SMS text reminders
How JoinCPR texts students a reminder before class: when it is sent, who gets it, how students opt in with a checkbox or reply STOP, and the phone number rules.
Updated · JoinCPR help center
JoinCPR can text students a reminder before their class. It is the only text message the system sends; there are no SMS confirmations or receipts.
Turning it on
Under Settings → Notifications → SMS Notifications, switch on SMS class reminders and choose Send reminder: 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 (default) or 72 hours before. Text reminders are included in your JoinCPR plan at no extra cost. They are sent from a shared JoinCPR number, so you do not need your own SMS account.
Who receives it
A student gets the text when all of these are true:
- the class is published and starts within about an hour of the chosen lead time
- their registration is Confirmed (pending pay-later students do not get texts)
- they have a phone number that can be formatted as a US number (10 digits, or 11 starting with 1, or a full international number with a plus sign)
- they have not opted out
Each class is reminded once. Rescheduling a class resets it so students are texted again for the new date.
The message
"Hi {first name}, reminder: your {course} class is tomorrow, {Day} {Mon D} at {time} at {location name and address}. Questions? Contact {Company}. Reply STOP to unsubscribe."
"tomorrow" and "today" are used only when that is literally true on your local calendar. A class two or three days away reads "your {course} class is on {Day} {Mon D} at {time}", so a 48- or 72-hour reminder never tells students the wrong day. Multi-day classes say "starts" instead of "is", with the first day's time. For an online class the location reads "online (the join link is in your confirmation email)"; the link itself is never texted. The wording cannot be changed.
Students can also reply HELP to any text for a short help reply. The public description of the program that carriers require is JoinCPR's SMS terms; the consent checkbox links to it.
Opting in and out
- At checkout, Text me a reminder before my class is shown only when SMS reminders are enabled. It is unchecked by default: US carriers require students to actively agree, so the box cannot be pre-ticked. Next to it students see the required disclosure (who sends the messages, about 1 message per class, message and data rates may apply, reply STOP or HELP) with links to the platform's SMS terms and privacy policy.
- The same box appears when joining a waitlist (Also text me when a spot opens up) once a phone number is entered.
- Students with accounts can change Send me text message reminders about my classes under My Account.
- Replying STOP (or unsubscribe, cancel, end, quit) opts that phone number out; START (or yes, unstop) opts back in. A STOP applies to every record with that number across the platform.
- Staff cannot see or change a student's SMS preference.