Two-Way SMS Messaging & Campaigns
A dedicated phone number, threaded inbox, and bulk campaigns. Send and receive SMS with clients — all from your Bella Booking dashboard.
Messages Plus gives your salon a dedicated phone number and a full two-way SMS inbox built into Bella Booking. Send messages to clients, receive their replies instantly, and see automated appointment messages in the same thread for complete context. Add internal notes for your team, auto-handle common replies (YES to confirm, STOP to unsubscribe), and send bulk campaigns to promote offers or make announcements. SMS credits management lets you track usage, purchase credit packs, and configure auto-top-up. Messages Plus is an add-on subscription — automated notifications (reminders, confirmations) remain on all plans.
What's included
Key capabilities of two-way messaging
Dedicated phone number
Your business gets its own local phone number for sending and receiving SMS. Clients reply directly to your number and responses appear in your inbox.
Threaded inbox
Three-panel layout: thread list on the left, conversation view in the centre, and contact info on the right. Search and filter by All, Conversations, Automated, Unread, Unanswered, Starred, or Archived.
Two-way messaging
Send messages to clients and receive their replies in real time. Delivery status indicators show whether each message is queued, sent, delivered, or failed.
Internal notes
Add private notes to any conversation — visible to your team only, never sent as SMS. Free of charge and useful for recording follow-up context.
Automated messages in context
Appointment reminders, confirmations, and other automated messages appear in the same thread as your manual messages. One conversation per client with complete communication history.
Auto-handling client replies
Bella automatically handles common replies: YES/Y confirms appointments, NO/CANCEL flags for follow-up, and STOP/UNSUBSCRIBE manages consent. Auto-replies keep clients informed.
Bulk SMS campaigns
Send a single message to multiple clients at once. Filter your audience, preview recipient count and estimated credit usage, then send. Campaign history tracks delivery statistics.
SMS credits management
View your credit balance, purchase credit packs, configure auto-top-up, and review transaction history from a dedicated SMS Credits page.
Communication consent
Two-tier consent tracking per client: announcements (opt-out) and marketing (opt-in). Campaigns respect consent preferences. Clients can text STOP to unsubscribe or START to re-subscribe.
Segment counting and character tracking
The compose box shows a real-time character count and SMS segment indicator. Unicode detection alerts you when emoji or special characters double the segment cost.
How two-way messaging works
Subscribe to Messages Plus
Enable Messages Plus from Settings > Messaging. A dedicated phone number is provisioned for your business.
Send and receive messages
Compose new messages or reply to existing threads. Client replies appear in your inbox in real time alongside automated appointment messages.
Auto-handle common replies
Clients who reply YES to a reminder get their appointment auto-confirmed. STOP unsubscribes them. Everything else lands in your inbox for manual follow-up.
Send campaigns
Create bulk campaigns to promote offers, announce closures, or re-engage clients. Filter your audience, preview costs, and track delivery.
Plan availability
Feature
Starter
Professional
All prices in AUD, GST included. No currency conversion fees.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Messages Plus to send appointment reminders?
No. Automated messages (reminders, confirmations, cancellation notices) are sent through your plan's included SMS allowance on all plans. Messages Plus adds the two-way inbox, dedicated phone number, manual messaging, and campaigns.
What happens when a client replies to a reminder?
If they reply YES (or Y, Yep, Confirm, etc.) within 48 hours, the appointment is auto-confirmed and they receive a confirmation auto-reply. Other single-word replies like NO or CANCEL are flagged for follow-up. Longer messages appear in your inbox for manual review.
Do campaigns respect client consent?
Yes. Clients who have opted out of announcements or marketing will not receive campaign messages. Consent status is visible in the contact info panel of each conversation.
How much do SMS credits cost?
Your plan includes a monthly SMS allowance (Solo: 50, Starter: 200, Professional: 500). Additional credit packs are available from the SMS Credits page. Auto-top-up can be configured to purchase credits automatically when your balance runs low.
Can I message clients who are not in my client list?
You can only compose new messages to existing clients. However, if an unknown number sends you an SMS, their messages appear in your inbox and you can reply. You will also see an option to create a new client record for them.
Related features
Ready to try two-way messaging?
Start your free trial today. No credit card required.
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