Recharge SMS Text Bank per 100 messages

The status of the SMS messages remaining in the "bank" is displayed in the footer for each site, and may be recharged at any time.  A reminder will be sent to the Skipper when the remaining messages in the "bank" reaches 10, along with a link to recharge the "bank". 

Directions:

• Select quantity of SMS messages to be added to bank in batches of 100 (Quantity 1 = 100 SMS messages)
• Select the site site home country from the dropdown
• Scroll down to the text field to enter the subdomain name
• Type the site subdomain name in the box provided
• Click the Add to Cart button

Why pay for SMS Messages? SMS messages are provided at no cost for boats located in the US and Canada where most mobile carriers providing free email to SMS services.  Google voice does not support free SMS text messaging via email, so those with crew using Google Voice desiring SMS messages must have the boat use the paid services. Most international carriers do not offer free SMS services and must use a paid service.  Crew Manager provides a paid SMS messaging interface with international mobile carriers for boats outside the US & Canada.  The prices charged by international carriers per SMS message varies by country, and is reflected in the boat country dropdown. 

How are SMS Messages enabled? The Skipper may enable or disable SMS Text messages via the International Options tab as described in the Skipper Manual at this link. SMS messages are delivered to Crew Members who individually enable receiving text messages in their profile. US & Canadian boats that desire to use SMS messaging with Google Voice should contact admin@crew-mgr.com requesting that paid SMS messaging be enabled.

What SMS Text messages are sent by Crew Manager? Text messages are sent by Crew Manager for: 

• Event reminders sent automatically
• Event cancellations sent when triggered by the Skipper
• Post Comments sent when triggered by any logged in Crew Member who submits a comment
• Results manually sent from Results page when triggered by the Skipper
• Sending a Post manually by the Skipper when creating or updating a Post
• Notify Crew who set Availability as Maybe to Yes or No, sent manually by the Skipper

How many SMS Text messages are sent? The number of automatic messages sent depends on the number of events, the number of Crew scheduled, and whether both long lead and regular reminders have been setup.  Manual messages depend on the number of people who elect to receive text messages in the group selected.

How many SMS messages should I add to the bank? A sample scenario is 4 events in one month.  Each event has 6 members who desire SMS text messages.  The Skipper has set a preliminary reminder, and a final reminder.  This results in 4 events X 6 people X 2 reminders = 48 messages.  Assume the results are sent for 4 events for an additional 4 events X 6 people X 1 result message = 24 messages.  The estimated monthly message count is 48 reminders + 24 results = 72 messages.  Thus purchasing a quantity of 1 (100 messages) should support just over 1 month of messaging.  Use this method to estimate the number of messages required for your own boat.  You may purchase additional messages to be added to the bank at any time.

What about SMS Text messages sent via my phone? When Crew Manager is used on a phone, there are buttons on calendar events that allow sending SMS messages to Crew scheduled on an event. These messages use the native phone SMS messaging capability, unlike the messages sent by Crew Manager. Your mobile carrier may charge for messages sent via this method.