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Twilio SMS

Messaging integration

Twilio SMS + CaptiFi

Send a personalised welcome SMS to every WiFi guest automatically via Twilio. Opt-in only, GDPR and PECR compliant. Hardware included, 30-day trial.

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Overview

What does the Twilio SMS integration do?

The Twilio SMS integration sends a personalised welcome text from your own Twilio account within seconds of a guest entering their phone number and opting in on your splash page. It sends only to guests who opt in, deduplicates over 24 hours and honours opt-outs automatically, keeping your texting aligned with PECR and GDPR. For venues that want to reach guests on the channel they check most. Growth plan and above.

CaptiFi connects to your own Twilio account so that the moment a guest enters their phone number on your branded WiFi splash page and opts in, you can fire a personalised welcome SMS within seconds of sign-on. Because the message goes out through your Twilio Account SID, Auth Token and From-number, it lands from a sender your guests recognise, and you keep full control of your messaging spend and number reputation inside Twilio.

Venues connect Twilio SMS because a text gets read in minutes, not days. While email is ideal for longer campaigns, a single welcome SMS is perfect for the things a guest wants right now: a link to the menu, a discount code to use on this visit, or the WiFi password to save for next time. CaptiFi handles the trigger, the merge tags and the timing, so the right message goes to the right guest automatically with no one behind the bar lifting a finger.

Compliance is built in rather than bolted on. The SMS only sends to guests who explicitly opt in on the splash page, a 24-hour deduplication window stops the same person being messaged twice in a day, and opt-outs are honoured automatically. That keeps your texting aligned with PECR and GDPR while still letting you reach guests on the channel they check most.

What you get

Why connect Twilio SMS to CaptiFi

Reaches guests on the channel they actually open

An SMS sent within seconds of WiFi sign-on lands while the guest is still on your premises, making it ideal for menus, live offers and same-visit discount codes.

Sends from your own Twilio number

You connect your own Twilio Account SID, Auth Token and From-number per venue, so messages come from a sender guests recognise and your spend and number reputation stay inside Twilio.

Compliant by design

Texts only go to guests who explicitly opt in on the splash page, and CaptiFi honours opt-outs automatically to keep you aligned with PECR and GDPR.

No staff effort per message

Once your template and credentials are set, CaptiFi triggers the welcome SMS automatically after every qualifying sign-on, with a 24-hour dedup window so nobody gets messaged twice in a day.

What data flows to Twilio SMS

Guest mobile phone number (entered on the splash page)

SMS marketing opt-in consent

Venue or site the guest signed in at

WiFi sign-on event and timestamp (the send trigger)

Merge-tag values used to personalise the message

Opt-out status (honoured automatically)

How it works

Up and running in minutes

Add your Twilio credentials per venue

Enter your Twilio Account SID, Auth Token and a From-number for each site so each venue sends from its own recognised sender.

Compose your welcome SMS template

Write the message and drop in merge tags to personalise it, for example a first name, the venue name, a menu link or a discount code.

Set opt-in and dedup behaviour

Confirm the message only fires for guests who explicitly opt in on the splash page, with the built-in 24-hour deduplication window switched on.

Go live

Once saved, CaptiFi sends the SMS within seconds of a qualifying WiFi sign-on, and opt-outs are removed from future sends automatically.

Read the Twilio SMS setup guide

Step by step, with screenshots.

In the real world

How venues use Twilio SMS with CaptiFi

Restaurant

A diner signs in to the WiFi and opts in, then gets an instant text with a link to the full menu and a code for a free side on their next visit.

Pub

Guests who connect during the week receive a welcome SMS with this weekend's live music line-up and a saveable WiFi password for their return.

Hotel

A guest joins the lobby WiFi and immediately receives a text with the restaurant booking link and the spa discount code for their stay.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my own Twilio account?

Yes. CaptiFi sends through your own Twilio account, so you add your Account SID, Auth Token and a From-number for each venue. Messages then go out under your sender, and your messaging spend and number reputation stay inside Twilio where you control them. This also means you set up the From-number you want guests to see.

Will guests get texted without consenting?

No. The welcome SMS only fires for guests who explicitly opt in on the splash page when they enter their phone number. CaptiFi also honours opt-outs automatically, so anyone who replies to stop is removed from future sends. This opt-in only approach is what keeps the integration aligned with PECR and GDPR.

Can the same guest be messaged repeatedly?

No. CaptiFi applies a built-in 24-hour deduplication window, so a guest who signs in more than once in a day will not receive the welcome SMS again. This protects the guest experience and avoids wasting your Twilio message spend on duplicate sends to the same person.

How quickly does the SMS arrive after sign-on?

CaptiFi sends the message within seconds of a qualifying WiFi sign-on, so it reaches the guest while they are usually still on your premises. That makes it well suited to same-visit content like a menu link, a live offer or a discount code the guest can use before they leave.

Can I personalise each message?

Yes. You compose a welcome SMS template and add merge tags, so each guest can receive a message tailored with details such as their name, the venue they signed in at, a menu link or a discount code. The personalisation is applied automatically at send time from the data captured on the splash page.

Can I set a different sender number for each venue?

Yes. Twilio credentials and the From-number are configured per venue, so a multi-site operator can have each location send from its own number. This keeps messages locally relevant and lets guests recognise the specific venue they visited rather than a generic group sender.

Pairs well with

Mailchimp Google Reviews Klaviyo

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