In short
- Four details in every reminder: amount, due date, a reference, and how to pay.
- Message type: reminders about an existing bill or instalment are generally transactional; add an offer and the message becomes promotional.
- Collections: banks and finance companies also follow SAMA's debt collection regulations for individual customers.
- Sending: REST API from your billing system, or scheduled sends from the web platform.
- Records: a delivery receipt for each message, and reports you can export.
Payment reminder SMS templates
Each template below fits one SMS segment. "example.com/pay" stands for a payment page on your own domain; replace the amounts, dates and references with your own.
| Stage | Example message | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice issued | Invoice INV-2291 for SAR 1,150 is ready. Due 15 Dec. Pay: example.com/pay | 73 |
| 3 days before due | Reminder: SAR 1,150 for invoice INV-2291 is due on 15 Dec. Pay: example.com/pay | 79 |
| Due today | Your instalment of SAR 640 is due today. Ref 55102. Pay: example.com/pay | 72 |
| 1 day overdue | Your payment of SAR 640 (ref 55102) was due yesterday. Please pay at example.com/pay | 84 |
| 7 days overdue | SAR 640 (ref 55102) is 7 days overdue. Pay at example.com/pay or call 920000000 | 79 |
| Before service suspension | Your bill of SAR 310 is unpaid. Pay by 20 Dec to keep your service active: example.com/pay | 90 |
| Auto-debit failed | We could not collect SAR 640 for ref 55102. Please update your payment method: example.com/pay | 94 |
| Payment received | Thank you. We received SAR 640 for ref 55102 on 12 Dec. | 55 |
"920000000" stands for your own customer service number.
Four details every payment reminder needs
A reminder works when the customer can act on it without calling you first.
- The amount, in Saudi riyals, exactly as it appears on the bill.
- The due date, written as a date, not "soon" or "this week".
- A reference the customer and your team both recognise: an invoice, contract or account reference. Never the full card or account number.
- How to pay: a short link to a payment page on your own domain, or the payment channel the customer already uses.
Add a contact number when the reminder is about an overdue amount, so the customer can ask a question or agree a date. Tell customers that you never ask for card details or passwords by SMS, and keep to it in every message, so a fake "reminder" stands out.
Is a payment reminder transactional or promotional?
A payment reminder is generally transactional when it relates to an obligation or account the customer already has. Transactional messages do not carry the marketing-consent requirement that promotional messages do.
The classification changes if you add an offer. "Pay early and get 10% off your next order" turns the whole message into a promotional one. Promotional SMS in Saudi Arabia follows the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) "Regulations for Curbing SPAM Messages & Calls" (version three, October 2022, approved by CST decision 493/1444):
- Consent: the recipient must have explicitly agreed to receive promotional messages.
- Sender name: the suffix "-AD" is added to every sender name classified as promotional.
- Blocked by default: operators must let users block or allow promotional messages; promotional messages start out blocked until the recipient allows them.
- Hours: promotional and awareness messages may not be sent from 10:00 pm to 9:00 am (during Ramadan, from 1:00 am to 12:00 noon).
Keep reminders and offers in separate messages. Even for transactional reminders, daytime sending is a courtesy your customers will notice.
Transactional vs promotional SMS
Collection messages from banks and finance companies
If you are a bank or finance company collecting from individual customers, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) "Debt Collection Regulations and Procedures for Individual Customers" also apply. SAMA first issued them by circular 391000083340 (11 April 2018); the version in force in the SAMA Rulebook is dated 6 March 2025 (document 106889333). They include:
| Rule | What it means for your messages |
|---|---|
| Authenticated channels | SMS is among the authenticated means a creditor may use to communicate with a customer or guarantor. |
| Minimum content | A collection message includes at least the creditor's name and collection department, a contact number, and that department's working hours. |
| Phone calls | If your collection plan also uses calls: no more than ten phone calls every 30 days for each financing product, during official working hours. |
| Who you contact | Collection communication is with the customer or their guarantor; phone calls to anyone else are not allowed. |
| Complaints | While a complaint is open, do not remind the customer or guarantor of the defaulted payments. |
Check the current text in the SAMA Rulebook with your compliance team. This is a summary for planning, not legal advice.
A reminder schedule that stays accurate
- Before the due date: one reminder 3 to 5 days ahead.
- On the due date: one short reminder with the payment link.
- After the due date: a small number of overdue reminders, each with a contact number.
- Stop on payment: trigger reminders from your billing system's current status, so a customer who has just paid is not reminded again.
- Confirm receipt: a "payment received" message closes the loop and cuts calls to your team.
Sending payment reminders with Digital Connect
| Route | Suited to | What your team does |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | Reminders triggered by your billing, finance or property system | Your developer calls the API when a bill reaches a reminder stage |
| Web platform | Scheduled batches, such as all invoices due this week | Manage contact lists, use approved templates, schedule the send, export reports |
- SMPP and SOAP are also available: SMPP for sustained high volume, SOAP where an existing business system needs it.
- API access is limited to whitelisted IP addresses or a VPN connection.
- Templates are approved by your team and by Interkey before use.
- Sender names are registered by Interkey with the operators through CST's central bulk-SMS system during onboarding.
- Delivery receipts: each message has one, so your team can check whether a reminder was delivered before escalating an overdue account.
- Account controls: fraud protection, country blocking and spending limits, agreed during onboarding.
- Permit: Interkey holds CST's permit to provide short message services (SMS).
SMS delivery reports for business senders
Arabic reminders and message length
An English message (GSM-7) fits 160 characters in one segment, or 153 per part when it is longer. An Arabic message (UCS-2) fits 70 characters, or 67 per part, and a single Arabic word puts the whole message under these limits. Each extra segment is billed, so keep Arabic reminders to the four details and the link. Send each customer one language, the one they chose, rather than both in one SMS.
Who sends payment reminders this way
- Finance companies, BNPL and fintech: instalment due dates and failed auto-debits.
- Utilities and telecom services: bills issued, due and unpaid before suspension.
- Real estate and property managers: rent and service-charge instalments.
- B2B suppliers: invoices issued and due.
When Digital Connect is not a good fit: if you send only a few hundred reminders a month, or almost all of your customers are outside Saudi Arabia.
Pricing: by quote, based on your monthly volume and traffic type.
Questions about payment reminder SMS
Do payment reminders need the customer's marketing consent?
A reminder about a bill or instalment the customer already has, with no offer in it, is generally transactional and does not carry the marketing-consent requirement. Add an offer and promotional rules apply.
Can we include a payment link?
Yes. Use a short link on your own domain so customers recognise it, and never ask for card details or passwords in the message.
How many reminders should we send?
One before the due date, one on the date, and a small number after it. Banks and finance companies collecting from individuals should also check SAMA's debt collection regulations, which limit collection phone calls to ten every 30 days for each financing product.
Can reminders stop automatically once a customer pays?
Yes, when your billing system triggers them through the API from the current payment status. Scheduled batches go to the list you prepare, so build it from the latest unpaid list.
Can we see whether a reminder was delivered?
Yes. Each message has a delivery receipt, and the platform reports can be exported.
Is Interkey permitted to provide SMS services?
Yes. Interkey holds CST's permit to provide short message services (SMS).