Customer Communications

What are Communications?

Communications in Journey are event-driven messages automatically sent to customers at key moments in their journey. Journey’s system supports multi-channel delivery (email, SMS), dynamic template rendering, and intelligent dunning sequences, all managed through a simple event-based API.

Key Innovation: Journey’s communication system automatically enriches messages with contextual data (customer, order, subscription) and supports separate messaging for gift recipients, making complex notification flows simple to implement.

The Event-Driven Model

Journey’s communications work through a trigger-based system:

Events = Triggers

Moments in the customer journey (payment succeeds, delivery scheduled, payment fails)

Messages = Templates

Define what gets sent using Django template syntax with access to customer and order data

Providers = Delivery

Email (Postmark) and SMS (Twilio/Nova) handle actual message delivery

Logs = Audit Trail

Complete history of every communication with provider responses

Communication Flow

Built-in Events

Journey includes pre-configured events for common scenarios:

Event	Trigger Point	Channel	Purpose
`subscription_payment_authorized`	Payment succeeds	Email	Welcome new subscribers
`oneoff_payment_authorized`	One-time purchase	Email	Order confirmation
`delivery_complete`	Driver marks delivered	Email/SMS	Delivery confirmation
`driver_starts_route`	Driver begins route	SMS	Pre-delivery notification
`inform_future_event`	Scheduled (cron)	Email/SMS	Delivery reminders
`past_due_first_time`	First payment failure	Email	Friendly dunning notice
`still_on_error_every_fourth`	Every 4 retry attempts	Email	Urgent payment reminder
`subscription_expired`	Max retries reached	Email	Cancellation notice
`invoice_sent_automatically`	Payment settles	Email	PDF invoice delivery

Events can be triggered programmatically via the event_handler() function or run automatically on a schedule via cron jobs.

Message Templates

Template Structure

Messages define the content sent when an event triggers:

{
  id: string;
  event_id: string;
  provider: 'email' | 'sms';
  subject?: string;           // Email only
  content: string;            // HTML (email) or plain text (SMS)
  content_text: string;       // Plain text version (email)
  receiver: 'customer' | 'customer_receiver';
}

Template Variables

Templates have access to contextual data using Django template syntax:

Customer Data

{{ customer_object.full_name }}
{{ customer_object.email }}
{{ customer_object.phone_number }}
{{ customer_object.address }}
{{ customer_object.postal_code }}
{{ customer_object.city }}

Order & Delivery

{{ order_object.id }}
{{ product_variation_object.name }}
{{ delivery_object.delivery_date|date:"F j, Y" }}
{{ delivery_option_object.name }}

Subscription

{{ subscription_object.id }}
{{ subscription_object.subscription_status }}

Merchant Branding

{{ merchant_object.name }}
{{ merchant_object.from_email }}
{{ merchant_object.reply_to_email }}

Special Variables

{{ login_code }}              // 6-digit auth code
{{ magic_url }}               // One-click login link
{{ delivery_window_start }}   // Estimated time window
{{ delivery_window_end }}
{{ greeting_card_text }}      // Gift message

Example: Order Confirmation Email

Subject: Your {{ product_variation_object.name }} is on the way!

Hi {{ customer_object.full_name }},

Great news! Your order #{{ order_object.id }} is confirmed and will be
delivered on {{ delivery_object.delivery_date|date:"l, F j" }}.

Delivery address:
{{ customer_receiver_object.address }}
{{ customer_receiver_object.postal_code }} {{ customer_receiver_object.city }}

Track your order: https://{{ merchant_object.name }}.getjourney.io/orders/{{ order_object.id }}

Questions? Reply to this email or contact {{ merchant_object.reply_to_email }}.

Best,
The {{ merchant_object.name }} Team

Example: Delivery Reminder SMS

Hi {{ customer_object.full_name }}! Your {{ merchant_object.name }} delivery
arrives {{ delivery_object.delivery_date|date:"M j" }}.
Track: {{ merchant_object.name }}.getjourney.io/me

SMS Best Practices: Keep messages under 160 characters, include merchant name, add tracking link if relevant, and use concise language.

Dunning (Payment Failures)

Journey includes intelligent dunning that automatically manages payment failure communications.

Dunning Flow

Dunning Events

Past due first time

Trigger: First payment failure (Day 1)Tone: Friendly and informativeMessage:

Subject: Quick heads up about your subscription

We tried to process your payment but it didn't go through.
No worries - this happens sometimes!

We'll automatically retry tomorrow. If your card needs updating,
you can do that here: [link]

Still on error every fourth

Trigger: Every 4th retry attempt (Days 4, 8, 12, 16)Tone: More urgent with each iterationMessage (Day 8):

Subject: Action needed: Payment still pending

We've tried several times to process your subscription payment.

Please update your payment method to avoid service interruption:
[link]

Questions? Reply to this email.

Error first time

Trigger: Max retries reached (Day 20)Tone: Final warning, clear consequencesMessage:

Subject: Final notice: Subscription will be cancelled

After 20 attempts, we haven't been able to process your payment.

Your subscription will be cancelled in 24 hours unless you
update your payment details: [link]

We'd love to keep you as a customer!

Subscription expired

Trigger: Subscription cancelled (Day 21)Tone: Professional, offer to reactivateMessage:

Subject: Subscription cancelled

Your subscription has been cancelled due to payment failure.

To reactivate, simply update your payment method and
restart your subscription: [link]

We hope to see you again soon!

Dunning Configuration

Configure per merchant:

{
  "dunning_settling_attempts": 20,        // Max retries
  "failed_payment_cancelled_days": 20     // Days until cancel
}

Customers can update payment methods during the dunning period. The next retry automatically uses the new card, recovering the subscription. See the Delivery & Fulfillment page for more details on how dunning is managed end-to-end.

Gift Orders

When customers send gifts, Journey can notify both the buyer and recipient separately.

How It Works

Receiver Types

Specify who receives each message:

Receiver: customer - The person who placed the order
Reveiver: customer_receiver - The delivery recipient

Example: Gift Notifications

To Buyer
To Recipient

Subject: Your gift order is confirmed

Hi {{ customer_object.full_name }},

Your gift order for {{ customer_receiver_object.full_name }}
is confirmed!

Delivery date: {{ delivery_object.delivery_date|date:"F j, Y" }}
Delivery to: {{ customer_receiver_object.address }}

We'll notify them on the delivery day.

Subject: You received a gift!

Hi {{ customer_receiver_object.full_name }},

Someone special sent you a gift!

{{ product_variation_object.name }} will be delivered on
{{ delivery_object.delivery_date|date:"F j, Y" }}.

{% if greeting_card_text %}
Message from sender:
"{{ greeting_card_text }}"
{% endif %}

Enjoy!

When customer_receiver_object equals customer_object (self-gift), Journey automatically sends only one message to avoid duplicate notifications.

Invoice Delivery

Customers can choose to receive automatic PDF invoices via email after each payment settles.

How It Works

Enabling Automatic Invoices:

Customers go to their My Pages settings
Check the option to “Send me invoices automatically”
After each payment processes, they receive an email with the invoice PDF attached

Accessing Invoice History:

All previous invoices are available in the Order History section of My Pages
Customers can view, download, and print invoices anytime without needing to search their email

This gives customers flexibility: they can choose email delivery for immediate access, or access all invoices later through their account history on My Pages.

Message Logs

Every email and SMS sent to customers is logged so you can track delivery and troubleshoot issues.

What Gets Logged

For each message sent, the system records:

Recipient - Customer email or phone number
Content - What was sent
Status - Whether it was successfully delivered or failed
Timestamp - When it was sent
Reason for message - Which event triggered it (e.g., payment received, delivery arriving tomorrow)

Viewing Delivery Status

You can check whether a message was successfully delivered or if there was an issue:

Sent - Message delivered to the provider (email/SMS carrier)
Failed - Message couldn’t be delivered (e.g., invalid email address, carrier rejected SMS)

If a message fails, you can investigate why and take action—like requesting an updated email address from the customer or checking if their phone number is correct.

Message logs help you ensure customers are receiving important notifications about their orders, payments, and deliveries. Use them to troubleshoot communication issues and improve delivery rates.

White-Label Support

Journey’s communication system supports complete white-labeling for each merchant.

Your Brand, Your Communications

Each merchant can customize their communications completely:

Send from your email address - Customers see your brand, not Journey’s
Use your support email - Replies go directly to your support team
Choose your email provider - Use your preferred email service provider (e.g., Postmark, SendGrid)
Choose your SMS provider - Use your preferred SMS provider (e.g., Twilio, Plivo)
Private message logs - All communications are kept separate and private to your account

Example

Store A sends emails from hello@storea.com and uses their own email service. Store B sends emails from hi@storeb.com and uses a different email service. Both operate independently in Journey—each managing their own communications, templates, and customer data without any overlap.

White-label communications mean your customers see only your brand in every message they receive. They never know Journey is powering the platform behind the scenes.

Common Use Cases

Passwordless Authentication

When a customer logs into My Pages, they receive an SMS or email with a one-time code. They enter the code to verify their identity—no password needed. Example Message:

Your Fresh Market login code: 847293
This code expires in 10 minutes. Don't share it with anyone.

Subscription Welcome Email

After a customer’s first payment processes successfully, they receive a welcome email with their subscription details, next delivery date, and how to manage their account on My Pages. Example Message:

Subject: Welcome to Your Fresh Market Subscription!

Hi Sarah,

Your subscription is active! Here's what to expect:

📦 First Delivery: Thursday, December 12 at 6-8 PM
Items: Organic Milk, Farmer's Eggs, Fresh Bread

Manage your subscription anytime: https://yoursite.getjourney.io/me

You can change frequencies, swap products, or pause anytime.

Questions? Reply to this email or check our FAQ.

Thanks for subscribing!
The Fresh Market Team

Delivery Tracking Updates

As a delivery gets closer, customers receive notifications with their delivery window. If the driver is nearby, they get a final update. Example Messages:

Your Fresh Market delivery arrives tomorrow, Dec 12, between 6-8 PM
You can change your delivery before midnight on My PAges: https://yoursite.getjourney.io/me

Later that day:

Your package has been delivered!
See your order on https://yoursite.getjourney.io/me

Payment Failure Recovery

If a payment fails, the customer automatically receives a message asking them to update their payment method on My Pages. This helps recover the failed subscription without losing the customer. Example Message:

Your Fresh Market payment didn't go through. Your subscription is on hold.

Update your payment method: https://yoursite.getjourney.io/me

Once updated, your next delivery will proceed normally.

Questions? Contact us: support@freshmarket.com

Subscriptions

Understand subscription lifecycle and automated billing that triggers communications

Dunning & Payment Recovery

Learn about payment retry logic and dunning communication sequences

Reports

Monitor business performance with built-in reports

Recurring Payments

Understand payment processing and billing cycles

What is Journey?

Subscriptions

Payments

Customer Engagement

Analytics

What are Communications?

The Event-Driven Model

Communication Flow

Built-in Events

Message Templates

Template Structure

Template Variables

Example: Order Confirmation Email

Example: Delivery Reminder SMS

Dunning (Payment Failures)

Dunning Flow

Dunning Events

Dunning Configuration

Gift Orders

How It Works

Receiver Types

Example: Gift Notifications

Invoice Delivery

How It Works

Message Logs

What Gets Logged

Viewing Delivery Status

White-Label Support

Your Brand, Your Communications

Example

Common Use Cases

Passwordless Authentication

Subscription Welcome Email

Delivery Tracking Updates

Payment Failure Recovery

Subscriptions

Dunning & Payment Recovery

Reports

Recurring Payments

​What are Communications?

​The Event-Driven Model

​Communication Flow

​Built-in Events

​Message Templates

​Template Structure

​Template Variables

​Example: Order Confirmation Email

​Example: Delivery Reminder SMS

​Dunning (Payment Failures)

​Dunning Flow

​Dunning Events

​Dunning Configuration

​Gift Orders

​How It Works

​Receiver Types

​Example: Gift Notifications

​Invoice Delivery

​How It Works

​Message Logs

​What Gets Logged

​Viewing Delivery Status

​White-Label Support

​Your Brand, Your Communications

​Example

​Common Use Cases

​Passwordless Authentication

​Subscription Welcome Email

​Delivery Tracking Updates

​Payment Failure Recovery

​Related Concepts

Subscriptions

Dunning & Payment Recovery

Reports

Recurring Payments

What are Communications?

The Event-Driven Model

Communication Flow

Built-in Events

Message Templates

Template Structure

Template Variables

Example: Order Confirmation Email

Example: Delivery Reminder SMS

Dunning (Payment Failures)

Dunning Flow

Dunning Events

Dunning Configuration

Gift Orders

How It Works

Receiver Types

Example: Gift Notifications

Invoice Delivery

How It Works

Message Logs

What Gets Logged

Viewing Delivery Status

White-Label Support

Your Brand, Your Communications

Example

Common Use Cases

Passwordless Authentication

Subscription Welcome Email

Delivery Tracking Updates

Payment Failure Recovery

Related Concepts