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SMS Campaigns from the Guest Data You Already Own

CaptiFi collects guest mobile numbers with proper opt-in on your WiFi splash page, so SMS marketing starts from data your venue already owns. Send one-off campaigns or set up automations: birthday treats on the day, review requests after visits, win-back texts when regulars go quiet. And you see exactly who receives each text, and what it costs, before you send.

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40-60%

Average Email Opt-In Rate

500,000+

Emails Captured

11+

Integrations Included

99.9%

Platform Uptime

The Problem

Texts get read, but most venues have no usable mobile list and no time to build one. Bolting on a separate SMS tool means exporting spreadsheets, managing consent by hand, and finding out what a campaign cost after it has gone out.

The CaptiFi Solution

CaptiFi captures mobile numbers with proper consent at WiFi login and runs SMS from the same dashboard. Campaigns and automations work from the guest data you already own, delivery is tracked with real carrier receipts, and STOP opt-outs are handled automatically and instantly.

Key Benefits

Birthday treats, review requests and win-back texts that send themselves

See exactly who receives each campaign and the credit cost before you send

Consent captured on the splash page, with automatic and instant STOP opt-outs

Included on the Growth plan and above, with prepaid SMS credits

Screenshots

See it in your dashboard

CaptiFi SMS Marketing dashboard showing campaign history, delivery stats and credit balance
Campaigns, delivery tracking and your credit balance in one place.

Every campaign tracked to the handset

The campaigns view shows every send at a glance: who received it, how many messages were delivered and what it cost in credits. Delivery rates come from real carrier receipts, not a hopeful "sent" status, so the numbers reflect texts that actually reached phones.

  • Delivery confirmed with real carrier receipts
  • Credit balance visible at all times
Setting up an automated birthday text in CaptiFi with a ready-made message template
Birthday texts write themselves: pick the trigger and CaptiFi drafts the message.

Birthday texts that write themselves

Pick Birthday as the trigger and CaptiFi writes the message for you, ready to edit or use as it is. Each guest receives it once a year, on the day itself. It only ever goes to guests who chose to share a birthday, so every message lands with someone who expects it.

  • Sends once a year, on the day
  • Only to guests who shared a birthday
CaptiFi SMS composer showing exactly who will receive the campaign and what it will cost
See exactly who you are texting and what it costs, before you send.

Know the audience and the cost before you send

The audience panel shows exactly who matches your campaign before anything sends: recipient counts per venue and per country, plus the precise credit cost of the send. If the numbers look wrong, you fix the filters before a single text goes out.

  • Recipients broken down per venue and per country
  • Exact credit cost shown up front

What is SMS marketing for venues?

SMS marketing for venues is the practice of texting offers, birthday treats and review requests to customers who have opted in to hear from a pub, restaurant, cafe, hotel or salon. Texts are short, personal and usually read within minutes of arriving, which makes SMS the fastest way to reach your regulars. CaptiFi builds the opt-in list from your guest WiFi, so every number belongs to someone who has actually visited your venue.

Why guest WiFi is the best source of SMS opt-ins

Guest WiFi is the best source of SMS opt-ins because every number comes from a person who physically visited your venue and ticked a marketing checkbox to get online. Consent is captured and time-stamped at login, so there is no list buying, no scraped data and no guesswork about permission. The list also refreshes itself: every busy service adds new opted-in numbers with no extra work from your team.

CaptiFi is a guest WiFi marketing platform for venues, restaurants, hotels, cafés, retail spaces and short-term rentals. It turns branded WiFi logins into first-party customer data, automated Google review requests, repeat visitor insights and email marketing lists.

How it works

How to set up SMS marketing from your guest WiFi

1

Add a phone question and the SMS opt-in to your splash page

In the splash page builder, add a phone number question and switch on the SMS opt-in checkbox. Guests see exactly what they are agreeing to before they connect.

2

Guests connect and opt in

Guests join your WiFi, enter their number and tick the opt-in box. CaptiFi records the consent with a time stamp, and your SMS audience grows with every visit.

3

Set up automations

Switch on ready-made automations such as birthday treats and post-visit review requests. Each message is drafted for you and runs in the background once enabled.

4

Send campaigns with the audience and cost up front

Compose a campaign and CaptiFi shows exactly who will receive it, per venue and per country, plus the credit cost, before you press send.

Use cases

SMS marketing ideas by venue type

Example texts to make your own. CaptiFi adds the required opt-out footer to every message automatically.

Pubs and bars

Fill quiet weeknights and get regulars back through the door.

"Quiz night returns this Thursday at 8pm. Book a table for your team, up to six a side."

WiFi marketing for pubs

Restaurants

Turn one-off diners into regulars with well-timed treats.

"Happy birthday from all of us! Show this text this week for a free dessert with any main."

WiFi marketing for restaurants

Cafes

Promote new menus and quiet-hour offers to nearby regulars.

"Our new autumn menu lands Monday. Pop in before 11am this week for a free pastry with any coffee."

WiFi marketing for cafes

Hotels

Encourage direct bookings and repeat stays.

"Lovely to have you with us last month. Book your next stay direct and we will add a late checkout."

Salons and barbershops

Fill last-minute gaps in the diary.

"We have a few appointments left this Friday. Reply to grab one and take 10% off any treatment."

Takeaways

Nudge order-in customers on slow nights.

"Midweek treat: free side with any order over £20 tonight before 9pm."

Choosing a channel

SMS vs email for venue marketing

SMS

  • Read fast, usually within minutes of arriving
  • Short and direct: one credit per standard text segment
  • Costs per message, so best saved for messages that matter
  • Best for time-sensitive offers: tonight's tables, last-minute gaps, birthday treats

Email

  • Free at volume on your plan, so send as often as it stays useful
  • Richer layouts: photos, menus and buttons
  • Easier for guests to skim past on a busy day
  • Best for newsletters, menus and longer stories

You do not have to pick one. CaptiFi runs SMS and email from the same guest list captured at WiFi login, so a birthday can trigger a text while your monthly newsletter goes out by email. See automated marketing for the email side.

FAQs

SMS marketing questions answered

How much does SMS marketing cost with CaptiFi?
SMS marketing is included on the Growth plan and above, so there is no separate monthly SMS fee. You buy prepaid credit packs from the dashboard, and one credit covers one standard text segment. You only spend credits when you actually send.
Do I need to buy a phone number to send SMS?
No. Sending is built into CaptiFi, so you do not need to buy a number, open an account with an SMS provider or connect any third-party tools. You write the message, check the audience and send from the dashboard.
How do guests opt in to SMS marketing?
Most opt-ins happen on your WiFi splash page: add a phone number question and the SMS opt-in checkbox, and guests tick it as they connect. You can also import existing contacts, provided they have already given you permission to text them. Either way, consent is recorded against each contact.
Is CaptiFi SMS marketing GDPR and PECR compliant?
Yes. Consent is captured and time-stamped at WiFi login, every text carries an automatic STOP footer, and opt-outs take effect instantly. The dashboard keeps an opt-out list so you can show exactly who withdrew consent and when.
Can I send automatic birthday texts to customers?
Yes. Pick Birthday as the automation trigger and CaptiFi drafts the message for you. It sends once a year on the day itself, and only to guests who have a birthday on file.
Will I know if my messages actually arrive?
Yes. Delivery is tracked with real carrier receipts, so each campaign shows delivered and failed counts rather than just "sent". Credits for failed messages are refunded.
Can I see who will get a campaign before I send it?
Yes. The composer shows an audience panel with exactly who matches your campaign: recipient numbers per venue and per country, plus the exact credit cost. Nothing sends until you have seen both.

What Our Customers Say

CaptiFi completely changed my business. Before, every guest was a one-time booki...

CaptiFi completely changed my business. Before, every guest was a one-time booking. Now I have a direct line to thousands of people who've stayed in the plane. I can offer them return deals, send updates about new features, and keep them engaged. My repeat booking rate went from almost zero to 35%. It's been incredible.

J

Johnny Palmer

Owner, PytchAir Boeing 727 Airbnb

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