Template
Last-chance SMS sent at day 7 or day 14, paired with the final email. Goal: catch customers who are not reading email before the account suspends.
Hi {{first_name}}, your {{product_name}} account pauses on {{suspension_date}} unless your ${{amount}} payment goes through. Fix card here: {{short_update_link}} - reply STOP to opt out.Variables in {{like_this}} should be replaced with your merge fields.
Specific deadline creates urgency without alarm. Short and scannable. Matches the emotional cadence of the email final notice without repeating it verbatim.
1-2 maximum. More than that generates opt-outs and complaints, and eats into your TCPA compliance margin. Most of your recovery should still happen via email; SMS is the high-leverage backup.
Automate this with Rebounce
Rebounce detects payment failures via Stripe Connect, classifies them by decline code, and runs the optimal dunning sequence across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and in-app banners. The templates above are the exact patterns Rebounce uses out of the box - you can adapt the copy to your brand voice and Rebounce handles delivery, timing, and sequence cancellation when a retry succeeds.
Start free trialAn SMS version of the day 3-5 dunning email, used as a multi-channel push alongside email. Goal: reach customers who are not reading email. SMS has 45-50% open rates compared to 20-30% for email.
Sent on day 14 after all retries and prior emails have failed. The grace period is over. Goal: close cleanly, preserve goodwill, and leave the door open for reactivation. A well-done final notice is often the best win-back hook you have.
WhatsApp message sent on day 3-5 for customers with a WhatsApp-linked phone number. Goal: use the highest-open-rate channel available (90%+ in most markets) for maximum reach.