Suddenly Sorted
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How do SMS opt-outs and STOP replies work?

You don't manage a list. Every text ends with "Reply STOP to opt out." A STOP reply puts that phone number on an opt-out list we check before every single send, and START takes it off again. Customers can also untick texts when they book. Your side of the deal is simple: only text people who booked with you, and keep texts about the booking.

3-minute read Checked against the app · 6 Sep 2026 Desktop and phone

Where it lives

There is no consent pane to configure. Texts are switched on under SettingsBooking settingsReminders & follow-ups by choosing Email + SMS for confirmations or reminders, and the optional Also send review and rebook asks by text toggle sits under Your notifications on the same pane. The STOP line and the opt-out checks come with every text, whichever of those you turn on.

Your dashboard · Settings › Booking settings › Reminders & follow-upsDrawn from the live UI · sample salon
1: Settings at the bottom of the left menu. 2: the channel choices inside Reminders & follow-ups. The sample text shows the STOP line every message carries.

What happens automatically

  1. Every text names you and ends with the opt-out

    Confirmations, reminders, reschedule notices and any review or rebook ask all carry your business name and "Reply STOP to opt out." There's no way to send a text without it.

  2. A STOP reply goes on the opt-out list

    Replies come back to us through our New Zealand SMS provider. If the first word is STOP (or UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, OPT OUT), that phone number is added to an opt-out list. We also pull in the provider's own opt-out list on a schedule, so a STOP that reaches them another way is honoured too.

    You'll see: nothing. The next text to that number is skipped and the customer keeps getting email instead.
  3. START lifts it

    Replying START (or UNSTOP, SUBSCRIBE, YES) to the same number removes it from the list and texts resume from the next send.

  4. Booking-time declines count too

    The contact step on your booking page shows a ticked line: "Text me my reminder and any updates. Reply STOP anytime to opt out." Unticking it records the opt-out before the very first reminder.

Honest by designThe opt-out list is keyed by phone number, not by business. If a customer replied STOP to another business that uses Suddenly Sorted, they're opted out of yours too. That's deliberate: a STOP is a STOP. Opt-outs don't show in your dashboard yet, so if a regular says texts have stopped, a STOP reply is the most likely reason; ask them to reply START.

What the rules ask of you

New Zealand's Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act requires that commercial messages are sent with consent, identify the sender, and carry a working unsubscribe. Suddenly Sorted handles the second and third. The first is shared with you:

  • Only text people who booked with youNever a bought or scraped list
  • Keep texts about the bookingConfirmations, reminders, reschedules
  • Promotional asks need the customer's OKWhich is why review and rebook texts are a separate toggle
  • Don't ask people to ignore STOPIt protects your sender number as much as them

Sally never sends marketing texts on her own. Follow-up drafts she suggests wait for your approval, and go by email unless you've turned the text toggle on.

Plan noteTexts are available on Starter, Growth and Pro within a monthly allowance (100, 150 and 300). Past the allowance, texts pause and reminders fall back to email. Compare plans.

Common questions

A customer replied STOP by mistake. Can I switch them back on?

Not from the dashboard. Ask them to reply START to the same number, which lifts the block straight away. If they've lost the thread, message us with the number and we'll check the list.

Does a STOP reply cancel their booking?

No. It only stops texts. The booking stands and they keep getting email confirmations and reminders as normal.

Can I add my own wording to the STOP line?

No, and please don't work around it. The line is fixed so every text stays compliant and your sender number stays in good standing with the carriers.

Still stuck on this?

Tell us the phone number (last four digits is fine) and roughly when the text should have gone. We'll check the opt-out list and the send log.

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