. Search transactional in the upper-right corner search bar, then choose your transactional template.
4. Once your template is selected from the Automations Library, select Edit in the upper right corner, then select Edit Automation Properties in the lower right corner.
5. In the Automation Properties editor, select the dropdown under Transactional and select Yes - Requested, then save the changes by selecting Save & Continue to Messages.
6. Save the automation by selecting Save Automation in the lower-right corner of the automation Messages page. Once the automation is saved, it is automatically sent to our Compliance Team for review.
   • • If you select a template and modify the language in the pre-approved message, this could result in the message being denied. If your message is denied, your CSM will notify you and work with you on crafting a compliant message. Until your message has been approved, the automation's Transactional Message Approval status will remain Requested under Automation Properties.
7. Once the automation is approved, you will see the approval denoted under the Automation Properties, and customers who enter their shipping phone number at checkout will begin receiving approved transactional messages from your brand.

Set up Transactional Messaging in Postscript with Automation Flows

Once you’ve set up transactional messaging in Shopify, you also have the option to add transactional messages to your shop’s automation flows in Flow Builder.

1. Navigate to Messaging on the left-side navigation bar, then select Automations.
2. Select Create Automation in the upper right corner. Select Create Automation Flow.
3. Choose Create a new automation and select Continue.
4. Select your transactional trigger (Transactional triggers include: Fulfillment Created, Order Created, Order Delivered, Order Fulfilled, and Order in Transit).
5. Once you've selected your trigger, a transactional checkbox will appear below. Check this box to confirm this automation flow is transactional in nature.
6. A confirmation popup will appear after you check the transactional box. Once you confirm this flow is transactional, you will not be able to change the flow back to promotional. Note: Transactional messaging cannot include any promotional language.
7. Save your changes by selecting Save in the lower-right corner of the automation properties card. 
8. Continue editing your flow by dragging and dropping the Send Message, Delay, or A/B Test actions into your flow. 
9. Once the flow is crafted, select the Schedule or Activate button in the upper right corner. As soon as the flow is scheduled or activated, it is automatically sent to our Compliance Team for review.
   • • By selecting the Schedule or Activate button, your flow will move into an Approval Pending status.
     • Once your flow is approved, it will be automatically activated.
     • If your message is denied, your CSM will notify you and work with you on crafting a compliant message. 
10. Once the flow is approved, customers who enter their shipping phone number at checkout will begin receiving approved transactional messages from your brand.

Before You Go

Additional Resources

• Interested in setting up transactional messaging with AfterShip? Get started here.
• Want to learn more about Postscript's native transactional messaging? We've got you covered with this guide.

Get Support

Have questions? Please feel free to reach out to our wonderful Support team at support@postscript.io or via live chat. You can also submit a support request here!

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