How to Send Text and Email Reminders That Keep Regulars Coming Back

To keep regulars coming back with reminders, message only customers who agreed to hear from you, tie every message to a specific reason to visit (a reward they've earned, a slow-day perk, something new), send it when people plan, usually the evening before, and stop messaging anyone who asks. For most small businesses, one or two reminders a week is plenty.

Why do reminders bring regulars back?

Regulars rarely leave because they're unhappy. More often, a routine changes and they forget. A short reminder at the right time can restart the habit, as long as there's something worth coming back for.

Nearly everyone can receive one. Pew Research Center's Mobile Fact Sheet, updated Oct. 19, 2026, found that 98% of U.S. adults own a cellphone and 91% own a smartphone, based on a survey of 5,511 adults conducted Jan. 30 to June 18, 2026.

Reaching customers is also the most common problem owners report. In the Federal Reserve Banks' 2026 Report on Employer Firms, 57% of small employers said reaching customers and growing sales was an operational challenge in the prior 12 months, the most common answer.

Should you send a text or an email?

Many small businesses use both: email for a monthly update and text for the occasional same-day nudge. The advice below works whichever text or email service you use.

How do you build a list of customers who want to hear from you?

Only message people who agreed to hear from you, and make it clear what they're signing up for.

1. Ask at checkout or sign-up. When customers join your rewards program, ask whether they'd also like reminders about rewards and offers.
2. Say how often. "About one text a week" sets expectations and reduces opt-outs.
3. Make it easy to stop. Every message should say how to opt out, and opt-outs should be honored right away.
4. Keep a record of when and how each customer agreed.

Rules on business texting and email change and differ by place, so check current requirements with a qualified advisor before you start sending. Our loyalty program setup guide covers the rewards program itself.

Who should get which reminder?

You don't need complicated segments. Three groups cover most needs:

• New members (joined in the last 30 days): help them reach a first reward.
• Regulars (visited in the last 30 days): tell them about perks and new items.
• Lapsed (no visit in 45 to 60 days or more): invite them back with a reason.

To sort customers this way, you need to know who they are. A paper punch card can't tell you who stopped coming; a program customers join by name can (see digital vs. paper punch cards).

When is the best time to send a reminder?

People often decide where to go before they leave the house, so reach them while they plan. Placer.ai reported on July 9 that weekday visits to U.S. retail corridors between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. were still running 20% to 30% below pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2026, while Friday visits from 8 p.m. to midnight were 2.0% above the same quarter of 2019. Practical timing:

• The evening before a slow-day offer, so customers can plan a visit.
• The morning of for same-day perks.
• Not late at night or very early. Respect customers' time.

What should a customer reminder message say?

Every message should answer three questions: what's in it for me, when, and for how long? Examples you can adapt:

• Reward reminder (text): "Hi [first name], you're one visit away from a free coffee at [your shop]. See you soon! Reply STOP to opt out."
• Slow-day perk (text): "Double rewards tomorrow, Tuesday, 2 to 5 p.m. only. Reply STOP to opt out."
• Games (text): "Have you tried the games in our rewards app? Each one has its own bonus skill round. Stop by this week to earn more. Reply STOP to opt out."
• Win-back (email): Subject line "Your rewards are still waiting." One short paragraph: you miss them, what they've already earned, and one reason to visit this week, plus a clear unsubscribe link.
• New item (email): A short note with one photo, what's new and when it's available.

Keep texts under two sentences. Use a customer's first name only if they gave it to you.

How often should you send reminders?

A simple weekly rhythm works for most shops:

1. One email a month with news and upcoming perks.
2. One text a week at most, tied to a specific perk or slow window.
3. One win-back message for lapsed customers, then pause if they don't respond.

Pair reminders with an offer aimed at your slowest hours. Our guide on how to get customers to come back shows how to find those hours and pick the offer.

How do you know if reminders are working?

Track visits from the group you messaged in the days after each message and compare them with a similar week without one. Watch opt-outs: a jump usually means messages are too frequent or not useful enough. Our guide on how to measure whether reminders work explains how to set a fair baseline.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Messaging people who never agreed. It damages trust.
• Sending too often. Frequent texts lead to opt-outs.
• Messages with no reason. "Come visit us!" gives customers nothing to act on.
• Changing the offer every week. Keep perks the same long enough for customers to remember them.

How does Touch Won fit with your reminders?

Create your own coin on Touch Won, or join businesses already doing it. Touch Won is a customer loyalty rewards program for local businesses. According to the company's How It Works page, Touch Won builds your customer list with its patented SMS registration, and the plan includes Customer Retention using SMS, Free & Unlimited. According to the company's site, each business gets its own coin code, customers sign up under that code in the Touch Won app, and everyone who signs up stays on the business's own customer list. A vendor dashboard shows every customer under the code, with date-range activity reports, so you can see who's active before you decide who to invite back. The games give your reminders something to point to: according to the company's site, every game in the app has its own bonus skill round built for that game, rather than the same game repeated with new art. The first week is free, then $79 a month. There's no cap on what you can collect.

Frequently asked questions

How do I send text reminders to customers?

Ask customers at sign-up whether they want reminders, use a business texting service, keep each message to one or two sentences tied to a specific reason to visit, and include how to opt out.

How often should a small business text customers?

For most shops, about once a week at most, and only when there's a specific reason, such as a reward or a slow-day perk.

What's the best time to send a reminder?

The evening before a planned offer, or the morning of a same-day perk. Avoid late-night and very early messages.

Do I need permission to text or email customers?

Ask every customer before adding them to a text or email list, make opting out easy, and check current rules with a qualified advisor.

What should a win-back email say?

Keep it short: you miss them, what rewards they've already earned, and one clear reason to visit this week, with an easy way to unsubscribe.

Does Touch Won send texts for my business?

Yes. According to Touch Won's How It Works page, Touch Won builds your customer list with its patented SMS registration, and the plan includes Customer Retention using SMS, Free & Unlimited. Ask about the details on the free coaching call.

How do I know if reminders are working?

Compare visits from customers you messaged with a similar period when you didn't message them, and keep an eye on opt-outs.

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Want a second set of eyes on your plan? For a limited time, Touch Won offers a free 30-minute coaching call with Calvin Burke, a consultant with more than 15 years in the industry. It's a conversation about your business and your rewards, with no screen-share or sales walkthrough. Book a free coaching call.

Sources

1. Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026, Mobile Fact Sheet (survey of 5,511 U.S. adults, Jan. 30 to June 18, 2026), Oct. 19, 2026. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
2. Placer.ai, Retail Corridors Emerge as Evening Destinations in 2026, by Ezra Carmel and Lila Margalit, July 9, 2026. https://www.placer.ai/anchor/articles/retail-corridors-emerge-as-evening-destinations-in-2026
3. Federal Reserve Banks, 2026 Report on Employer Firms: Findings from the 2025 Small Business Credit Survey (operational challenges chart, p. 2 of the report PDF), March 3, 2026. https://www.fedsmallbusiness.org/reports/survey/2026/2026-report-on-employer-firms
4. Touch Won, Homepage (features, games and pricing sections), viewed Oct. 22, 2026. https://touchwon.com/
5. Touch Won, How It Works page (FAQs and pricing), viewed Oct. 22, 2026. https://touchwon.com/how