SMS - timepay.ai

Overview

timepay.ai supports SMS messaging as part of your campaign workflows. Send payment reminders, OTPs, confirmations, and follow-up messages to your customers.

DLT Compliant

Full PE-TM chain linking support for Indian regulations

High Deliverability

Direct carrier routes for maximum delivery rates

Real-Time Tracking

Delivery reports and analytics in your dashboard

India: DLT Compliance (PE-TM Linking)

If you’re sending SMS to Indian numbers, you must comply with TRAI’s Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) regulations.

What is PE-TM Chain Linking?

Term	Full Form	Description
PE	Principal Entity	Your business (the brand sending messages)
TM	Telemarketer	The SMS service provider (aggregator)
Chain Linking	PE-TM Association	Linking your PE account with a TM to authorize message delivery

Why is this required? TRAI mandates DLT registration to reduce spam and ensure only authorized businesses send commercial SMS in India.

Prerequisites

Before enabling SMS, ensure you have:

DLT Registration

If you haven’t registered yet:

Choose a DLT Operator

Submit:

Business PAN card
GST certificate
Certificate of Incorporation
Authorized signatory details
Letter of Authorization

Create Sender IDs (Headers)

Promotional: 6 numeric digits (e.g., 567890)
Transactional: 6 alphabetic characters (e.g., TMPPAY)
Service Implicit: 6 alphanumeric (e.g., TPYSVC)

Submit and get approval for your SMS templates. Include:

Template content with variables
Template category (Transactional, Promotional, Service)
Associated Sender ID

Complete PE-TM Linking

Link your PE account with timepay.ai’s Telemarketer (TM) account. We’ll provide our TM ID for linking.

PE-TM Linking Process

Get timepay.ai TM ID

Contact support@timepay.ai to get our Telemarketer ID for your DLT operator.

    timepay.ai TM IDs:
    - Jio TruConnect: [Contact for ID]
    - Vodafone Vilpower: [Contact for ID]
    - Airtel DLT: [Contact for ID]

Initiate Linking

Add Telemarketer

Enter timepay.ai’s TM ID and submit the linking request.

Share Headers & Templates

Link your registered Sender IDs and Templates to the TM account.

Confirm in timepay.ai

Once linked, provide us with:

Your PE ID / Entity ID
Linked Sender IDs
Approved Template IDs

Important: Messages will fail if PE-TM linking is not complete or templates are not approved. Ensure all templates are in “Approved” status on the DLT portal.

Connecting SMS to timepay.ai

Option 1: Use timepay.ai SMS (Recommended)

We provide DLT-compliant SMS delivery through our integrated telemarketer setup.

Complete DLT Setup

Follow the PE-TM linking process above.

Add Details in Dashboard

Go to Settings → Integrations → SMS and enter:

PE ID / Entity ID
DLT Operator
Sender IDs (comma-separated if multiple)

Import Templates

Click Import Templates to fetch your approved templates from the DLT portal (or manually add Template IDs).

Test SMS

Send a test message to verify the setup.

Option 2: Connect Your SMS Provider

Already have an SMS provider? Connect it to timepay.ai. Supported Providers:

Provider	Integration Type
MSG91	API Integration
Gupshup	API Integration
Twilio	API Integration
Kaleyra	API Integration
Textlocal	API Integration
Custom	Webhook / API

Select Provider

Go to Settings → Integrations → SMS → Add Provider

Enter Credentials

Provide:

API Key / Auth Token
Sender ID
DLT Entity ID (for India)
DLT Template IDs

Configure Webhook

Set up delivery report webhook:

    https://api.agents.timepay.ai/webhooks/sms/delivery

Test & Activate

Send a test message and activate the integration.

Option 3: Custom / In-House Provider

Have an in-house SMS gateway or using a provider not listed above? Contact Support at support@timepay.ai with:

Provider name / Gateway details
API documentation
Authentication method
Sample request/response format
DLT integration details

Our team will configure a custom connector for your setup.

Timeline: Custom integrations typically take 3-5 business days.

SMS Templates

DLT Template Format

DLT templates use {#var#} for variables:

Dear {#var#}, your EMI of Rs.{#var#} for Loan {#var#} is due on {#var#}. 
Pay now to avoid late fees. - TMPPAY

Template in timepay.ai

When using templates in workflows, map variables:

DLT Variable	Maps To
`{#var#}` (1st)	`customer_name`
`{#var#}` (2nd)	`emi_amount`
`{#var#}` (3rd)	`loan_id`
`{#var#}` (4th)	`due_date`

Template Categories (DLT)

Category	Use Case	Consent Required	Timing
Transactional	OTPs, alerts, confirmations	Implicit	24/7
Service Implicit	Account updates, reminders	Implicit	24/7
Service Explicit	Service info (opted-in users)	Explicit	9 AM - 9 PM
Promotional	Offers, marketing	Explicit	9 AM - 9 PM

Promotional SMS can only be sent between 9 AM and 9 PM. timepay.ai will automatically queue messages outside these hours.

Delivery Reports & Analytics

SMS Delivery Statuses

Status	Description
Submitted	Sent to SMS gateway
Delivered	Successfully delivered to handset
Failed	Delivery failed — see error code
Pending	Awaiting delivery confirmation
Rejected	Rejected by DLT / carrier

Common Error Codes

Code	Meaning	Resolution
`DLT_TEMPLATE_NOT_FOUND`	Template not registered/approved	Register template on DLT portal
`DLT_ENTITY_NOT_FOUND`	PE ID invalid	Verify Entity ID
`DLT_TM_NOT_LINKED`	PE-TM linking incomplete	Complete linking process
`INVALID_SENDER`	Sender ID not approved	Register Sender ID on DLT
`BLACKLISTED`	Number in DND registry	Remove from campaign
`INVALID_NUMBER`	Phone number format incorrect	Verify number format

Analytics

Track SMS performance in the campaign dashboard:

Metric	Description
Total Sent	SMS messages sent
Delivered	Successfully delivered
Failed	Delivery failures
Delivery Rate	% successful delivery
Avg Delivery Time	Time to deliver

Best Practices

Keep Messages Concise

SMS has 160 character limit per segment
Multi-part SMS cost more and may have delivery issues
Get to the point quickly

Use Clear Sender IDs

Use recognizable brand names (e.g., HDFC, AMAZON)
Avoid generic headers that look like spam
Match sender ID to your brand

Include Call-to-Action

Clear next steps (Pay now, Call us, Visit link)
Short URLs if possible
Make action easy to complete

Respect Timing

Don’t send late night or early morning
Promotional: Only 9 AM - 9 PM
Consider customer timezone

Monitor Delivery Rates

Track delivery rates regularly
Investigate failures promptly
Clean invalid numbers from lists

Troubleshooting

SMS not being sent

Possible causes:

PE-TM linking not complete
Template not approved on DLT
Sender ID not registered
API credentials invalid

Fix: Verify DLT setup. Check error in campaign logs.

Template mismatch error

Possible causes:

Content doesn’t match DLT-registered template exactly
Variable count mismatch
Extra spaces or characters

Fix: Ensure template content matches DLT registration character-by-character.

Low delivery rates

Possible causes:

Invalid/inactive phone numbers
Numbers on DND registry
Carrier issues
Template flagged as spam

Fix: Clean your contact list. Check template quality.

Messages going to spam

Possible causes:

Using promotional content in transactional template
Generic sender ID
Aggressive language

Fix: Review template content. Use appropriate category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need DLT registration for all SMS?

Yes, for sending SMS to Indian numbers, DLT registration is mandatory as per TRAI regulations. This applies to all commercial and transactional messages.

How long does DLT registration take?

Typically 3-7 business days, depending on the DLT operator and document verification.

Can I use multiple sender IDs?

Yes, you can register multiple sender IDs and use different ones for different campaigns or message types.

What happens if PE-TM linking expires?

You’ll need to renew the linking on your DLT portal. Messages will fail until linking is restored.

Do you support international SMS?

Yes, contact support for international SMS setup. DLT requirements vary by country.

Next Steps

Create a Campaign

Build a campaign with SMS follow-ups

WhatsApp Integration

Add WhatsApp to your channels

Workflow Builder

Design multi-channel workflows

Contact Support

Get help with DLT setup or custom providers

​Overview

DLT Compliant

High Deliverability

Real-Time Tracking

​India: DLT Compliance (PE-TM Linking)

​What is PE-TM Chain Linking?

​Prerequisites

​DLT Registration

​PE-TM Linking Process

​Connecting SMS to timepay.ai

​Option 1: Use timepay.ai SMS (Recommended)

​Option 2: Connect Your SMS Provider

​Option 3: Custom / In-House Provider

​SMS Templates

​DLT Template Format

​Template in timepay.ai

​Template Categories (DLT)

​Delivery Reports & Analytics

​SMS Delivery Statuses

​Common Error Codes

​Analytics

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Frequently Asked Questions

​Next Steps

Create a Campaign

WhatsApp Integration

Workflow Builder

Contact Support

Overview

India: DLT Compliance (PE-TM Linking)

What is PE-TM Chain Linking?

Prerequisites

DLT Registration

PE-TM Linking Process

Connecting SMS to timepay.ai

Option 1: Use timepay.ai SMS (Recommended)

Option 2: Connect Your SMS Provider

Option 3: Custom / In-House Provider

SMS Templates

DLT Template Format

Template in timepay.ai

Template Categories (DLT)

Delivery Reports & Analytics

SMS Delivery Statuses

Common Error Codes

Analytics

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps