Why was my message held or not sent?

We have a few simple rules so customers keep enjoying messages from local shops. Some messages wait and go out later. That is called "held". Others can't be sent until you change them. The app always tells you which, and why.

Quick guide

• No messages at night. Sent between 8pm and 8am in your shop's time zone? It waits until 8am.
• 2 a week per customer. Each customer gets at most 2 offers or messages from you in any 7 days.
• New shops start smaller. Your first 30 days: half your monthly messages, and 1 message to everyone a week.
• Discounts up to $50 off or 50% off. Bigger discounts are not sent or saved.
• No scam words or swearing. The app tells you which word to change.
• Customers you haven't seen in 12 months don't get your messages.
• Customers can say no. Every message has a Stop button. If lots of customers stop you after one message, sending pauses while we take a look.
• Held messages can be cancelled from Sent messages, and then they don't count.
• Pictures are checked automatically (if pictures are switched on for your business). A picture our check flags isn't sent; choose a different one. Pictures come with the Business plan, up to 10 a month; once they're used up you can still send the message without one.
• Customers can report a message. We look at every report. If a message breaks our rules we may hide it from customers, and we'll tell you. It stays in your own list of sent messages.

The rest of this page explains each rule.

The rules in full

1. Quiet hours. If you send a message between 8pm and 8am in your shop's time zone, it waits. It goes out at 8am, your time. The preview tells you before you press Send. Stamp nudges follow this rule too.
2. Two a week for each customer. Each customer gets at most 2 offers or messages from your shop in any 7 days.
   • A customer who has already had 2 doesn't get a notification for your next one, and it doesn't show in their Messages tab. They see the 2 that were sent first.
   • If you send a third message to everyone in 7 days, it waits until it is allowed, then goes out by itself.
3. Your monthly messages. Your plan includes a number of messages each month. The Connect tab shows how many you have left and when they reset. A message that waits counts when you send it. A message that is cancelled, or one the app refuses, doesn't count.
4. New shops start smaller. For your first 30 days, counted from your first message, you get half your monthly messages. You can also send only 1 message to everyone each week. After 30 days with no problems you get your full allowance, and it stays that way. "No problems" means:
   • none of your messages were refused;
   • your shop wasn't flagged for review;
   • fewer than 2 in every 100 customers you reached stopped your messages.
5. Discount limits. A discount can be at most $50 off or 50% off. This is for messages and for offers.
   • Words with no amount, like "half price" or "2 for 1", are fine.
   • If your discount is too big, the message is not sent, or the offer is not saved. Change the discount and try again.
   • We never change your discount for you.
6. Words we don't allow. Some words are not allowed, such as words used in scams or swearing. If your message has one, it is not sent. The app tells you which word. Change it and try again.
7. Customers you haven't seen in a while. A customer who hasn't tapped your stand in 12 months doesn't get your messages. They aren't counted in the number of customers the app shows you. If they tap again, they're back in.
8. Customers can stop your messages. Every message has a Stop messages button. A customer who presses it still follows your shop and keeps their receipts and stamp card. They just stop getting your messages. They can turn them back on later.

When we take a closer look

A person at ReceiptWave looks at your messages if:

• more than 5 in every 100 customers who got one message stop your messages (when it reached at least 20 customers). Your sending pauses straight away until we've looked;
• 5 of your messages are refused in 7 days;
• 3 of your messages are refused for words we don't allow in 30 days;
• a new shop uses up all its messages in its first week;
• your customers get far more messages from you than from almost any other shop.

After a look, we might:

• do nothing;
• email you about it;
• for 30 days, halve your messages and allow 1 message to everyone a week;
• pause your sending until we've talked.

We may also set different limits for your shop.

What "held" means. Your message is saved but has not gone out yet. Customers can't see it and get no alert. It goes out at the time shown, such as "8:00 AM on 7 Oct 2026".

What to do if a message is held.

1. Do nothing if the time is fine. It will go out by itself.
2. To stop it, go to Connect, then View sent messages. Find the message marked Waiting and tap Cancel message.
3. A cancelled message never goes out. It does not count towards your messages for the month.