SMS terms
Bulk SMS
Sending the same text message to many phone numbers at once, usually through a web portal or software rather than from a personal phone. Bulk SMS is billed per message part, per recipient. See bulk SMS for churches.
SMS part
The unit an SMS is billed in. A standard GSM-7 message fits 160 characters in one part. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 characters, each billed separately. In FaithDash each part costs UGX 35.
Concatenated SMS
A long message sent as several parts that the recipient's phone joins back into one message. Each part spends a few characters on a hidden header, which is why split parts hold 153 characters instead of 160.
GSM-7
The standard 7-bit character set for SMS. It covers English letters, digits, common punctuation and some accented letters, and allows 160 characters in one SMS part.
GSM-7 extended characters
The characters ^ { } [ ] ~ | € and the backslash. They're allowed in GSM-7, but each one takes the space of two characters.
Unicode (UCS-2) SMS
The encoding used when a message contains any character outside GSM-7, such as an emoji, a curly quote or an em dash. One Unicode part holds only 70 characters (67 when split), so the same text can cost twice as much. Check a message with the SMS cost calculator.
Sender ID
The name or number a recipient sees as the sender of an SMS. Bulk SMS providers handle sender IDs differently, so check with your provider what recipients will see.
SMS gateway
The service that connects SMS software to the mobile networks and actually delivers the messages. FaithDash sends through the BulkSMS Uganda gateway.
Delivery report
The status a gateway returns for each message, such as sent or failed. FaithDash summarises every send as sent, partial or failed, and keeps it in the message history.
Opt-out
A recipient's request to stop receiving messages. Respecting it promptly keeps your church's messages welcome rather than resented. See SMS opt-out etiquette.
Church management terms
Church management software (ChMS)
Software that keeps a church's member records, attendance, events and communication in one place. Also called a church management system. See church management software for Uganda.
Church CRM
Another name for church management software. It borrows "customer relationship management" from business, where the "customers" are members, visitors and the wider community.
Segment
A defined group of recipients within your member database, such as visitors only, leaders only, or everyone tagged Choir. In FaithDash you send to a segment instead of uploading a list.
Tag
A label attached to a member record, such as Youth, Ushers or Building committee. One person can have several tags, and any tag can be used as an SMS audience.
Merge field
A placeholder in a message template, such as {{name}} or {{event_date}}, that is replaced with each recipient's details when the message is sent.
Visitor follow-up
Contacting first-time visitors after their visit, ideally within a day and more than once. In FaithDash it's an automatic sequence of SMS triggered when a visitor registers. See church visitor follow-up.
QR code check-in
A printed QR code that visitors scan with their phone camera to open a registration form. It replaces paper visitor cards.
Event reminder
An automatic message sent a set time before an event starts, such as two days before a youth camp.
Attendee follow-up
An automatic message sent to the people who attended an event, a set number of days after it ends. For example, a thank-you after a fundraiser.
Attendance tracking
Recording who attended each service or event, so trends and drop-offs become visible. See church attendance tracking.
Payment terms
Prepaid balance
Money loaded onto an account in advance and spent as messages are sent, also called a wallet. FaithDash keeps one prepaid balance per church.
Mobile money top-up
Adding to a prepaid balance from a mobile money wallet, such as MTN Mobile Money or Airtel Money in Uganda. FaithDash top-ups are processed by Flutterwave.
Pay-as-you-go
A pricing model with no subscription, where you pay only for what you use. FaithDash is free to use and charges only for SMS sent. See pricing.