AtlacareAtlacare sends two kinds of appointment message: a confirmation when a booking is made, and a reminder before the appointment.
Confirmations
When an appointment is booked — by you or by the patient online — a confirmation email goes to the patient automatically, as long as they have an email address on file.
Reminders
A 24-hour email reminder is on by default for new clinics, because email is free on every plan and it's the single best way to cut no-shows. You'll find and adjust reminders under Campaigns, where you can edit the wording and timing.
Higher plans can also send a 1-hour reminder, and SMS reminders are available on paid plans.
SMS: why it needs credits
SMS costs money to send, so it comes out of your SMS credit balance. Paid plans include a monthly allowance; you can top up when you run low. If your balance is zero, SMS reminders won't send — email still will.
Why a message didn't send
The usual reasons:
- No email or mobile on the patient's record.
- Out of SMS credits (email is unaffected).
- The patient opted out of that kind of message.
- The appointment was booked inside the reminder window — a reminder set for 24 hours before can't send for a booking made this afternoon.
Confirmations and reminders are transactional, so they always send regardless of marketing consent — that's separate from your campaigns.