--- title: "Subscription Reminder Text Templates | Chargezen" description: "27 subscription texts: upcoming order reminders, card and failed payment notices, and skip, swap, pause and cancel confirmations, with counts and timing." url: "https://chargezen.com/blog/subscription-reminder-text-examples" lang: "en" updated: "2026-10-17" --- Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/blog/subscription-reminder-text-examples # Subscription Reminder Text Examples: Upcoming Orders, Failed Payments and Changes Subscriptions · 5 min read ![Jerry Abrahamson](https://chargezen.com/assets/blogpost1.6581a30d.png) Jerry Abrahamson Founder & CEO • Oct 17, 2026 ![Subscription Reminder Text Examples: Upcoming Orders, Failed Payments and Changes](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) Subscribers rarely cancel because of one bad box. They cancel when a charge surprises them, when a card fails and nobody tells them, or when changing an order feels harder than leaving. Most of those moments can be handled with a short, well-timed text. This post has 27 subscription texts you can use as they are: reminders before an order, notices about cards and failed payments, and confirmations after a skip, swap, pause or cancellation. Each one has a character count and a note on when to send it. How to use these templates: words in curly brackets, like {name} and {link}, are placeholders your texting tool fills in. Each count shows the length once they are filled in, and how many [message segments](https://chargezen.com/glossary/sms-segment) that takes. Every template is plain text with no emoji, so one segment holds 160 characters. ## Ground rules for subscription texts * **Remind before you charge**: A reminder a few days before each order gives subscribers time to skip or swap. It costs you a few skips and saves you cancellations and chargebacks. * **Always offer the easy change**: Every reminder should say how to skip, swap or reschedule: reply to the text, or tap a one-click link that makes the change without a login. * **Plain words about money**: Say the amount and the date. "Your card ending 4242 will be charged $39 on Oct 24" beats "Upcoming renewal." * **Include opt-out wording**: These are automated texts, so they end with "Reply STOP to opt out." Make clear that stopping texts doesn't cancel the subscription. * **Check renewal notice rules**: Some states require notice before certain automatic renewals and price changes. California's Automatic Renewal Law, amended effective July 1, 2025, is the best known. This isn't legal advice; check what applies to your plans with a lawyer. ## Upcoming order reminders Send these three to five days before the charge, so a skip or swap lands before the order is processed. | When to send | Template | Characters | | --- | --- | --- | | 3 to 5 days before each order | {store}: Your next {product} order ships {date} for {amount}. Reply SKIP to skip it or SWAP to change it. Reply STOP to opt out. | 129 (1 segment) | | Before each order, with one-click links | {store}: Your next order ships {date}. Skip it: {link} Swap it: {link} Reply STOP to opt out. | 126 (1 segment) | | Before each order, with a portal link | {store}: Hi {name}, your next order ships {date}. Skip, swap or add items here: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 125 (1 segment) | | Before the first full-price order | {store}: Heads up, {name}: your intro discount has ended. Your next order is {amount} and ships {date}. Change it: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 155 (1 segment) | | Before a price change | {store}: Your {product} price changes to {amount} from your {date} order. Questions or changes? Reply here. Reply STOP to opt out. | 131 (1 segment) | | Before a prepaid plan renews | {store}: Your prepaid {product} plan renews {date}. To change or stop it, reply here or visit {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 145 (1 segment) | | Before a yearly renewal | {store}: Your yearly {product} plan renews on {date}. Manage it at {link} before then. Reply STOP to opt out. | 130 (1 segment) | | When stock is low and they may need it sooner | {store}: Running low on {product}? Reply NOW to ship your next order today instead of {date}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 122 (1 segment) | Keyword replies like SKIP, SWAP and NOW only work if your texting tool or agent acts on them. Otherwise use "Reply here" and answer the reply. A one-click link is the fastest change of all: the subscriber taps "Skip it" and the order is skipped, with no password and no portal to search. Each link in the one-click template above points to a different action. Keep a portal link for bigger changes. ## Card and payment notices Most failed payments aren't customers trying to leave. Cards expire, banks question a renewal and balances run low on the wrong day. A friendly text with a card update link brings many of them back. This is [failed payment recovery](https://chargezen.com/glossary/dunning-management), sometimes called dunning. | When to send | Template | Characters | | --- | --- | --- | | 7 days before a renewal, card expiring | {store}: The card on your subscription expires before your {date} order. Update it in a minute: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 144 (1 segment) | | Right after the first decline | {store}: Hi {name}, we couldn't process {amount} for your {product} order. Update your card here: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 141 (1 segment) | | After a retry fails | {store}: We tried your card again and it didn't go through. Update it at {link} so your next order ships. Reply STOP to opt out. | 146 (1 segment) | | Bank asks the customer to confirm | {store}: Your bank wants you to approve your {amount} subscription payment. Confirm it here: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 136 (1 segment) | | Final notice before you pause or cancel | {store}: Last try: update your card by {date} or your {product} subscription will pause. {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 140 (1 segment) | | Payment recovered | {store}: Thanks, {name}! Your payment went through and your order ships soon. Reply STOP to opt out. | 100 (1 segment) | Match the final notice to what your store really does when retries run out: pause, skip, cancel or keep the subscription open. Never put card numbers or full payment details in a text. Link to a secure page instead, and only use links on your own domain, so customers can tell a real reminder from a scam. ## Skip, swap and reschedule confirmations Confirm every change right away, with the new date. A confirmation is what makes a subscriber trust that a text really changed their order. | When to send | Template | Characters | | --- | --- | --- | | After a skip | {store}: Done! Your {date} order is skipped. Your next order ships a cycle later. Reply here to undo. Reply STOP to opt out. | 127 (1 segment) | | After a swap | {store}: Swapped! Your next order will be {product} instead. It ships {date}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 106 (1 segment) | | After moving the date | {store}: Got it. Your next order now ships {date}. Reply here if you need another change. Reply STOP to opt out. | 115 (1 segment) | | After shipping now | {store}: Your next order is shipping today. We'll text tracking soon. Your schedule picks up from here. Reply STOP to opt out. | 129 (1 segment) | | After adding a one-time item | {store}: Added! {product} will ride along with your {date} order, one time only. Reply STOP to opt out. | 109 (1 segment) | | After a frequency change | {store}: You're now on deliveries every 6 weeks. Next order: {date}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 94 (1 segment) | Character counts use a 10-letter store name, a 3-letter first name and a 21-character link on your own domain. Your real names and links change the count. ## Pause, cancel and reactivate | When to send | Template | Characters | | --- | --- | --- | | After a pause | {store}: Your subscription is paused until {date}. We'll remind you before it starts again. Reply here to resume sooner. Reply STOP to opt out. | 146 (1 segment) | | A week before a pause ends | {store}: Your {product} subscription restarts {date}. Want to pause longer or change it? {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 140 (1 segment) | | After a cancellation | {store}: Your subscription is canceled, {name}. No more charges. Changed your mind? Restart in one tap: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 149 (1 segment) | | After reactivation | {store}: Welcome back! Your {product} subscription is active again and ships {date}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 113 (1 segment) | | When a gift subscription is about to end | {store}: Your gift of {product} has one delivery left. Keep it going at {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 123 (1 segment) | | When a customer replies STOP to a reminder | {store}: You won't get more texts from us. Your subscription is still active; manage it at {link}. | 116 (1 segment) | | After someone asks to cancel by text | {store}: Before you go, would a skip or a pause help? Reply SKIP or PAUSE, or reply GO AHEAD and we'll cancel it. | 116 (1 segment) | The STOP confirmation is the one text that goes out after an opt-out. Send it once and nothing more. ## When to send each one | Text | Timing | | --- | --- | | Upcoming order reminder | 3 to 5 days before the charge | | First full-price order or price change | At least a week ahead, and again 3 days before | | Prepaid or yearly renewal | 2 to 4 weeks ahead, and again a few days before | | Card expiring | Up to 7 days before the renewal | | Failed payment | Right after the decline, then after each retry | | Final notice | A few days before your last retry | | Confirmations | Immediately after the change | | Pause ending | About a week before it ends | Starting points, not rules. Check state notice requirements for renewals and price changes, and send during daytime hours in the customer's time zone. ## Handle the replies Subscription texts invite replies, and that's the point: a subscriber who replies "skip" is a subscriber who didn't cancel. But replies only help if something handles them. * **"Skip" or "swap"**: Make the change and send the confirmation template. Don't send them to a portal they have to log in to. * **Opt-out words**: STOP, CANCEL, END, QUIT, UNSUBSCRIBE and STOPALL are standard opt-out words. A subscriber who texts just "cancel" is opted out of texts, and may also mean the subscription. Never ask customers to reply CANCEL to a reminder, and when someone sends it, confirm the opt-out and offer the subscription change by email or link. * **"Cancel my subscription"**: Offer a skip or pause once, as in the template above. If they still want to cancel, cancel it, and confirm in writing. Making cancellation hard creates chargebacks and legal risk. * **"Why was I charged?"**: Reply with the date, amount and what shipped, and offer the change they probably want. * **Card details sent by text**: Don't use them. Reply with the secure update link and ask them not to send card numbers by text. ## Send these with Chargezen * **Failed payment recovery**: Retries on a schedule you set, email and text reminders at each stage, card update links and warnings up to 7 days before a renewal when a card is expiring. When a bank asks a subscriber to confirm, Chargezen emails and texts them the step. See [failed payment recovery](https://chargezen.com/subscriptions/failed-payment-recovery). * **Changes by text**: Subscribers can skip, reschedule or swap in one message. Concierge makes the change and confirms it in the thread. See [text messages](https://chargezen.com/concierge/channels/sms). * **One-click links in texts and emails**: SmartyTap texts and emails can carry one-click skip, swap and reactivate links that work without a login, and Chargezen fills in the link code for you. The same [quick actions](https://chargezen.com/subscriptions/quick-actions) work in Klaviyo emails too. * **Reminders that sound like you**: Every reminder is an automation you can edit, switch off or test against another version. * **Texts that respect permission**: [SmartyTap](https://chargezen.com/smartytap/sms-marketing) checks opt-ins, opt-outs and quiet hours before each text. Chargezen [Subscriptions](https://chargezen.com/subscriptions) is $199 a month or $1,990 a year for Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus stores, with no commission. See [pricing](https://chargezen.com/pricing). Glossary: [dunning management](https://chargezen.com/glossary/dunning-management), [skip delivery](https://chargezen.com/glossary/skip-delivery), [product swap](https://chargezen.com/glossary/product-swap) and [pause subscription](https://chargezen.com/glossary/pause-subscription). Read next: [Black Friday for subscription brands](https://chargezen.com/blog/black-friday-subscription-strategy), [welcome text examples](https://chargezen.com/blog/welcome-text-message-examples) and [shipping update texts](https://chargezen.com/blog/shipping-update-text-examples). ## Frequently asked questions ## How many days before a subscription order should I send a reminder? Three to five days works for most monthly plans: enough time to skip or swap, close enough that the customer remembers. Give more notice for prepaid and yearly renewals and for price changes. ## Will reminders make more people skip? Some will. A skip keeps the subscriber; a surprise charge often loses them. Track cancellations and chargebacks alongside skips to see the full picture. ## Should failed payment notices go by text or email? Both. Texts get seen faster; emails are better for details. Send the card update link in each. ## Does replying STOP cancel the subscription? No. STOP ends texts, not the subscription. Say so in the confirmation so customers aren't confused, and keep sending required order and billing notices by email. ![Jerry Abrahamson](https://chargezen.com/assets/blogpost2.32f70dbd.png) Written by ### Jerry Abrahamson Jerry is the Founder and CEO of Chargezen, helping brands build sustainable omni-channel businesses. With over 10 years of experience in omni-channel commerce and SaaS, he's passionate about helping brands create recurring revenue streams. [](https://twitter.com/chargezenjerry)[](https://linkedin.com/in/jerry-a) ## Related Articles [ ![How to Reduce Subscription Churn: Why Customers Cancel and What Keeps Them](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) Subscriptions · 9 min read ### How to Reduce Subscription Churn: Why Customers Cancel and What Keeps Them Why subscribers cancel, how to measure cancellations by choice and by failed payment, and the saves, reminders and early-order habits that keep customers. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-reduce-subscription-churn)[ ![Subscription Cancellation Flows: 7 Examples and How to Build One](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) Subscriptions · 8 min read ### Subscription Cancellation Flows: 7 Examples and How to Build One Seven subscription cancellation flow examples, from skip and swap offers to pauses and fallbacks, plus how to build one that stays easy to cancel and legal. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/subscription-cancellation-flow-examples)[ ![Why Subscription Payments Fail and How to Recover Them](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) Subscriptions · 8 min read ### Why Subscription Payments Fail and How to Recover Them Why subscription renewals get declined, soft vs hard declines, retry schedules, card-update messages and how to measure the payments you recover. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/why-subscription-payments-fail) ## Ready to Grow Your Subscription Revenue? 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