By default, sending a message from a trip's Messages tab will send an email to the primary traveler. However, you now have the option of sending your clients a text message!

How do I send an SMS message?

To send an SMS message to one of the travelers, open the trip by clicking the trip name on your dashboard (or by searching for the trip name in the search bar). 

When the trip loads, you will be taken directly to the Messages tab, where you can send your message. To get started, click inside the white box that says "Type your message here," as seen below:

From here, select “SMS” as the message type:

Next, type your message: 

...or choose a template from your email templates (messaging templates are coming soon!):

Note: You cannot send a message to an international number, images, forms, proposals, or invoices from this box, even if you choose a template that mentions it. To send a form or email, you must use the blue Create button. Click here to learn more. 

What happens when a client replies?

When a client replies to your message, you will be notified by email, and those replies will also go straight to the trip's message feed. Text messages will be blue:

How do I send a text message to a group?

We'll start within your group on the "All Travelers" tab:

1. Click the "All Travelers" tab
2. Click "Group Messages"
3. Start typing your message

From here, you will select “SMS” 

Type out your message and click “send all”

You will see a pop-up screen allowing you to select some or all travelers to send the message to. Once the desired recipients are selected, click the “send message to # trips” button

Once sent, you will receive a confirmation message:

When a client replies, you will be notified via email, and the reply will be in the individual trip message feed.

FAQs:

How do I add SMS? To add the SMS feature to your account, visit Settings -> Membership to purchase a premium membership or an SMS add-on!

Can my client reply to texts? Yes! Replies will come to the trip message feed. You’ll also be notified by email.

What happens if a client who has multiple trips or no active trips texts me? By default, we route the message to the active trip with the most recent activity. If a client only has archived trips, we’ll automatically create a new trip and put the message there.

Can I send automated reminders via SMS? Not yet, but this is coming soon!

What happens if my client calls my SMS number? They will hear an automated message, but will not be able to leave a voicemail

Can I use my own phone number? While it’s technically possible to port your existing number into an SMS system, it’s not something we can support or recommend, and here’s why:

Once a number is ported to an SMS provider, it stops functioning as a regular phone number—meaning you would no longer be able to make or receive phone calls from it. Your carrier would essentially lose control of that number, and getting it back later can be extremely difficult.

Because of that, we always provision a dedicated local number for TravelJoy SMS. It’s the safest and most reliable approach. The number is unique to you and will never change, so you can tell clients to save it to their contacts.

We also cover all costs associated with this number, including setup, registration, and all sending and receiving of SMS messages.