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Create an Email or SMS Template

What is a template?​

A template is a reusable message you write once that Paymely automatically personalizes for each customer. Placeholders (e.g. Customer Name, Amount Due) are replaced with real customer data at send time.

Create a Template​

  1. In the sidebar, click Templates
  2. Click Create Template
  3. Choose the type: Email or SMS
  4. Write your message
  5. Click Save

Available Placeholders​

Use the Insert placeholder button in the editor toolbar to add placeholders. Here are the most commonly used:

PlaceholderReplaced with
Customer NameCustomer's full name
Amount DueFormatted outstanding balance (e.g. $1,250.00)
Company NameYour company name
Current DateDate the message is sent
Due DateCustomer's payment due date
Remaining BalanceRemaining amount to pay

Tip: Always use the toolbar button to insert placeholders — this ensures the correct format. See Complete Placeholder Reference for the full list.

Email Templates​

For email templates, you can:

  • Subject line: Write a compelling subject line with placeholders (e.g. "Payment reminder — [Customer Name]")
  • Message body: Use the rich editor to format your message (bold, lists, links)
  • Language: Create a French and an English version of the same template

Subject line best practices​

  • Avoid words like "URGENT", "FREE", or excessive capitalization
  • Be direct: "Outstanding balance — Invoice #[Reference]"
  • Personalize with the customer's name to increase open rate

SMS Templates​

For SMS, follow these limits:

  • 160 characters per SMS segment (longer messages are split into multiple segments)
  • No formatting (SMS is plain text)
  • Always include your company name for CASL compliance

SMS example:

Hi [Customer Name], your balance of [Amount Due] with [Company Name] is overdue. Please contact us to settle. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Test a Template​

Before using a template in a schedule:

  1. Open the template
  2. Click Send test
  3. For emails: a test email is sent to your profile address
  4. For SMS: a test SMS is sent to your profile phone number

Check your spam folder if you don't receive the test email.

Bilingual Templates​

Paymely supports templates in French and English. Create two versions of the template (one per language) and assign them in the schedule based on the customer's preferred language.