Twilio is the recommended provider for SMS notifications. It's reliable, affordable, and gives Joy Hair Studio a dedicated US phone number customers can recognize. About $0.75 per 100 texts — a tiny cost for a great customer experience.
Go to twilio.com/try-twilio and sign up for a free trial. You'll get $15 in free credit — no credit card required to start. Verify your email to activate the account.
After signing in, Twilio will ask you to verify your personal phone number. This is required for trial accounts to send test SMS messages. Go to Phone Numbers → Verified Caller IDs if needed.
In the Twilio Console, go to Phone Numbers → Manage → Buy a Number. Search for area code 424 or 310 (local to Redondo Beach). Select an SMS-capable number and purchase it (~$1/mo).
Go to Messaging → Regulatory Compliance and register your campaign. A2P (Application-to-Person) registration is required by US carriers for any business sending automated texts. It's a one-time $4 fee and takes 1–3 business days to approve. You'll need your business name and website URL.
On the main Twilio Console page, you'll see your Account SID and Auth Token. Copy both — you'll need them in the next step.
Go to Admin → Settings → SMS Notifications. Enter your Account SID, Auth Token, and From Number (the Twilio phone number you purchased). Enable SMS and save. Use the "Send Test SMS" button to verify everything works.
data/settings.json on your server — make sure your server is secure.