Bring Your Own SMS Provider

Your provider. Your number. Your rates. No middleman markup.

Most pet software charges you $0.05–$0.15 per text message on top of your monthly subscription. That is a 600–1,800% markup over wholesale SMS rates. Animal Friends OS lets you connect your own SMS provider and pay wholesale rates directly. A facility sending 2,000 texts/month saves $80–$280 every month.

SMS cost comparison — your provider vs theirs

ProviderCost per SMS (outbound)Cost per SMS (inbound)2,000 SMS/month
Twilio (direct)$0.0079$0.0079$15.80
Vonage (direct)$0.0068$0.0068$13.60
Plivo (direct)$0.005$0.005$10.00
Telnyx (direct)$0.004$0.004$8.00
Typical pet software$0.05–$0.15$0.05–$0.15$100–$300
Your monthly savings$80–$284/mo
Your annual savings$960–$3,408/yr

Supported SMS providers

Twilio

The industry standard for business SMS. Reliable, well-documented, and trusted by millions of businesses. $0.0079 per SMS. Create a free account at twilio.com, get your Account SID and Auth Token, paste into Animal Friends OS settings.

Vonage (Nexmo)

Enterprise-grade SMS with global reach. $0.0068 per SMS in the US. Sign up at vonage.com, generate an API key and secret, enter them in your OS dashboard. Two-minute setup.

Plivo

Developer-friendly SMS platform with competitive pricing. $0.005 per SMS. Create your Plivo account, grab your Auth ID and Auth Token from the dashboard, paste into OS settings.

Telnyx

The lowest-cost option at $0.004 per SMS. Modern API with excellent deliverability. Sign up at telnyx.com, create a messaging profile, get your API key, and configure in OS.

Custom Webhook

Use any SMS gateway or service that supports HTTP webhooks. Animal Friends OS sends a POST request with the message details to your endpoint. Works with enterprise solutions, custom gateways, or any provider not listed above.

Full Control, Always

You own the phone number. You see every bill. You control the sending. If you ever leave Animal Friends OS, your phone number and provider account stay with you. No lock-in, no porting hassles.

Setup guide — 10 minutes, no code

1. Create a provider account

Sign up at twilio.com, vonage.com, plivo.com, or telnyx.com. All offer free trial credits so you can test before committing.

2. Get a phone number

Purchase a local phone number from your provider ($1–$2/month). This becomes your business SMS number — clients text this number and you reply from Animal Friends OS.

3. Copy your API credentials

Find your Account SID + Auth Token (Twilio), API Key + Secret (Vonage), Auth ID + Token (Plivo), or API Key (Telnyx) in your provider dashboard.

4. Paste into Animal Friends OS

Go to Settings → SMS Provider in your Animal Friends OS dashboard. Select your provider, paste your credentials, enter your phone number, and click Save. Done. All SMS now routes through your provider at their rates.

What you can send through your own provider

Appointment Reminders

Automated confirmation, day-before reminder, and 2-hour heads-up. Reduces no-shows by 40–60%. All sent through your provider at $0.004–$0.008 per message.

Two-Way Conversations

Clients reply to your texts and you see their responses in the OS dashboard. Full two-way SMS conversations, not just one-way blasts.

Boarding & Daycare Updates

Send photo updates to pet parents during boarding stays. Text pickup reminders for daycare. All at wholesale rates.

$45/mo
Everything included. No tiers. No add-ons.
14-day free trial. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
  • Full SMS integration module
  • Grooming + Boarding + Daycare + Training
  • Client & Pet CRM with vaccination tracking
  • Automated SMS reminders (included)
  • Staff scheduling & timeclock
  • Online booking page
  • Use YOUR payment processor
  • Business reports & analytics
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Frequently Asked Questions

What SMS providers does Animal Friends OS support?

Animal Friends OS supports Twilio, Vonage (Nexmo), Plivo, Telnyx, and custom webhook integrations. You create an account with any of these providers, get your API key, paste it into your Animal Friends OS settings, and you are sending SMS directly through your own provider at their wholesale rates.

How much does SMS cost through Twilio vs pet software competitors?

Twilio charges $0.0079 per outbound SMS and $0.0079 per inbound SMS. Most pet software competitors charge $0.05–$0.15 per SMS on top of their monthly subscription. A facility sending 2,000 messages per month pays $15.80 through Twilio directly vs $100–$300 through a competitor’s built-in SMS. That is $84–$284 saved every single month.

Do I keep my phone number when I bring my own SMS provider?

Yes. You own the phone number through your SMS provider account. It is your number, on your account, billed directly to you. If you ever leave Animal Friends OS, you keep your number and all your message history with your provider.

Can I use SMS for appointment reminders and two-way messaging?

Yes. Animal Friends OS supports automated appointment reminders (confirmation, day-before, 2-hour heads-up), manual two-way SMS conversations with clients, marketing messages, and automated notifications — all routed through your own SMS provider at their rates.

What is a webhook SMS integration?

A webhook integration lets you connect Animal Friends OS to any SMS provider or gateway that supports HTTP webhooks. When a message needs to be sent, Animal Friends OS sends a POST request to your webhook URL with the message details. This works with any custom or enterprise SMS solution.

Is it hard to set up my own SMS provider?

No. The setup takes about 10 minutes: create an account with Twilio, Vonage, Plivo, or Telnyx, get your API credentials (Account SID + Auth Token or API Key), paste them into your Animal Friends OS settings page, and you are done. No code, no developer needed.

Stop overpaying for text messages. Start your free trial.

14-day free trial. No credit card required. Set up in under an hour.