Transactional messages


What are transactional messages

Transactional messages are one-to-one unique messages sent to a specific recipient. These messages are usually triggered by the user and do not require a STOP condition. Examples of transactional message use-cases include:

  • One time password (OTP).
  • Service cancellation.
  • Payment confirmation.
  • Order notifications (e.g. confirmation or dispatch).
  • Account notifications.
  • Personal digest - if this is personalized for the individual based on some actions. For example, if your customers want a weekly summary of sales they've made or actions they performed.

Identifying the type of messages

Various types of messages can qualify as transactional depending on your business or application type. Instead of focusing on all the possible types of transactional messages, there are a few clear indicators that a message is not transactional:

  • If your message has multiple recipients receiving the same content and the message is not triggered by an event, then it is not transactional. Instead, it would be considered as a form of bulk messaging.
  • If your message consists of an announcement or update about your product or website.
  • If your message is any form of promotional SMS marketing.

Further Guidance

A transactional message is triggered by some action in the application, which, usually, is the action of the recipient. Other triggers include the actions of some other user, as in the case of a money transfer in a marketplace platform, or an acceptance to a competition.

People often ask if customizing some aspect of a message, for example, the salutation (Dear XYZ,) or if sending a message to a recipients list that is fully opt-in can make the messages to be considered as transactional. The answer is no, to both.

Maybe we can help?

If you're still unsure whether your messages qualify as transactional, reach out to Falu support, and we'd be happy to advise.