SMS Initiated Payments

These are the flows enabling customers to start a subscription and/or payment process via SMS messages sent to Payguru short-codes on Operator backbone and consisting of specific keywords for each service. Those flows are used mainly in "real life" projects as well as inAPP payments.

Most of the integration between the merchant and Payguru can be summarized as an information flow on notification URLs.

STEP 0 - Merchant informs the customer about the SMS payments

  • Merchant needs to fully inform the customer about the SMS payment process regarding the price, necessary text message and short code. The information should be shared with the customer in all relevant media and marketing campaigns.

  • The information should cover the following content:

KEYWORD : The text configured on Payguru systems during the integration phase with the merchant. A separate keyword should be configured for each price point in each service, i.e. it is a unique identifier for a service and priced in Payguru Platforms.

REFKOD: It is an optional reference code generated by the merchant and presented to the customer on merchant site. The format should be agreed by Payguru and the merchant during the integration process but it is mainly required by the merchant in order to follow up a particular transaction of an individual customer

STEP 1 - End users sends the SMS
  • End user texts the parameters explained in Step 0 and sends an SMS Message to Payguru Short Code (usually 3544)

  • Example:

    SUPERPOWER XQWESTRES

  • The parameters in this message are explained below

    SUPERPOWER  : Keyword identifying the corresponding service and the price. 
 XQWESTRES  : Reference code generated by merchant for this specific transaction.
STEP 2 - Payguru starts the Payment and Subscription Process
  • Operator delivers the message sent by the end user to Payguru System through the integration between the operator and the merchant. Payguru starts the payment and subscription process.
    • Payguru detects the merchant, service and price of the payment and subscription transaction by recognizing the keyword in the text.
    • If necessary Payguru checks the reference code with the Merchant. This should be decided during the integration phase.
    • Payguru starts the Payment and Subscription Process in Operator Platforms.
    • Payguru sends the necessary notifications to the merchant about the payment and subscription process.
    • Payguru starts to wait to recieve the payment status notification from the operator.
STEP 3 - Customer confirmation and Subscription & Payment Transaction Processing
  • Mobile Operator sends an SMS message to the end user's mobile phone number requesting the end user to confirm the transaction. The SMS message contains the price and service information.
  • End user is expected to type "EVET" (meaning "yes") and to send it via SMS within 5 minutes as a reply to the message he has received from the operator in order to confirm the payment and billing process.
  • Upon the confirmation, Payguru and the Operator commit the payment transaction and subscription.
  • Payguru transmits the result of the payment and subscription to the merchant through the notification URLs.
  • Payguru and Operator sends another SMS to the customer. The message contains the billing, subscription and cancellation information as well as credential information for the service, if necessary.