SMS Marketing Built for Australian Cafes
Reach your customers directly with automated, personalised SMS messages. No mass blasts — targeted notifications triggered by real customer behaviour.
Why Cafes Need a Better Way to Reach Customers
Traditional marketing channels are becoming less effective for local businesses. Cafes need a direct, reliable way to communicate with their customers.
Email Gets Ignored
Email marketing open rates for restaurants and cafes hover around 20%. That means 4 out of 5 customers never see your message. Promotional emails end up buried in spam folders or go completely unread.
Social Media Reach Is Declining
Organic reach on social platforms has dropped significantly in recent years. Paid advertising costs keep rising, and there is no guarantee your followers see your posts. You are competing with every other brand in their feed.
Cafes Need Speed
When a customer earns a reward or you want to re-engage someone who has not visited in weeks, you need to reach them quickly. Slow channels mean lost opportunities and forgotten loyalty progress.
The SMS Advantage
SMS delivers what other channels cannot — immediacy, directness, and attention.
98%
Industry-reported SMS open rate — compared to ~20% for email
< 3 min
Most SMS messages are read within minutes of delivery
Direct
No algorithms, no spam folders — straight to the customer's phone
Unlike email or social media, SMS lands directly in your customer's inbox with near-guaranteed visibility. For cafes, this means your loyalty notifications, reward alerts, and re-engagement messages actually get seen and acted on. Combined with the fact that Australia has one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in the world, SMS is the ideal channel for cafe communication.
7 SMS Types, All Automated
Each message is triggered by real customer behaviour — not sent as a mass blast. Templates are customisable with your cafe name and branding.
1. Welcome SMS
AutomaticSent on a customer's first check-in at your cafe. Confirms their enrollment in your loyalty program and sets expectations for how rewards work.
2. Reward Ready
AutomaticTriggered when a customer reaches the reward threshold (e.g., 10 visits). Lets them know they have earned a free coffee and how to redeem it next time they visit.
3. Status Check
Customer-InitiatedCustomer-initiated progress check. When a customer requests their status, they receive a summary of their visit count and how close they are to their next reward. Rate-limited to 1 per day per phone number to prevent abuse.
4. Review Request
AutomaticBusiness+Automated Google Review requests sent at configurable visit milestones (default: 3rd, 5th, 10th visit) or after reward redemption. Includes a sentiment capture page, follow-up reminders after 15 days, and auto-exclusion after 2 attempts with no response. Available on Business ($169/month) and Enterprise ($350/month) plans.
5. Platform OTP
SystemOne-time password sent when a customer logs into the self-service customer portal. Used for authentication (30-minute sessions). This is a system message, not a marketing message — it is always sent regardless of SMS marketing opt-in status.
6. Privacy Deletion
SystemConfirmation sent when a customer requests data deletion through the portal. Confirms their data has been removed in compliance with the Australian Privacy Act and GDPR. Another system message that is sent regardless of marketing opt-in.
7. Retention Campaign
AutomaticRe-engages customers who have not visited recently. Sent to lapsed customers to remind them of their loyalty progress and encourage them to come back. Only sent to customers who have opted in to marketing SMS.
How It Works
SMS is built into the loyalty flow — not bolted on as an afterthought.
Customer Scans QR
Customer scans the QR code at your counter with their phone camera. No app download required.
Enters Phone + Opts In
Enters their phone number and name. Chooses whether to opt in to SMS marketing. First visit triggers a Welcome SMS.
Visits Trigger SMS
Each visit is tracked. When they hit milestones — reward earned, review request timing, lapsed period — the right SMS fires automatically.
Track Everything
View delivery status, queue pending messages, cancel scheduled SMS, and track usage on your dashboard in real time.
Messages are sent with a natural delay (5-12 minutes) so they do not feel robotic. If your cafe uses Staff Confirmed check-in mode, SMS is deferred until a staff member approves the visit — so no messages are sent for unapproved check-ins.
Fully Compliant SMS
Built from the ground up to comply with Australian privacy and communications law.
Australian Spam Act 2003
All marketing SMS requires explicit customer opt-in. Messages include sender identification. Customers can opt out at any time through the self-service customer portal. The platform enforces consent at every endpoint — it is impossible to send marketing SMS to a customer who has not opted in.
Opt-In Enforcement
SMS marketing is only sent to customers who have opted in via the sms_marketing_opt_in preference. This is checked at every level of the system — check-in API, redemption API, Google Review automation, and retention campaigns. System messages (OTP, deletion confirmation) are exempt as they are transactional, not marketing.
Rate Limiting
Maximum 1 SMS per type per customer per 24 hours. This prevents accidental over-messaging and ensures customers never feel spammed. Rate limiting is enforced at the service layer with a fail-open design so legitimate messages are never blocked.
Customer Portal Opt-Out
Customers can manage all their preferences through the self-service customer portal, including SMS opt-out, data export (JSON/CSV), and complete data deletion requests. No need to contact the cafe — everything is self-service and instant.
SMS vs Email for Cafes
| Factor | SMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | ~98% | ~20% |
| Read Speed | Within minutes | Hours to days |
| Spam Filter Risk | None | High (promotional tab / spam folder) |
| Setup Complexity | Built into loyalty flow | Separate platform needed |
| Design Required | No (text-based) | Yes (HTML templates, images) |
| Customer Data Needed | Phone number only | Email address (harder to collect) |
| Best For Cafes | Yes — direct and fast | Low engagement |
Note: My Cafe Loyalty does not include email marketing. SMS is the primary communication channel because it consistently outperforms email for local cafe engagement.
SMS Pricing
Simple, transparent pricing in AUD. No hidden fees.
From $0.10 per SMS
Flat rate for all message types. No per-message surprises.
Starter
0
SMS credits/month
$49/month
Professional
150
SMS credits/month
$89/month
Business
400
SMS credits/month
$169/month
Enterprise
1,000
SMS credits/month
$350/month
Prepaid SMS Bundles
500 SMS
$56
1,000 SMS
$112
2,500 SMS
$280
5,000 SMS
$560
Prepaid credits roll over month-to-month and never expire. Monthly tier credits are used first before prepaid credits.
SMS Marketing FAQ
How much does SMS marketing cost for cafes?
My Cafe Loyalty SMS costs from $0.10 per message (AUD). The Professional plan ($89/month) includes 150 SMS credits per month, Business ($169/month) includes 400, and Enterprise ($350/month) includes 1,000. Additional SMS can be purchased in prepaid bundles of 50, 100, 250, or 500. All credits roll over month-to-month and never expire.
Is SMS marketing legal for Australian cafes?
Yes, when done correctly. My Cafe Loyalty is fully compliant with the Australian Spam Act 2003. All marketing SMS requires explicit customer opt-in. Customers can opt out at any time through the self-service customer portal. Messages are rate-limited to 1 per type per 24 hours to prevent over-messaging. System messages (OTP, deletion confirmation) are transactional and exempt from marketing consent requirements.
Do customers have to opt in to receive SMS?
Yes. Marketing SMS is only sent to customers who have opted in. The platform enforces this at every level — check-in API, redemption API, Google Review automation, and retention campaigns all check consent before sending. Customers can change their preference at any time through the customer portal.
Can I customise the SMS messages sent to my customers?
Yes. The platform includes a template editor with live preview. Templates support variable replacement — messages automatically include your cafe name, the customer's name, their visit count, and reward details. Each of the 7 SMS types has its own customisable template so you can match your brand voice.
What happens if a customer opts out of SMS?
They will immediately stop receiving marketing SMS (welcome, reward, retention, review request). They will still receive transactional system messages like OTP codes for portal login and data deletion confirmations, as these are required for service functionality and are exempt from marketing consent requirements under Australian law.
Start Reaching Your Customers Directly
SMS marketing is included in Professional plans and above. Start your free plan with up to 30 customers to see how it works with your cafe.
What's included:
- 7 automated SMS types triggered by real customer behaviour
- Customisable templates with live preview
- Real-time delivery tracking and queue management
- Australian Spam Act compliant with opt-in enforcement
- Integrated with loyalty check-ins and Google Reviews