TFN Verification
Q. I have just submitted my form for a TFN, how long can I expect the approval process to take?
A. The approval process for a TFN can take up to one week. When filling out the TFN application form, please ensure all required fields are completed to avoid delays in the review process.
SMS message creation questions
Q. Can I send an SMS campaign with a GIF?
A. Currently, SMS campaigns only support text. No gifs. However, if this is a feature you're interested in, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest 😊
Q. Is it possible to send photos in an SMS?
A. Currently it isn't possible to add photos in an SMS. If this is something that would benefit your store, please reach out to our support team and ask them to put through a feature request.
Q. Is it possible to include links in my SMS campaign that will link to my email campaign?
A. Currently it isn't possible to link to an email campaign from an SMS campaign. However, you can add links to your website.
Q. Do you shorten links using Bitly for SMS campaigns?
A. No, we do not use Bitly to shorten links for SMS.
Q. Can North American merchants use short links in SMS campaigns?
A. It is recommended that North American merchants do not use short links in their SMS campaigns.
Q. Can you add an offer to an SMS campaign?
A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will enable you to add a discount block to an SMS campaigns. If this is a feature you are interested in, please let our support team know.
Q. Why does adding an emoji reduce my character count from 160 to 70?
A. Emojis use Unicode encoding, which reduces the available character count from 160 to 70 characters per SMS.
Q. I want to send a campaign to my customers asking them to leave a review. Can I have them send this to an inbound number?
A. Currently, there isn't a way to receive inbound text messages. However, if this is a feature you're interested in, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest 😊
Q. For merchants based in the UAE, can SMS campaigns be sent in the store's name?
A. UAE restrictions prevent SMS from going out in the store’s name. Messages are overwritten to ensure delivery. If UAE retailers wish to customize their sender name, this article.
Q. What number is used to send SMS campaigns to customers?
A. The sending number varies depending on the merchant’s region and time zone.
Q. I've created an Automation with both SMS and email steps. If a customer unsubscribes from say SMS and not email, will they still receive messages from the flow?
A. Customers will enter an Automation if they meet the trigger conditions. If a customer doesn't accept marketing for one type of communication, they will simply skip that step. Marsello performs a marketing check prior to the message going out (in case of opt-outs since initially entering the flow) to ensure customers receive only the messages they are after.
Q. What is the character limit for SMS?
A. The character limit for SMS is 160 characters. Please note that emojis and special characters will take up more characters.
Q. Does Marsello support MMS / Multimedia Messaging Services?
A. Currently, there isn't a feature that supports MMS. If this is a feature of interest, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest.
Q. Currently, my SMS messages come from a mobile number, can this be updated to a name with alpha characters?
A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will allow you to use alpha characters in lieu of a mobile number under the sender name. If this is a feature you'd like to see, please reach out to our support team and let them know.
Q. Can I design my SMS campaign so that the images are displayed side-by-side instead of vertically?
A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will allow images to be displayed side-by-side on an SMS campaign. If this is a feature you'd like to see, please reach out to our support team and let them know.
As a potential workaround, you could create a single image block which displays products side-by-side. Please note that if you are including multiple products in a single image block you will not be able to add multiple product links to the image as the block will only save one link.
SMS Segments
Q. Is it possible to create custom segments for SMS campaign purposes or do campaigns go out to all customers who accept SMS marketing only?
A. Yes, you are most welcome to create your own SMS custom segment for your campaign.
Q. How can I grow my SMS marketing audience?
A. Here are a few effective ways to encourage customers to opt in to SMS marketing:
Enable the Complete Your Profile earn option in your Marsello loyalty program.
Include a link to your SMS sign-up form in your email campaigns.
Add a pop-up sign-up form to your eCommerce store.
Scheduling SMS Campaigns
Q. My timezone is in EST and I wish to send a SMS campaign to customers at 10am EST, would this be considered a safe sending time?
A. All SMS campaigns sent in the United States are scheduled based on PST (Pacific Standard Time). Please adjust your scheduling accordingly to ensure your campaign is sent during safe sending hours.
Q. Can I send a test SMS campaign to myself outside of the safe sending times?
A. Yes, you can send test SMS campaigns outside of safe sending times. Please be sure to schedule to live campaign during the safe sending period.
Q. If a campaign is set up in Australia AUS (for example) and some customers within the segment are based in the UK, will the email wait until after 8 am to send the email to the customer, or will this send an email to the customer at the scheduled time, even if this is midnight for the person in the UK?
A. The email will be sent at the 8 a.m. Australian time in this scenario - we only have safe sending times for SMS which can only be sent at waking hours for the US: https://help.marsello.com/hc/en-us/articles/900004314686-SMS-Marketing-Compliance-Introduction
Q. My store is based in Hong Kong, how many credits will it cost to send an SMS campaign?
A. Merchants based in Hong Kong will be charged 2 credits per SMS sent. A complete listing of credit cost per SMS message sent by location is available in your Marsello app admin.
SMS Prebuilt Automation
Q. What are the new Automation under the SMS template library?
A. Marsello offers over 10 prebuilt SMS automation flows, including templates for referral programs, loyalty rewards, birthday messages, and Google review requests.
Q. Do you have a prebuilt automation available which will send a customer a signup form if they text us with a keyword?
A. Currently, there isn't a feature that will allow customers to text you at a set number with a keyword to receive a signup form. If this is something of interest to your store, please reach out to our support team and let them know of your interest.
SMS Reporting
Q. Is there a way to tell which customers did not receive their SMS campaigns due to the campaign bouncing?
A. Yes, you have access to reporting that will indicate which customers did not receive their SMS campaign due to the campaign bouncing. To view this reporting from your Marsello dashboard go to Marketing > SMS and click into the campaign you are interested in reviewing. From here click the undelivered tab to review those customers who did not receive the campaign.
SMS General Questions
Q. Why have my SMS campaigns suddenly stopped sending? I have enough credits on my account.
A. If you are finding that your SMS campaigns have suddenly stopped sending, please let our support team know and they will be able to look into this further for you and confirm if your store has a TFN.
Q. Can I send an SMS campaign to my customer directly from their customer account screen in the Marsello dashboard?
A. Currently, Marsello does not support sending an SMS campaign directly from a customer's account page. To send an SMS to a single customer, follow these steps:
Create a Custom Segment – Add the customer to a new segment.
Use the Segment as the Campaign Audience – Select this segment when setting up your SMS campaign.
If you'd like the ability to send single SMS campaigns from the customer’s account page, please let our support team know.
Q. Does the SMS feature offer any unique short code capabilities?
A. Currently, the SMS feature does not offer unique short code capabilities. However, if this is a feature that would help your store, please reach out to our support team and they will submit a feature request on your behalf.
Q. If a husband and wife are both customers in my database but have different email addresses on their customer accounts, will they receive two SMS messages?
A. Yes, the mobile number will receive two campaigns. Marsello uses the customer's email address as the unique identifier, not the customer's mobile number.
Q. I have a couple of customers in my database that have provided the same mobile number but have different email addresses. Will my SMS campaign by sent to the mobile number multiple times?
A. Yes, if the same mobile number is listed for both customers, each will receive an SMS campaign when their email address is used as the unique identifier. Marsello sends SMS messages based on the customer's email address, not the mobile number.
Q. Is there a way to set up a reply to number for customers to respond to?
A. Currently there isn't a reply to number for customers to respond to from their marketing SMS campaigns. If this is a feature you'd like to see, please reach out to our support team and let them know.
Q. What happens if I have landline numbers instead of mobile customers on their account and send a SMS campaign to that line.
A. If your customer who accepts marketing that provided a landline number instead of a mobile and send a SMS campaign to them, the customer will not receive the campaign. SMS campaigns are only sent to valid mobile numbers.
SMS and SHAFT Merchants
Q. I am a CBD merchant, can I send marketing messages via SMS?
A. Unfortunately, CBD merchants cannot send marketing messages via SMS. Carriers are increasingly strict and will block all SMS campaigns, even if CBD products are not directly advertised. This applies to merchants running CBD-related stores, whether as a main or separate business.
Q. My store sells vape products and I'd like to send an SMS campaign. Can I do that if my content doesn't include any wording around the vape?
A. Unfortunately, no. When the networks check for SHAFT content, they not only check the wording of the message but also look further into the store to see what type of content is being marketed.
Q. Do casinos and companies who promote gambling fall under the shaft retailer category?
A. Yes, these companies are considered SHAFT and are not permitted to send campaigns via Marsello.
Q. My store sells fireworks, can I send marketing messages via SMS?
A. Unfortunately, merchants selling fireworks aren't able to send marketing messages via SMS as fireworks fall under S.H.A.F.T. regulations
Q. I don’t sell any SHAFT-related products, but my SMS campaigns are still being rejected. What can I do to improve delivery?
A: To help your messages get delivered and avoid being marked as spam, follow these guidelines:
Avoid promotional language like “buy now,” “limited time offer,” “cash,” or “discount.”
Don’t use scam-related phrases like “make money fast,” “get rich quick,” or “claim your prize.”
Remove suspicious links, especially shortened URLs or unfamiliar domains.
Avoid using all caps, excessive exclamation marks, or symbols.
Don’t request sensitive personal information like passwords, bank details, or social security numbers.
Avoid references to illegal activities, drugs, or gambling.
Never include phishing attempts, malware links, or adult content.
Send messages from verified numbers, and avoid sending repetitive messages to multiple recipients.
Q. Does Kanna fall under S.H.A.F.T regulations?
A. Unfortunately, merchants selling Kanna aren't able to send marketing messages via SMS as Kanna fall under S.H.A.F.T. regulations
SMS Marketing Preferences
Q. What happens when a customer opts out of SMS marketing? Does it redirect them to an update preferences page for SMS or just unsubscribe them?
A. When a customer opts out of SMS marketing, they are redirected to their customer portal where they can manage their preferences. They can choose to opt out of:
Loyalty notification automation
Marketing emails
SMS
Q. How can I check to see if a customer accepts both email and SMS marketing in the app?
A. Under the customer's Marsello account, check the subscription settings and see if the "unsubscribe from SMS marketing" check box is selected. If it is not, the customer is currently subscribed. It is possible for customers to accept email marketing and not SMS marketing.
Integration-specific SMS questions
Shopify
Q. How often does Marsello sync SMS details and marketing status from Shopify?
A. Updates to the customers marketing status for SMS from Shopify should be instant.
Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) POS
Q. I've recently signed up for Marsello's SMS campaigns and realized that I haven't added a country code to my customer mobile numbers in my Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) customer database. Do I need to do anything to edit this?
A. If you haven't included a country code when recording your customer mobile numbers to your Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) customer database, the system will automatically add the country code based on your store's country.
Lightspeed eComm (C-Series)
Q. Is there a recommended way to enter a customer's mobile number in Lightspeed C-Series (eCommerce)?
A. Lightspeed C-Series (eCommerce) requires mobile numbers to follow a specific format, such as +31 11111111 (country code, a space, and then the phone number). If a customer enters a number in a different format, Marsello cannot create the customer, resulting in the error displayed on the screen.
To help customers input their numbers correctly, it is recommended to update the placeholder text in the Phone Number field to indicate the required format, for example: +31 11111111 (country code, space, phone number).
SMS Campaign Pricing
Q. I have 200 customers that I would like to send an SMS campaign to. It looks like this will cost 200 credits but I only have 100 credits on my account. Will the campaign be partially sent?
A. The campaign will not be sent out to customers as there aren't enough credits to cover it.
Q. Can I add multiple SMS credit bundles to my plan?
A. Currently, merchants may have only one SMS subscription per Marsello account at a time.
Q. What currency will my SMS subscription be charged in?
A. Marsello SMS subscriptions are charged in USD.
Q. Why has my SMS automation been paused?
A. Marsello merchants using SMS are encouraged to be mindful of the total number of available credits on their SMS plans. As SMS automations are sent to customers, the corresponding number of credits will be deducted from their balance. Should a merchant's SMS credit balance dip below 0, any enabled SMS automation will be paused.
Once the SMS credit balance is replenished, you will need to manually re-enable their SMS automation.
Q. Where can I find out how many SMS credits I have left on my account?
A. To find out how many SMS credits you have on your account, go to Settings > Account > Billing in your Marsello app admin. From here click on the SMS add-on tab. This will pull up the number of credits you have available.
Q. Why do my SMS credits keep ending up in the negative when I send a campaign?
A. Your SMS credits may go negative for a few reasons:
Special characters or emojis take up extra space, which can increase credit usage.
Draft SMS campaigns reserve credits, affecting your balance.
If neither applies, contact support for assistance in resolving the issue.
Q. I am a Lightspeed billed merchant and I am using Marsello SMS. I wish to cancel my Marsello SMS plan, how can I do this?
A. To cancel your Marsello SMS plan as a Lightspeed billed merchant, open your Lightspeed dashboard and go to settings > billing > app subscriptions and select the trash icon next to the SMS app listing.
Q. I need to downgrade our billing plan and use the messages we have already purchased. When I do downgrade will everything, I have purchased stay in my account?
A. You can downgrade your SMS plan anytime at no extra cost, and your existing SMS credit balance will stay unchanged.
Q. Why would the credit cost to send SMS double?
A. The cost may have doubled if your message contains special characters or exceeds 140 characters. Ensure your message is within the character limit and free of special characters. If the issue persists, contact support.
Q. Do unused texting credits carry over to the next month?
A. SMS credits no longer expire, so they will carry over to the next month.
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