SMS Commerce Glossary
Key terms and concepts in text-to-buy, SMS commerce, and conversational commerce — explained for DTC brands.
Text-to-Buy
Text-to-Buy is a mobile commerce model where customers purchase products by replying to a text message — no links, no carts, no checkout pages.
Read definitionReply-to-Buy
Reply-to-Buy is a text commerce interaction where customers complete a purchase by replying to an SMS message — typically with "YES" or a quantity.
Read definitionSMS Commerce
SMS Commerce is the practice of selling products directly through text message conversations — turning SMS from a marketing channel into a sales channel.
Read definitionConversational Commerce
Conversational Commerce is the practice of selling products through messaging-based interactions — including SMS, chat, and messaging apps — where the conversation itself is the shopping experience.
Read definitionSMS Product Drops
SMS Product Drops are time-sensitive product releases sold exclusively through text messages, where subscribers reply to claim limited-edition or small-batch items before they sell out.
Read definitionAI-Timed Replenishment
AI-Timed Replenishment uses machine learning to predict when each customer will run low on a product and sends a personalized reorder prompt at the right moment.
Read definitionSMS Order Bumps
SMS Order Bumps are post-purchase upsell offers delivered inside a text conversation immediately after a customer completes a text-based purchase.
Read definitionRCS Messaging
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next-generation messaging standard that upgrades SMS with interactive buttons, rich media, carousels, and branded sender profiles.
Read definitionRCS for Business
RCS for Business (RCS Business Messaging or RBM) is the application-to-person (A2P) version of RCS that lets brands send verified, branded, interactive messages to customers through their default messaging app.
Read definitionDrop Commerce
Drop Commerce is a retail model built around limited-edition, time-sensitive product releases sold through direct channels like SMS — designed to create urgency and exclusivity.
Read definitionText-to-Buy Checkout
Text-to-Buy Checkout is the transaction process where a customer's text reply triggers payment capture, order creation, and fulfillment — all without a traditional checkout page.
Read definitionZero-Click Commerce
Zero-Click Commerce is a purchasing model that eliminates all clicks, taps, and page loads — the customer completes the entire transaction within the messaging thread.
Read definitionSMS Marketing for Restricted Industries
SMS marketing strategies and compliance frameworks for industries with advertising restrictions — including tobacco, alcohol, CBD, cannabis, and firearms.
Read definitionSMS Replenishment Marketing
SMS Replenishment Marketing is an SMS strategy focused on driving repeat purchases of consumable products by sending timely reorder prompts based on predicted product depletion.
Read definitionLink-Free SMS Purchasing
Link-Free SMS Purchasing is an SMS commerce model where the entire purchase — product selection, payment, and confirmation — happens within the text conversation without requiring the customer to click any links.
Read definitionSMS Subscriber Segmentation
SMS Subscriber Segmentation is the practice of dividing an SMS list into targeted groups based on purchase history, engagement, preferences, and demographics to send more relevant messages.
Read definitionPost-Purchase SMS Flows
Post-Purchase SMS Flows are automated text message sequences triggered after a customer completes a purchase — including order confirmation, shipping updates, cross-sells, and replenishment prompts.
Read definitionSMS Welcome Series
An SMS Welcome Series is an automated sequence of text messages sent to new subscribers immediately after opt-in, designed to introduce the brand, set expectations, and drive a first purchase.
Read definitionSMS Conversion Rate
SMS Conversion Rate is the percentage of text message recipients who complete a desired action — typically a purchase — after receiving an SMS. Calculated as conversions divided by messages delivered.
Read definitionRevenue Per Message
Revenue Per Message (RPM) measures the average revenue generated per SMS sent. Calculated as total attributed revenue divided by total messages sent.
Read definitionTCPA Compliance for SMS Marketing
TCPA compliance refers to the rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act that govern how businesses can send marketing text messages — including consent requirements, opt-out handling, and quiet hours.
Read definition10DLC Registration
10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) registration is the carrier-mandated process for businesses to register their brand and SMS campaigns before sending A2P messages through standard 10-digit phone numbers.
Read definitionSMS Keyword Campaigns
SMS Keyword Campaigns use a specific word (e.g., "COFFEE" or "JOIN") that customers text to a phone number or short code to opt in, trigger an automation, or access a promotion.
Read definitionA2P Messaging
A2P (Application-to-Person) Messaging refers to text messages sent from a business software platform to individual consumers — as opposed to person-to-person texts between individuals.
Read definitionShort Code vs. Toll-Free vs. 10DLC
A comparison of the three main phone number types for business SMS — short codes (5–6 digits), toll-free numbers (1-800 style), and 10DLC (standard 10-digit numbers) — each with different throughput, costs, and requirements.
Read definitionSMS Deliverability
SMS Deliverability is the rate at which sent text messages successfully reach recipients' devices, affected by carrier filtering, number reputation, content quality, and compliance standing.
Read definitionSMS Quiet Hours
SMS Quiet Hours are time windows — typically 9 PM to 8 AM in the recipient's local time zone — during which businesses should not send marketing text messages, per TCPA and carrier guidelines.
Read definitionSMS Opt-In / Opt-Out
SMS Opt-In is how consumers give permission to receive business texts. Opt-Out is how they revoke it — typically by replying STOP. Both are required under TCPA regulations.
Read definitionDouble Opt-In (SMS)
Double Opt-In is a two-step consent process where a subscriber provides their phone number, then confirms by replying to a verification text — providing stronger proof of consent.
Read definitionCustomer Lifetime Value in SMS Commerce
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) in SMS Commerce is the total revenue a business can expect from a customer over their entire relationship, measured through the text-based sales channel.
Read definitionSubscription Fatigue
Subscription Fatigue is the growing consumer resistance to traditional subscription models — driven by over-commitment, unused products, and inflexible billing cycles — leading to higher churn rates.
Read definitionZero-Party Data
Zero-Party Data is information that customers intentionally share with a brand — such as preferences, purchase intent, and feedback — as opposed to data inferred from behavior.
Read definitionQR Code to SMS Opt-In
QR Code to SMS Opt-In is a list growth tactic where scanning a QR code pre-populates a text message, allowing customers to opt in to SMS marketing by simply hitting send.
Read definitionSMS Attribution
SMS Attribution is the process of tracking and assigning revenue or conversions to specific text messages, campaigns, or flows to measure SMS marketing effectiveness.
Read definitionRepeat Purchase Rate
Repeat Purchase Rate is the percentage of customers who make more than one purchase within a given period — a key retention metric for DTC brands selling consumable products.
Read definitionCarrier Filtering
Carrier Filtering is the automated process by which mobile carriers screen and block A2P text messages they identify as spam, non-compliant, or from unregistered senders.
Read definitionSMS Campaign ROI
SMS Campaign ROI measures the return on investment from text message campaigns, calculated by comparing revenue generated against costs — including platform fees, message costs, and list acquisition.
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