General Questions

 What is text-to-pay?
Text-to-pay (or pay-by-text) lets your customers receive a bill by SMS and pay from their mobile device using a secure link to a payment page.

How does text-to-pay work?
You send an SMS with the amount due and a secure payment link; the customer taps the link, reviews the details, enters their payment info, and receives an instant confirmation receipt once the payment is processed.

What payment methods can customers use?
Most text-to-pay solutions accept major credit and debit cards, ACH or bank transfers, and often digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, depending on the provider you use.

What can I use text-to-pay for?
Businesses commonly use text-to-pay for invoices, past-due balances, appointment deposits, co-pays, utilities and government fees, memberships, and one‑off service charges.

Security and Compliance

Is text-to-pay secure?
Yes. The SMS contains a unique, encrypted link that opens a secure, PCI-compliant payment page where card or bank data is protected during transmission and storage.

Do you store my customers’ card numbers?
Typically, card data is tokenized and stored by the underlying payment processor, not by your staff or on your local systems, which reduces your PCI scope.

Do customers have to opt in to receive payment texts?
Yes. You must obtain explicit consent before sending text messages for billing or payment requests and provide a simple way to opt out (for example, replying STOP).

Are there legal or carrier rules I need to follow?
In the U.S., you must comply with TCPA rules for consent and opt-out, and follow carrier guidelines for business texting, such as clear identification of your business and honoring opt-out requests.

Customer Experience

Does the customer need an app?
No. Customers just need a mobile phone that can receive texts and open a web browser; payments are completed on a mobile‑optimized web page.

Can customers save their payment information for faster checkout next time?
Many platforms let customers securely save their card or bank details so future invoices can be paid with a single tap or simple confirmation.

Will customers get a receipt?
After payment, customers typically see an on‑screen confirmation and receive a text and/or email receipt, while your system updates the invoice as paid in real time.

Can customers ask questions by replying to the text?
Some solutions support two‑way conversational texting so customers can reply with questions or clarifications before or after paying.​

Business Benefits

How does text-to-pay help my business?
Text-to-pay speeds collections, reduces manual billing and phone calls, cuts mailing costs, and makes it easier for customers to pay on time, improving cash flow and customer satisfaction.

Is there special hardware required?
Generally, no extra hardware is needed; you use your web-based portal or software to send SMS requests, and customers pay on their own devices.

Setup and Operations

 What do I need to get started?
You need a text-to-pay-enabled platform like IntelliPay, a payment processor or merchant account, a business texting number, consent-collection language, and basic message templates for requests and reminders.

Can I test text-to-pay before going live?
Most platforms support test or training modes so you can send payment requests and run end‑to‑end trials without moving real funds.​

How are failed or declined payments handled?
If a payment fails, customers can update their card details or try a different method, and you can automatically or manually send a new request or reminder.

Can I schedule or automate payment reminders by text?
Yes. You can schedule payment requests and follow‑up reminders based on due dates, aging, or your internal workflows.

What does it cost to use text-to-pay?
Costs typically include standard payment processing fees plus any subscription or per‑message fees from the texting platform; there is usually no in‑store hardware expense.