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SMS Pending Queue Documentation

Menu Location: Tools > Communications > SMS Pending Queue

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The SMS Pending Queue displays all text messages scheduled to send but not yet delivered. This queue management tool allows you to review, cancel, or force-send pending SMS messages, ensuring critical communications reach customers while preventing costly errors or inappropriate sends.

Primary Functions:

  • View all SMS messages waiting to send
  • Review message content before delivery
  • Cancel individual messages or batches
  • Force immediate send for urgent messages
  • Troubleshoot stuck or delayed messages
  • Monitor SMS quota usage and costs

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Queue Status: Total pending, send rate, SMS quota remaining
  • Filter Controls: By recipient, message type, scheduled time
  • Bulk Actions: Cancel selected, Force send selected

Main Content Area

Table of pending SMS with recipient phone number, message preview, type, scheduled time, status, estimated cost.

Cost Tracking Panel

  • Messages sent today
  • Remaining monthly quota
  • Estimated cost for pending queue
  • SMS credit balance (if applicable)

Report Data & Columns

Column Description
Queue ID Unique identifier
Recipient Phone Customer mobile number
Message Preview First 50 characters of SMS text
Message Type Order update, Marketing, OTP, Delivery alert
Scheduled Time When SMS will send
Status Pending, Processing, Delayed, Failed
Segments Message length in SMS segments (affects cost)
Est. Cost Estimated sending cost
Actions Preview, Cancel, Force Send

SMS Message Statuses

Pending

Normal state - waiting to send at scheduled time.

Processing

Currently being sent through SMS gateway.

Delayed

Past scheduled time but not yet sent (queue backlog or throttling).

Failed

Delivery failed (invalid number, opted out, carrier rejected).

Cancelled

Manually cancelled, will not send.

Actions & Operations

Preview SMS

Purpose: Review full message content before sending

Steps:

  1. Locate SMS in queue
  2. Click "Preview" button
  3. Review:
    • Recipient phone number
    • Full message text
    • Message length/segments
    • Personalization fields populated correctly
    • Links working (if included)
  4. Close preview

Cancel SMS

Purpose: Prevent message from sending

Steps:

  1. Locate message to cancel
  2. Click "Cancel" button
  3. Confirm cancellation
  4. Message removed from queue
  5. SMS quota/cost saved

Cancel Immediately If:

  • Wrong recipient number
  • Message contains error
  • Customer requested no SMS
  • Duplicate message queued
  • Business reason changed
  • After-hours message to customer (respect quiet hours)

Force Send SMS

Purpose: Send message immediately instead of waiting

Steps:

  1. Locate message in queue
  2. Click "Force Send" button
  3. Confirm immediate send
  4. Message sends within seconds
  5. Verify delivery in SMS log

Use Sparingly:

  • Customer waiting for time-sensitive OTP
  • Emergency delivery notification
  • Critical account alert

Bulk Cancel

Purpose: Cancel multiple messages at once

Steps:

  1. Apply filters to select messages
  2. Check boxes next to messages
  3. Click "Cancel Selected"
  4. Confirm bulk cancellation
  5. Messages removed, quota saved

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Review Marketing Campaign Before Send

Goal: Verify bulk SMS before delivery and prevent errors

Steps:

  1. Filter to "Marketing" message type
  2. Filter to scheduled time: next 30 minutes
  3. Preview first message to verify:
    • Content is correct
    • Links work properly
    • Opt-out instruction included
    • Segment count acceptable (ideally 1-2 segments)
  4. Check recipient count and estimated cost
  5. If correct: allow queue to process
  6. If error: cancel entire batch, fix, re-queue

Example: 1,500 promotional SMS scheduled for 2 PM. At 1:50 PM review shows broken link. Cancel all 1,500, fix link, re-send. Saved $150+ in wasted sends and customer frustration.

Important: SMS marketing regulations require opt-out option and compliance with quiet hours (typically 9 AM - 9 PM).

Use Case 2: Prevent After-Hours Customer Disturbance

Goal: Avoid sending non-urgent SMS during quiet hours

Steps:

  1. Review queue before end of business day
  2. Filter to scheduled time: 9 PM - 9 AM next day
  3. Review each late/early message:
    • Is it urgent? (OTP, delivery alert = yes, marketing = no)
    • Is it customer-initiated? (password reset = ok)
    • Is it promotional? (must respect quiet hours)
  4. Cancel non-urgent promotional sends scheduled for quiet hours
  5. Reschedule for appropriate times

Example: Queue shows marketing SMS scheduled for 8 AM (may wake customers). Cancel and reschedule for 10 AM - more respectful timing.

Use Case 3: Emergency Delivery Notification

Goal: Immediately notify customer of urgent delivery change

Steps:

  1. Delivery driver has emergency, route delayed 3 hours
  2. Search queue for delivery notification SMS for affected customers
  3. Messages may be scheduled for 30 minutes before original delivery
  4. Update message text to reflect new delivery time
  5. Force send immediately so customers adjust plans
  6. Monitor delivery log to confirm all sent

Example: 15 customers affected by delay. Force send updated SMS immediately: "Delivery delayed to 6-8 PM today due to unexpected issue. Apologies for inconvenience." Customers appreciate advance notice.

Use Case 4: Monitor Quota and Costs

Goal: Ensure SMS budget not exceeded

Steps:

  1. Open SMS Pending Queue daily
  2. Review cost tracking panel:
    • Messages sent today
    • Remaining monthly quota
    • Pending queue estimated cost
  3. Calculate: sent + pending = projected total
  4. If approaching quota limit:
    • Prioritize critical messages only
    • Cancel low-priority marketing
    • Request quota increase if needed
  5. Track cost trends to forecast future needs

Example: Monthly quota: 10,000 messages Sent this month: 8,200 Pending: 2,500 Total: 10,700 = OVER BUDGET

Action: Cancel 800 lowest-priority marketing messages, keep all transactional/critical messages.

Use Case 5: Failed Message Investigation

Goal: Understand why message didn't deliver

Steps:

  1. Customer complains didn't receive OTP
  2. Search queue for customer's phone number
  3. Check status:
    • Not in queue: Already sent (check SMS log)
    • Failed: Review error message
  4. Common failure reasons:
    • Invalid phone number format
    • Customer opted out of SMS
    • Carrier blocked (landline, VOIP number)
    • Customer's phone off/no service
  5. Resolve issue:
    • Update phone number format
    • Use different contact method if opted out
    • Retry send after customer confirms number

Troubleshooting

Messages Stuck in "Processing"

Solutions:

  1. Check system log for SMS gateway errors
  2. Verify SMS service integration (Twilio, etc.) is functioning
  3. Check SMS service status page (provider outage?)
  4. May need to restart SMS queue processor (administrator)
  5. Cancel and retry if stuck more than 10 minutes

Queue Not Processing

Check:

  1. SMS service quota exceeded?
  2. SMS credit balance depleted?
  3. Integration authentication failed?
  4. System configuration issue?

Solutions:

  • Replenish SMS credits if depleted
  • Verify SMS service account in good standing
  • Check SMS service API credentials
  • Contact administrator for integration troubleshooting

Cannot Cancel Specific SMS

Reasons:

  1. Already sent (too late - check SMS log)
  2. Currently processing (sending right now)
  3. Insufficient permissions

Note: Unlike email, cannot recall SMS after sent. Cancel before processing starts.

High Cost Warning

Causes:

  1. Messages longer than 160 characters (multiple segments)
  2. International numbers (higher cost)
  3. Premium rate numbers
  4. Very large batch queued

Solutions:

  • Shorten message to fit 160 characters (1 segment)
  • Review international recipients (expected?)
  • Remove premium numbers from list
  • Split large batches over time

SMS Best Practices

Message Content

  1. Be Concise: 160 characters = 1 segment = lowest cost
  2. Include Opt-Out: Required for marketing: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"
  3. Identify Sender: Start with brand name
  4. Clear Purpose: Get to point immediately
  5. Test Links: Use link shorteners, test before sending

Timing

  1. Respect Quiet Hours: No promotional SMS before 9 AM or after 9 PM
  2. Time Zone Aware: Send at recipient's local time if multi-timezone
  3. Immediate for Urgent: OTP, delivery alerts send right away
  4. Batch for Non-Urgent: Marketing can queue for optimal times

Compliance

  1. Opt-In Required: Only send to customers who opted in
  2. Honor Opt-Outs: Never send to opted-out numbers
  3. Follow TCPA Regulations: US businesses must comply
  4. International Regulations: GDPR, local SMS laws apply

Cost Management

  1. Monitor quota daily
  2. Prioritize transactional over marketing
  3. Keep messages under 160 characters
  4. Remove invalid numbers promptly
  5. Track cost per message type
  • SMS Log - Sent message history and delivery status
  • SMS Templates - Manage message templates
  • SMS Settings - Configure SMS service integration, opt-out keywords
  • Customer Communication Preferences - Manage opt-in/opt-out status

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: View queue, preview messages, cancel own queued messages
  • Administrator: All Manager + cancel any messages, force send, bulk actions
  • Kiva Admin: All features + pause queue, integration diagnostics, cost reports

Quick Reference Card

Task Action
Check queue status Open page, review cost panel and queue depth
Preview SMS Click Preview button
Cancel SMS Select message, click Cancel
Force immediate send Click Force Send (use sparingly)
Find customer SMS Search phone number
Cancel campaign batch Filter to message type, select all, cancel
Check quota remaining Review cost tracking panel
Monitor daily costs Check messages sent today

FAQs

How much does each SMS cost?

Varies by provider and destination. Typical US: $0.0075-$0.01 per segment. International: $0.02-$0.10+. Check with administrator for your specific rates.

What's an SMS segment?

160 characters = 1 segment. Longer messages split into multiple segments (charged separately). Use character counter to optimize.

Can I include emojis in SMS?

Yes, but they count as multiple characters and may reduce segment size to 70 characters. Test carefully.

What happens if customer opted out?

Message automatically blocked from sending. Status shows "Failed - Opted Out". Use different contact method.

Can I recall SMS after sending?

No - once sent, SMS cannot be recalled. Cancel before it processes.

Why are some messages "High Priority"?

OTP, security alerts, and delivery notifications process first to ensure immediate delivery.

What's normal queue depth?

Lower than email queue. Typical: 0-50 pending. Large campaigns: 100-500. Growing continuously = problem.

How do I reduce message cost?

Keep under 160 characters, avoid special characters that force Unicode, remove invalid numbers, optimize send frequency.

Change Log

2026-03-01

  • Initial documentation created

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.