SMS templates · Promotions

Promotional SMS Templates for Ecommerce

Eight promotion texts for the offers every store runs, from a weekend percentage off to a code that ends tonight. Each one is written to fit a single segment and shown on the iPhone and Android screens your customers actually use.

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Percentage off sitewide promotional SMS on an iPhonePercentage off sitewide promotional SMS on an Android phone Percent off on iPhone and AndroidSee the text →
The texts

8 SMS promotion examples for online stores

Every text comes in a full and a short version, both under 160 characters. Switch between iPhone and Android under each phone, then copy the one you need.

Percentage off sitewide promotional SMS on an iPhonePercentage off sitewide promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 01 · Percent off

Percentage off sitewide

MarketingFashionFriday morning, for a weekend sale

One number, one code and one end date. The customer knows the deal before they open the link, and the end date gives them a reason to act this weekend.

Full SMS
MAREN: {{discount}} off everything this weekend, new season included. Use code {{code}} at maren.co/sale Ends {{ends}}. Reply STOP to opt out
136 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Spend more, save more promotional SMS on an iPhoneSpend more, save more promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 02 · Spend and save

Spend more, save more

MarketingHomeTwo to three days before payday weekends

Tiers lift the order value without a blanket discount. Two tiers are enough; a third makes the maths harder than the offer.

Full SMS
ALDER & CO: Spend more, save more. {{tier1}}, {{tier2}} on all furniture until {{ends}}. Applied at checkout: alder.co/save Reply STOP to opt out
150 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Buy one, get one free promotional SMS on an iPhoneBuy one, get one free promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 03 · Buy one, get one

Buy one, get one free

MarketingBeautyMidweek, for a two-day window

BOGO moves a second unit of a product people already rebuy. Saying which item is free (the lower price) heads off the most common support question.

Full SMS
LUMA: Buy one serum, get the second free. Mix any two, the lower price is on us. {{days}} only: luma.co/bogo Reply STOP to opt out
140 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Free shipping over a threshold promotional SMS on an iPhoneFree shipping over a threshold promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 04 · Free shipping

Free shipping over a threshold

MarketingSupplementsWhen the average order sits just under the threshold

Free shipping keeps your prices intact. Set the threshold a little above the average order so it nudges the basket up, and say there is no code to type.

Full SMS
NORTHWELL: Free shipping on every order over {{threshold}} this week, no code needed. Stock up on your daily stack: nwl.co/ship Reply STOP to opt out
139 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Gift with purchase promotional SMS on an iPhoneGift with purchase promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 05 · Free gift

Gift with purchase

MarketingBeautyLaunch day of the gift, then once more when stock is low

A gift feels more generous than the same value as a discount. Saying it is added at checkout removes the doubt about how to claim it.

Full SMS
LUMA: A free {{gift}} with any order over {{min}} this week, while gifts last. Added at checkout: luma.co/gift Reply STOP to opt out
140 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Bundle deal promotional SMS on an iPhoneBundle deal promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 06 · Bundle deal

Bundle deal

MarketingSupplementsTo customers who bought one item of the bundle

A bundle price beats a percentage when the products belong together. Show the old and new price so the saving is obvious without a calculator.

Full SMS
NORTHWELL: {{bundle}}, our three bestsellers in one bundle, {{price}} instead of {{was}}. Save 24% at nwl.co/trio Reply STOP to opt out
131 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Text subscribers only promotional SMS on an iPhoneText subscribers only promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 07 · Subscriber code

Text subscribers only

MarketingFashionA day before the offer goes to email and social

An offer that only exists on SMS is the best answer to why someone should stay subscribed. Say it first, then the code.

Full SMS
MAREN: For text subscribers only, {{discount}} off the new coat edit before it goes public. Code {{code}} at maren.co/edit Reply STOP to opt out
133 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Code ends tonight promotional SMS on an iPhoneCode ends tonight promotional SMS on an Android phone
No. 08 · Code ends tonight

Code ends tonight

MarketingHomeAfternoon of the last day, only to people who have not used the code

The reminder often outsells the first message. Name the product they looked at, and send it only to people who have not redeemed yet.

Full SMS
ALDER & CO: Your {{value}} off code {{code}} ends tonight at midnight. Still thinking about {{product}}? alder.co/hale Reply STOP to opt out
138 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text and check its length →

Length checker

Write your own promotion and see it land

Start from any text above, change the offer, and watch the phone update. The meter counts segments the way carriers bill them, and flags the characters that double the cost.

0 / 160 characters1 segment
  • Starts with your brand name
  • Includes a link
  • Has a way to opt out
  • Fits in one segment
9:41
Text Message
Today 10:02
Text message
Tuesday 7 October9:41
Messages · now62418now

The percent-off promotion as a notification on an iPhone lock screenThe same promotion as a notification on an Android lock screen
Before they open it

Most customers decide on the lock screen

A promotion is read as a notification first. What shows there decides whether the text gets opened at all.

The sender is a number

Unless a customer saved your contact, both phones show the short code, not your name. Your brand has to be the first word of the text.

Only the start is visible

The iPhone shows the first few lines; a collapsed Android notification shows a single line. Put the offer before the code and the link.

No preview image

The link preview only appears once the message is open, so the words have to sell the offer on their own.

Before you send

Five rules for promotional texts

  • Get consent firstOnly text people who opted in to marketing messages, and keep the record of when and how.
  • Lead with your brandUnless a customer saved your number, the sender shows as a number, not your name, so the first word of the text has to be who you are.
  • Offer, then code, then linkPut the deal in the first line. That is the part that shows on the lock screen.
  • Respect quiet hoursIn the US, send marketing texts between 8am and 9pm in the customer's time zone.
  • Stay in one segmentKeep it under 160 characters, with straight quotes and no emoji, or you pay for two messages.

Let Zefir write and send your promotions

Zefir runs SMS and WhatsApp as one channel, built and operated for you, with every order attributed to the text that produced it. Live within 72 hours.

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FAQ

Questions about promotional SMS

What is a promotional SMS?

A promotional SMS is a marketing text that tells subscribers about an offer, such as a discount, free shipping or a gift with purchase, with a link to shop. Zefir writes and sends these for you on SMS and WhatsApp, and attributes every order to the message that produced it.

How long should a promotional text message be?

Keep a promotional text under 160 characters so it arrives as one segment, or under 70 if it contains an emoji or a curly apostrophe. Zefir checks length and encoding on every message before it goes out, so no campaign costs double by accident.

What should a discount offer text include?

A discount offer text needs your brand name, the offer, the code if there is one, an end date, a link and a way to opt out. Zefir builds that structure into every promotion it sends, including the consent and quiet-hours checks.

How often can I send SMS promotions?

There is no fixed limit, but every promotional text should carry a real offer, and customers who just bought should be left out of the next one. Zefir plans the calendar with you and suppresses customers who just bought, so frequency never turns into opt-outs.

Do promotional texts look different on iPhone and Android?

The words are the same, but the sender name, bubble style and link preview look different on each phone. Zefir previews every message on both before it is sent, so nothing lands broken on either.

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