Fallback Delivery Method for Automated Messages

Modified on Thu, 11 Sep at 2:33 PM

A fallback delivery method is an alternative way to send a message or notification when the primary method fails. In this article, we’ll explore various scenarios where fallback delivery methods are used for automated messages, along with the expected outcomes.

Things to know:

The ability to configure the fallback delivery method for automated messages is governed by the "Accessing Automated Messages" access control setting.
You can specify a fallback delivery method (email, SMS, push notification) when the primary method is unavailable.
- Use if available: This is the primary method that will be attempted first
- Use if other methods not available: This method will be attempted if the primary option is unavailable (because contact information is not on file or the user opted out)
- Never Use: This method will not be used, even if none of the other options are available
Delivery methods configured before February 3, 2025 (prior to the introduction of fallback delivery methods) will have the following default settings:
- Enabled delivery methods - ‘Use if available’ will be selected
- Disabled delivery methods - ‘Use if others are not available’ will be selected
Notification Requirements
- SMS Notifications: Clients must have a valid phone number on file and be single-opted in to receive transactional SMS.
- Email Notifications: Clients must have a valid email address on file and be opted in to receive transactional emails.
- Push Notifications: Can only be delivered to clients who have the custom MyTime Guest App installed on their mobile device.
SMS Segment Calculation & Billing:
- SMS costs are calculated per segment, not per message. Carriers treat each segment as a separate message for delivery and billing, so every segment is counted and charged individually. This billing method is determined by carriers and is not specific to MyTime.
- Segments per message are based on length and encoding
- Encoding Standards
  - GSM Encoding:
    - GSM-encoded messages (standard letters, numbers, and symbols) allow up to 160 characters per segment.
    - If the message is longer than 160 characters, it will be split into concatenated segments of 153 characters each.
  - UCS-2 Encoding:
    - UCS-2 messages (special characters, emojis, or non-Latin alphabets) allow up to 70 characters per segment.
    - If the message is longer than 70 characters, it will be split into concatenated segments of 67 characters each.
    - Even a single emoji forces UCS-2 encoding, reducing per-segment capacity and potentially doubling the number of segments.
  - Note: Concatenation headers are hidden data that let the recipient’s phone reassemble multiple segments into a single message.
- Each recipient receives their own copy, so the number of segments per message is multiplied by the number of recipients to calculate billing. Example: A 2-segment message sent to 50 recipients counts as 100 billable segments. If each segment costs $0.02, the total cost would be 100 × $0.02 = $2.00.
- Learn more about SMS segments & billing here

Automated Message Scenarios

Delivery Method	Fallback Method	Expected Result
Email: Use if available	Text: Use if available PUSH: Use if available	Email, text message, and push notifications will all be sent.
	Text: Use if other methods not available PUSH: Never use	Email will be attempted first If email is unavailable, a text message will be sent. Push notification will not be sent, even if email and text are unavailable
	TEXT: Never use PUSH: Use if other methods not available	Email will be attempted first. If email is unavailable, a push notification will be triggered. Text will not be sent if both email and push notifications are unavailable
	TEXT: Never use PUSH: Never use	Email will be attempted first. Neither text message nor push notifications will be sent, even if email is unavailable.
	TEXT: Use if other methods not available PUSH: Use if other methods not available	Email will be attempted first. If email is unavailable, a push notification will be sent first. If push notifications are also unavailable, a text message will be sent.
TEXT: Use if available	EMAIL: Use if available PUSH: Use if available	Text message, email, and push notifications will all be sent.
	EMAIL: Use if other methods not available PUSH: Never use	Text message will be attempted first. If text message is unavailable, an email will be sent Push notifications will not be sent, even if both text message and email are unavailable.
	EMAIL: Never use PUSH: Use if other methods not available	Text message will be attempted first. If text is unavailable, a push notification will be triggered An email will not be sent, even if both text message and push notifications are unavailable.
	EMAIL: Never use PUSH: Never use	Text message will be attempted first. Neither email nor push notifications will be sent, even if text message is unavailable
	EMAIL: Use if other methods not available PUSH: Use if other methods not available	Text message will be attempted first. If text message is unavailable, a push notification will be sent first. If push notifications are also unavailable, an email will be sent.
PUSH: Use if available	EMAIL: Use if available TEXT: Use if available	Push notifications, text message, and email will all be sent.
	EMAIL: Use if other methods not available TEXT: Never use	Push notifications will be attempted first If push notifications are unavailable, an email will be sent A text message will not be sent, even if both push notifications and email are unavailable
	EMAIL: Never use TEXT: Use if other methods not available	Push notifications will be attempted first If push notifications are unavailable, a text message will be sent An email will not be sent, even if both push notifications and text messaging are unavailable.
	EMAIL: Never use TEXT: Never use	Push notifications will be attempted first Neither email nor text message will be sent, even if push notifications are unavailable
	EMAIL: Use if other methods not available TEXT: Use if other methods not available	Push notifications will be attempted first If push is unavailable, a text message will be sent If text message is also unavailable, an email will be sent

For more information, contact us at support@mytime.com.

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