How to ask for transactional SMS consent separately

You will learn

Discover how to collect transactional SMS consent separately from promotional consent.

Specifying the type of consent is helpful if you plan to only send transactional messages (such as for a subscription-based business) or want to give your customers the choice of SMS messages.

For all other cases, you don’t need to specify the consent type. By default, it’s set to promotional consent, which allows you to send any type of SMS message.

About the different types of SMS consent

In Klaviyo, there are 3 types of SMS consent:

• Promotional
  Allows you to send any type of SMS message, including campaigns and all flows. With promotional consent, you can also send transactional messages.
• Transactional
  Consent for transactional messages, including order updates and other post-purchase flow messages. Flow messages must be approved as transactional and sent from metric-triggered flows to use this consent.
• Order updates (Shopify only)
  The most limited type of SMS consent. This type of consent is linked to a specific purchase, and only permits sending SMS from post-purchase flows about this 1 order. Learn more about SMS order updates for Shopify.

Visualize the SMS consent types as a hierarchy, similar to the image below. Promotional is the broadest category and includes transactional messages, which in turn includes order updates. For more information, please see understanding transactional messages.

Before you begin

Please note the following about collecting transactional consent:

• Transactional consent always uses single opt-in, meaning you cannot use:
  • Double opt-in for transactional.
  • Smart Opt-in for a form that includes transactional consent.
• SMS transactional consent alone does not add a profile to a list. The consent is recorded on the profile.
• If you previously set up disclosure language in your account, you may need to edit it to mention transactional messages.
• Age-gated accounts can collect only promotional SMS consent in forms.

You can collect transactional and promotional consent on the same step of a form or on 2 separate steps. Choose the layout that works for your form, and make sure the disclosure language matches the consent you collect.

Collect transactional consent in a form

You can either add transactional consent to an existing form or build a new form.

We recommend using an existing form that already has your branding. Transactional consent cannot be collected using Smart Opt-in or tap-to-text; use a phone number field instead.

Open the dropdown below for instructions on creating a new form with email and transactional SMS consent, with an optional promotional SMS opt-in. Or skip ahead to add transactional SMS consent to an existing email and SMS form.

Build a new form for email, SMS transactional, and SMS promotional

1. Navigate to the Sign-up forms tab in Klaviyo.
2. Click Create form. If a channel selection appears, enter a form name, select Web, then click Create.
3. Select Create blank form.
4. Name the form (e.g., Email & SMS).
5. Select the list this form should go to.
   • Recommendation: choose your main subscriber list (e.g., Newsletter).
   • Transactional SMS consent alone will not add a profile to this list.
6. Choose the form type.
   • Recommendation: since this example collects multiple types of consent, a best practice is to use a pop-up, flyout, or full-page form.
     

1. Select Save and design.
   • Recommendation: use a teaser for your form.
2. Optional: add a teaser or change your teaser settings.
3. Above the preview, in the center, select Email Opt-In.
   

1. Design your email page. Tips:
   • At minimum, your form needs an email input field and button.
   • It’s recommended to add text input fields for first and last name.
     

1. Click the + Step button.
   

1. In the resulting modal, select Mobile opt-in, then click Next.
2. Select Text messaging, then click Next.

1. Select Traditional text messaging double opt-in. Transactional SMS consent will still use single opt-in.
2. Choose your SMS subscriber list.

1. Click Add step.
2. Select the phone number field.
   

1. In the phone number settings, open the dropdown under Consent.

1. Select the consent type you want to collect:
   • Single step - Transactional only: collect transactional SMS consent without a promotional opt-in.
   • Single step - Transactional & promotional: collect transactional consent and add an optional checkbox for promotional consent on the same step.
   • Multi step - Transactional & promotional: collect transactional consent on the phone number step and add a separate step for promotional consent.

Single step	Multi step

1. Update the disclosure language based on the consent you’re collecting:
   • Transactional only: exclusively mention transactional messages (e.g., order updates).
   • Transactional and promotional: include references to both transactional messages (e.g., order updates) and promotional messages (e.g., discounts, announcements, etc.).
2. Finish designing your form, then select Publish or schedule. If scheduling options appear, choose Publish now. Click Publish now to make the form live.

Collect transactional consent from an existing form

Use the steps below to add transactional SMS consent to an existing form with a phone number field. Smart Opt-in and tap-to-text cannot collect transactional consent.

1. Navigate to the Sign-up forms tab in Klaviyo.
2. Select the 3 dots next to the form where you want to collect SMS consent, then click Edit.
3. Within the form editor, select the phone number field.
   

4. In the phone number settings, open the dropdown under Consent.

5. Select the consent type you want to collect:
   • Single step - Transactional only: collect transactional SMS consent without a promotional opt-in.
   • Single step - Transactional & promotional: collect transactional consent and add an optional checkbox for promotional consent on the same step.
   • Multi step - Transactional & promotional: collect transactional consent on the phone number step and add a separate step for promotional consent.
6. If your form uses Smart Opt-in, selecting a transactional consent option prompts you to remove the one-time code step. Select Delete step, then select the phone number field again and choose the transactional consent option again.

Single step	Multi step (promotional)

1. Recommendation: for single-step forms, make sure to label that the phone number field is for transactional SMS messages.
   

2. Update the disclosure language based on the consent you’re collecting:
   • Transactional only: exclusively mention transactional messages (e.g., order updates).
   • Transactional and promotional: include references to both transactional messages (e.g., order updates) and promotional messages (e.g., discounts, announcements, etc.).
3. Finish designing your form, then select Publish or schedule. If scheduling options appear, choose Publish now. Click Publish now to make the form live.

Once your form is live, you can start collecting transactional consent separately from promotional consent.

You’ll also be able to view the consent type within a profile.

Collect transactional consent at checkout (Shopify only)

Shopify customers can collect transactional SMS consent on their thank you and order status pages via an app block and sync it to Klaviyo. Additionally, Shopify Plus customers can use app blocks to collect transactional SMS consent on their checkout pages. These app blocks are set up in Klaviyo and then installed in Shopify. Learn how to collect transactional SMS consent on Shopify checkout pages.

Additional resources