Once your customers are in SPRAYE, send them one clear email announcing the switch, inviting them to your Customer Portal, and asking them to save a payment method and turn on autopay. A single well-timed email cuts down on "is this a scam?" calls, gets cards on file before your first round, and saves your office hours of chasing payments.

This article walks you through what to set up first, tips for writing the email, a ready-to-use template you can copy and paste, and how to send a test to yourself before it goes to everyone.

Before you start

Check these four things before you write your email. If any of them is missing, the email won't send or your customers won't be able to finish setting up.

  1. Mass Email Settings are filled in. Go to your main company Settings page and scroll to Mass Email Settings. Enter your company's SMTP details there. Mass emails won't send without them. See Company SMTP Details (Global Settings).
  2. Online payments are set up. Customers can only save a card and enroll in autopay if your account accepts credit cards through your SPRAYE payment processor. If you're not set up yet, go to your main company Settings page and set up your payment processor before sending.
  3. You have your Customer Portal link. You can find your portal URL under Settings > Company Details. Copy it so you can paste it into the email. Feel free to link your website as well!
  4. Customer emails are up to date. Customers sign up for the portal using the email address you have on file, so make sure those addresses are correct. Customers without an email won't receive the message. For step-by-step customer sign-up instructions with screenshots, see Customer Access.

Good to know about autopay: Autopay charges the customer's saved payment method automatically when a service is completed, and the invoice is marked paid. It applies to Pay As You Go programs. Customers can opt in from the Customer Portal or by checking the autopay box on any online payment form. See Enabling Online Autopay Enrollment for Customers.

Tips for a great switch email

  • Lead with what's in it for them. Customers care about easier payments and better communication, not which software you use. Say what's new for them in the first two sentences.
  • Reassure them it's really you. A new sender address or new-looking invoices can seem like phishing. Use your company name in the subject line, sign it with a real person's name, and include your phone number.
  • Tell them what's changing and what isn't. Their service, pricing, and technicians stay the same. What changes is how invoices and reminders look and where they log in to pay.
  • Ask customers to add their card again. SPRAYE can't carry over credit card info at this time, so plainly ask customers to add their card again in the portal.
  • Give one main action. Ask them to do one thing: create a portal login, then save a payment method and turn on autopay. Put the portal link near the top and again near the bottom.
  • Use merge fields for a personal touch. Start with the customer's first name, like Hi {CUSTOMER_FIRST_NAME},. SPRAYE fills it in automatically for each customer.
  • Keep it short and scannable. Short paragraphs and numbered steps get read. Long blocks of text get skipped.
  • Time it before your first round. Send it a week or two before service starts so cards are on file when invoices go out. Plan a reminder email to anyone who hasn't signed up about a week later.

Copy-and-paste email template

Feel free to copy everything in the box below and paste it into the Email Text section of your SPRAYE mass email.

Hi {CUSTOMER_FIRST_NAME},

We're excited to share some good news! [YOUR COMPANY NAME] has moved to a new system to manage your lawn care account. Your services, pricing, and the team you know aren't changing. What is changing is how easy it is to see your account and pay your bill.

You now have access to your own online Customer Portal, where you can:

- View upcoming and past services
- View and pay invoices
- Save a card on file and sign up for autopay
- Opt in to text message service reminders (these are NOT marketing messages)
- Contact us with any questions

Please take 2 minutes to set up your portal:

1. Go to [YOUR PORTAL URL] (or visit [YOUR WEBSITE URL] and click Customer Portal).
2. Click "Sign Up" and enter your email address. Please use this same email address so we can match you to your account.
3. Check your inbox for an email with a link to create your password. Enter your password twice and submit.
4. Log in and add your credit card or bank account as your payment method.
5. Turn on autopay so your invoice is paid automatically after each service is completed. No more checks or reminders!

Because we've changed systems, any card you had saved with us before did not carry over. Please add it again in your portal before your next service.

You'll also notice our invoices and service reminders look a little different now.

If you have any questions or trouble logging in, just reply to this email or give us a call at [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]. If you forget your password, click "Forgot Password" on the login screen to reset it anytime.

Thank you for being a valued customer!

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR COMPANY NAME]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER] | [YOUR WEBSITE URL]

Before you paste, double-check: your portal link works and every [BRACKET] is replaced.

Send a test to yourself first, then send to everyone

Always send a test email to yourself before it goes to your customers. A test lets you click your portal link, check that {CUSTOMER_FIRST_NAME} fills in correctly, and see how the email looks on your phone.

Step 1: Choose your customers and write your email

  1. Go to the Marketing/Customer Data report. Set your filters (for example, all active customers), then click Quick Search.
  2. Check the box in the table header to select all customers, or check individual customers.
  3. Click Send Email to List, confirm the customer count in the warning message, and click Proceed.
  4. Click the recipient count at the top of the page to review the email list.
  5. Enter your Email Name and Subject, then paste the template into Email Text.

Step 2: Send yourself a test

  1. At the bottom of the email window, click Send Test Email.
  2. Open the test on your computer and your phone. Click the portal link, check that the merge fields filled in, and read it once for typos.
  3. Make any fixes in Email Text and send another test if needed. You can also click Save Draft to come back to it later.

Step 3: Send it to your customers

When the test looks right, click Send Email.

For full details on mass emails, see Email Marketing - Send Mass Emails through Spraye.

After you send

  • Emails go out over time. Large lists can take several minutes to finish sending.
  • Check the status on your Email Marketing tab. Draft means not sent, Queued means waiting to send, Sent means delivered to everyone with an email, and Partial means some customers still haven't received it.
  • Watch your daily sending limits. Gmail allows up to 500 emails per day and Google Workspace up to 2,000. Lists over 600 customers are automatically split into Part 1 and Part 2.
  • Follow up about a week later. Send a short reminder to customers who haven't signed up for the portal or autopay yet.
  • Be ready for replies. Let your office team know the email went out so they can help customers who call about logging in.