SMS Communications Policy
Last updated: August 2026 · v1.0 · For salon owners using Bookify’s SMS reminder features
In short
Bookify sends SMS appointment reminders on your behalf through Epic Communications Ltd (Epic Malta), via a Bookify-operated messaging relay hosted on DigitalOcean in Germany. Reminders are strictly transactional — they are not marketing messages unless you intentionally configure them as such. You are responsible for ensuring you have a lawful basis to message each client and for not using the reminder tool for unsolicited marketing.
1. Types of SMS Bookify can send
Bookify supports the following message types, each with different legal requirements:
Transactional appointment reminders
Sent 24 hours before a booked appointment. These are strictly operational — they confirm an existing booking and help the client remember to attend. The lawful basis is normally the performance of the booking contract (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)) or the salon’s legitimate interest in reducing no-shows (Art. 6(1)(f)). Under Maltese ePrivacy rules (S.L. 586.01), transactional service messages generally do not require prior opt-in consent because they are necessary to fulfil the booked service.
Booking confirmations and reschedule notices
Sent when a booking is confirmed or rescheduled. These are also transactional — they communicate the status of an existing appointment relationship.
Marketing or promotional messages
Bookify does not have a built-in marketing SMS feature. If you use the custom SMS text field to include promotional content (offers, discounts, invitations to rebook, seasonal greetings with commercial intent), that message may be classified as direct marketing. Marketing SMS requires prior opt-in consent under Maltese and EU ePrivacy law. You must not use appointment reminders to send unsolicited marketing.
2. Your responsibilities as a salon owner
- Accurate phone numbers: Ensure the client’s phone number is correct before enabling reminders. Sending reminders to the wrong number may disclose appointment details to a stranger.
- Lawful basis:You must have a valid lawful basis under GDPR to process the client’s phone number and send them reminders. This is normally your contract with the client or your legitimate interest.
- No marketing without consent: Do not configure the custom reminder text to include promotions, offers, or marketing content unless the client has given prior opt-in consent.
- Opt-out: If a client asks you to stop sending them SMS reminders, you must disable reminders for that client immediately. You can do this from your Bookify dashboard.
- Sensitive content: Avoid including treatment names or service details in SMS messages unless you are confident the client is comfortable with that information appearing in a text message on their phone.
- Quiet hours: While Bookify sends reminders 24 hours before the appointment, if you manually trigger reminders or configure custom timing, be mindful of sending messages late at night.
3. Epic Communications Ltd (Epic Malta)
Bookify delivers SMS messages through Epic Communications Ltd, a Maltese telecommunications provider regulated by the Malta Communications Authority. Messages pass through Bookify’s own messaging relay (hosted on DigitalOcean in Frankfurt, Germany) before reaching Epic for final delivery to the recipient’s mobile. When a reminder is sent:
| Element | What happens |
|---|---|
| Message content | Transmitted to Epic solely for delivery to the recipient’s mobile. Epic does not use it for its own purposes and does not retain it beyond what is necessary for delivery and billing verification. |
| Destination telephone number | Used by Epic solely to route the message to the right mobile number. It is not used for any other purpose and is not retained beyond what is necessary for delivery and billing verification. |
| Delivery timestamp | Recorded by Epic as delivery metadata so Bookify and the salon can confirm the reminder was sent. As metadata, Epic may retain it for its own billing and regulatory purposes under Maltese telecommunications law. |
| Delivery status | Reported back to Bookify and kept in the salon’s audit log while the account is active. Epic may also keep a delivery-status record for its own billing verification. |
| Provider billing records | Epic keeps the records it needs to bill Bookify for message delivery — typically the destination number, volume and timestamps — for the period required by Maltese telecommunications and tax law. |
| Provider retention period | Limited to what is necessary for delivery and billing verification, subject to Epic’s legal obligations as a Maltese network operator regulated by the Malta Communications Authority. Epic’s own retention practices are set out in its privacy policy (below). |
| Epic’s role | Processor only. Epic acts on Bookify’s and the salon’s instructions, is based in Malta, and processes data within the EU. It does not use reminder data for its own purposes and does not sell it. |
Epic’s privacy policy: epic.com.mt/privacy-policy
4. Message content and character limits
On paid plans, you can customise the reminder text (up to 150 characters). The default message includes the salon name, appointment date and time. We recommend keeping custom content strictly operational — e.g. “Please arrive 5 minutes early” or “Call us if you need to reschedule”.
Do not include treatment names, pricing, or personal health information in SMS messages unless you have the client’s explicit consent. SMS is not encrypted end-to-end once it leaves Bookify’s systems and enters the mobile network.
5. International numbers
Bookify’s SMS feature is designed for Maltese mobile numbers. Reminders to international numbers may not be delivered reliably, may incur additional charges, and may be subject to different legal requirements in the recipient’s country. If your clients include tourists or visitors, test delivery before relying on reminders for international numbers.
6. Delivery failures
Bookify cannot guarantee SMS delivery. Messages may fail because the number is switched off, out of coverage, or incorrect. We log delivery status where Epic provides it, but we do not automatically retry failed reminders. If a reminder fails, the booking remains in place — a failed reminder does not cancel the appointment.
7. SMS data retention
SMS delivery records (recipient number, message content, timestamp, delivery status) are retained in your Bookify audit log while your account is active. After account deletion, these records are removed from the active database. Epic does not retain message content: it keeps only the limited delivery and billing metadata (destination number, volume, timestamps, delivery status) it needs for its own billing and regulatory purposes under Maltese telecommunications law, as described in Section 3 above.
8. Complaints about SMS
If you receive an unwanted SMS that appears to have been sent through Bookify, please contact the salon directly first. If the salon does not resolve your concern, email legal@bookify.mt and we will investigate. You may also complain to the Information and Data Protection Commissioner of Malta (idpc.org.mt).