Email and SMS

For a step-by-step on how to set up email and SMS, download the Email and SMS How-To guide.

NLS can be configured to automatically send email and SMS text messages for the following events:

• ACH Added - when an ACH is added or re-activated.
• ACH Ended - when an ACH is disabled or expired.
• ACH Return - when an ACH return is processed.
• Card Added - when a recurring card transaction is added or re-activated.
• Card Ended - when a recurring card transaction is disabled or expired.
• Card Advance Notification - sent specified days before the card advance date.
• Card Decline (Recurring type) - when a recurring card transaction is declined.
• Card Processed (Recurring type) - when a recurring card transaction is processed.
• Late Notice - when a late notice is generated.
• NSF - when a non sufficient funds event occurs.
• Paid in Full - when a payoff is made.
• Payment Posted - when a payment is posted to a loan.
• Payments Due - when a payment is due.
• Promise to Pay Reminder - sent one day prior to a promise to pay date.
• Statement - when a statement is generated.
• Welcome Letter - when a new loan is opened.

The following items must first be configured before email and SMS can be used in NLS.

1. Email/SMS Servicer must be selected in System Defaults.

Click the Main slider on the shortcut bar, then Setup, then System Defaults.

Click File then select Setup to open the Setup window. Select System Defaults under System.

On the Email/SMS Servicer configuration, click on the Current Value column and choose NLS Service or NLS Client Application. This option determines whether the messages will be sent from the NLS Client Application or the NLS Service. For smaller user environments where the NLS Service may not be set up, the NLS Client Application can be used. For larger user environments and where automation is used, the NLS Service will keep track and process the message queue to send through the email and SMS servers. Both, client and service, function in the same way with the only difference being whether the client or service is processing the email and SMS.

Email/SMS History	The number of days an email/SMS message that has been sent is stored in the database for historical reference.
Email/SMS Interval Process	The time interval in seconds that the email/SMS servicer will attempt to send email/SMS.
Email/SMS Servicer	The process which will handle the sending and receiving of messages.

2. Configure Communication Preferences, Email/SMS Server, and Templates in System Setup.

To set up NLS for email and SMS text messaging, click the Main slider on the shortcut bar, then Setupclick File then Setup, then System > Communication. An email server and an SMS server must be configured prior to creating a communications preference.

Email Server Tab

To add a new email server, click Add . Enter a name for the email server and click OK.

Main Tab

Name	Name of the email server.
Use for MFA5.34+	Select this option to use this email server for multi-factor authentication. When selected, this email server setting will only be used for MFA. A test email will be sent to verify that the email server is working correctly.
Email Address	Enter the email address as it will appear in the From line of the email.
Time to Send5.7.3+	Specify the window of time during which emails are to be sent. Emails will only be sent out between the times specified. Emails generated outside of this window will be held until the specified time, at which time they will be sent. The specified time is based on the time zone of the server’s location.
Exclude Holidays5.29+	Emails will not be sent on the holidays for the selected region as specified in the Holiday List. Note Emails will not be sent on the actual holiday dates. Emails are still sent on the observed dates if they differ from the actual holiday dates. Example: If January 1st is on a Sunday but is observed on Monday January 2nd, emails will not be sent on Sunday but will be sent on Monday.

Incoming (POP3) Tab (feature not yet implemented)

Outgoing (SMTP) Tab

Enter the credentials for the outgoing email server in this tab. Check with your system administrator or your email service provider to obtain the required information.

Server Address	Enter the server address for the SMTP server. Listed below are SMTP server info for some popular email services. Service SMTP Server Address Port Microsoft 365 Outlook smtp-mail.outlook.com 587 Google Gmail smtp.gmail.com 587 Apple iCloud Mail smtp.mail.me.com 587 Yahoo Mail smtp.mail.yahoo.com 465 or 587
Port	Enter the port number used for SMTP. Port 25 Traditionally used for SMTP relaying. Port 465 Although port 465 was once recognized by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for secured connections using SSL, this is no longer the case. However, many services still recognize port 465 for SSL connections. Port 587 The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) guidelines define port 587 for secure email submissions. Port 2525 Some servers may recognize port 2525 as an alternative to port 587 in the event the other ports are blocked.
Username	Enter the username for logging in to the server.
Password	Enter the password for logging in to the server.
SSL Enabled	When enabled, a secured socket layer connection will be used to connect to the server.
Use Windows Authentication	When enabled, Windows authentication will be used to log in to the server.

Click Test to test the server connection. A dialog will appear to indicate if a connection was made successfully or if any errors were encountered.

SMS Server Tab

Nortridge Software selected Solutions by Text (SBT) as the preferred text messaging service vendor. Accordingly, NLS comes pre-configured with an interface to SBT. Please contact SBT at info@solutionsbytext.com for details on text templates and pricing. If for any reason SBT does not meet the customer’s needs, interfaces with other texting services can be engineered through custom interfacing by the Nortridge Consulting Department.

To add a new SMS server, click Add . Enter a name for the server and click OK.

Name	Name of the SMS server.
Servicer5.16+	Select the servicer for sending SMS messages.
Use for MFA5.34+	Select when using this SMS server for multi-factor authentication. This SMS server setting will only be used for MFA. A Group Code must be selected in the provided field when this option is selected.
API Key	Enter the API key provided by Solutions by Text.
Company or Division OrgCode	Enter the root organization code provided by Solutions by Text.
VBT Type	Choose the method that will be used to verify the SMS phone number as configured with Solutions by Text. Note Do not change the VBT Type without first consulting Solutions by Text. This must correspond to your configuration with Solutions by Text for proper operation. VBT by PIN A request message with an authorization code (PIN) is sent to a customer’s device. Customer confirms authorization with a PIN verbally or entered in a web form. VBT by Reserve Word A request message is sent to a customer’s device. Customer confirms authorization with a reserve word response—Y, agree, or accept. NLS 4.10.3 and later. VBT Auto A request message is sent to a customer’s device. Verification is done automatically without waiting for a manual response.
CSV Path5.16+	Path to the local CSV file to be used with D’LangE.
Time to Send	Specify the window of time during which SMS messages are to be sent. SMS will only be sent out between the times specified. Messages generated outside of this window will be held until the specified time, at which time the messages will be sent. The specified time is based on the time zone of the server’s location. NLS 5.7.3 and later Saturday and Sunday times can be specified but are disabled by default.
Exclude Holidays5.29+	SMS messages will not be sent on the holidays for the selected region as specified in the Holiday List. Note SMS messages will not be sent on the actual holiday dates. SMS messages will be sent on the observed dates if they differ from the actual holiday dates.

Click Test to test the server connection. A dialog will appear to indicate if a connection was made successfully or if any errors were encountered.

Communication Preferences Tab

To create a communication preference, click Add . Enter a name and a description for the preference and click OK.

Specify for each event, whether to make the option of printing, emailing, or sending a text message available for a loan. Only items that are selected will be available as an option in a loan’s communication preferences discussed below. Choose a corresponding template for use with print, email, and SMS options.

Event	Comments
ACH Added5.37+	Triggered when ACH Automated Payment of Type “Recurring” or “Billing” is added or re-activated. The status of the ACH must be active for the notification to be sent. If the ACH is added with an inactive status, no notification is sent.
ACH Ended5.37+	Triggered when ACH Automated Payment of Type “Recurring” or “Billing” is updated with its status set to Disabled or Expired. This event occurs both when the expiration for the given automated payment actually occurs (during ACH processing), and when the automated payment has its status manually updated in the GUI or by XML import to Expired (only from Active). The Ended (Removed/Disabled) event can only occur manually, and occurs when the user removes/deletes an automated payment (only if its status was Active), or sets its status to Disabled (only when it was previously Active).
ACH Return	Triggered when an ACH Automated Payment return is processed.
Card Added5.37+	Triggered when Card Automated Payment of Type “Recurring” or “Billing” is added or re-activated.
Card Ended5.37+	Triggered when Card Automated Payment of Type “Recurring” or “Billing” is updated with its status set to Disabled or Expired.
Card Advance Notification	For card advance notification, the message may be sent on any of one to seven days before the advance date.
Card Decline (Recurring type)	Triggered when a recurring card transaction is declined.
Card Processed (Recurring type)	Triggered when a recurring card transaction is processed.
Late Notice	For late notice emails, the notice may be sent as an attachment to the email by selecting the Attach document to email option.
NSF
Paid in Full5.37+	Triggered when a payment with the Payoff option selected is entered on a loan.
Payment Posted
Payments Due	For payments due, the message may be sent on any of one to seven days before the due date, on the due date, and one day past the due date. NLS 5.23 and later Different payment due communications may be sent based on the number of days before and after the due date. To add a Payments Due communication, click and enter the number of days and select Before or After for the communication to be sent. Then select the email and/or the SMS template to use. The Disregard PTP option determines whether the communication is sent if there is a PTP on the account or not. If this option is selected, the communication is sent regardless of any existing PTPs. If this option is not selected, no communication is sent. When Enable 2-way Texting is selected, the SMS Queue may be configured for the SMS replies. This selection applies to all payments due communications. NLS 5.33 and later Select which document template to use in the Print Template column. Only Loan Report template type document templates can be selected.
Promise to Pay Reminder5.7.3+	Promise To Pay Reminder is sent one day prior to the due date of the promise and can only be sent Monday through Friday.
Statement	Triggered when a statement is generated. The statement may be sent as an attachment to the email by selecting the Attach document to email option.
Welcome Letter	A welcome letter to be sent when a new loan is opened. Num of days after Open Day specifies how many days after the loan’s open date/origination date the selected communication is to be sent.

Email Template Tab

To create a new email template, click Add . Enter a name and click OK.

Name	The name of the email template.
Email Server	Drop down list of available email servers.
Comment Category5.38+	The comment category under which the email will be stored.
Alert Type	Specify the type of alert that this message is to be associated with.
Subject	Subject line of the email.
Body	Body of the email.
Body Encoding	Click to select the buttons to choose between HTML or plain text email messages.

While editing the subject and body of the template, right-click in the field and select from available keywords (variables) from the Macros menu.

With the exception of the generic macros, all other macros are specific to the selected Alert Type. For example, if the Alert Type is NSF, only those macros listed under NSF Macro and Generic Macro may be used in the template.

Click Test to test the email template. A dialog will prompt you for an email address to send the template. Check the email to verify that the template is formatted accordingly.

Email template keywords

KEYWORD	COMMENT
{NLS_ACCTREFNO}
{NLS_LOANNUMBER}
{NLS_LOANNUMBER_LAST_4_CHARS}
{NLS_LOAN_TIN_LAST_4_CHARS}
{NLS_CONTACT_TIN_LAST_4_CHARS}
{NLS_FIRSTNAME}
{NLS_LASTNAME}
{NLS_COMPANY}
{NLS_ADDRESS1}
{NLS_ADDRESS2}
{NLS_CITY}
{NLS_STATE}
{NLS_ZIP}
{NLS_BRANCH_PHONE_NUMBER}4.10.8+
{NLS_DEALER}5.18+	Dealer Contact # in the Classification tab of Loan Setup must be specified and the K1 Segment Creditor Name in Dealer Setup must be specified.
{NLS_TOTAL_CURRENT_DUE}
{NLS_TOTAL_PAST_DUE}
{NLS_DAYS_PAST_DUE}
{NLS_PAYOFF_AMOUNT}
{NLS_STATEMENT_DATE}
{NLS_STATEMENT_DUE_DATE}
{NLS_STATEMENT_PAYOFF_AMOUNT}
{NLS_STATEMENT_TOTAL_CURRENT_DUE}
{NLS_STATEMENT_TOTAL _PAST_DUE}
{NLS_DAYS_BEFOREAFTER_DUE_DESC}
{NLS_DUE_DATE}
{NLS_DUE_AMOUNT}
{NLS_AMOUNT}
{NLS_CC_NEXT_PROCESS_DATE}
{NLS_CC_DAYS_BEFORE_PROCESS_DATE}
{NLS_PTP_AMOUNT}5.7.3+
{NLS_PTP_DATE}5.7.3+
{NLS_ACH_RETURN_REASON}5.27+
{NLS_EFFECTIVE_DATE}5.37+	Valid only for Paid in Full event.
{NLS_ACH_DESC}5.37+	Valid for ACH Added and ACH Ended events.
{NLS_CARD_DESC}5.37+	Valid for Card Added and Card Ended events.
{NLS_CARD_LAST_FOUR_DIGITS}5.37+	Valid for Card Added and Card Ended events.

SMS Template Tab

To add a new SMS event, click Add . Enter a name for the event, choose the SMS server to use from the drop down list, and choose an alert type that will trigger the SMS from the drop down list. Choose an organization structure and select the checkbox for the template to use for this event.

Name	Name of the SMS template.
SMS Server	Drop down list of available SMS servers.
Alert Type	Specify the type of alert that this message is to be associated with.
Organization Structure	Choose an organization structure as provided by Solutions by Text.
Templates	List of available SMS templates. Click to select the template to use.

Once all of the information in entered, click OK to restart NLS for the changes to take affect.

3. The Communication option in Loan Group Setup.

Click the Main slider on the shortcut bar, then Setup, then Loan Setup > Loan Group.

Click the Servicing Options tab and choose the Communication preference to use for this loan group from the drop down list.

4. Loan Communication Preferences

To set up a loan with email and SMS events, query the loan and highlight it in the treebar. Select View > Communication Preferences menuClick the Loan tab on the ribbon bar then click Communication Preferences .

In the Alerts tab, select the alert types that will trigger an email or SMS for this loan. Only alert types that have been configured and selected in Setup for that communication preference are listed and can be selected. Alert types that have not been configured for email or SMS will be grayed out or will not be listed.

In the Email Address/SMS # tab, configure the email address and SMS numbers of the recipient.

In the Email Address section, click New and enter an email address of the recipient.

Or click to choose from a list of email addresses associated with the loan.

Select the email address to use and click OK. Finally, click Submit to add the email address to the list.

Multiple email addresses may be entered separately.

In the SMS # section, click New and enter the phone number of the recipient.

Or click to choose from a list of mobile phone numbers associated with the loan.

Select the phone number to use and click OK.

Once a phone number is entered, click Submit. A verification message, as defined in the SMS Server VBT setup, will be sent to the phone number. Follow the verification process to validate the phone number.

To delete an email address or SMS #, highlight the item in the list and click .