Channels & Signup
How merchants join Commerce Index, and how the OS reaches them — designed so the everyday flow costs nothing: your message to us opens a free reply window, email carries the routine traffic, and paid messages are reserved for things worth paying for.
Five ways in
WhatsApp (primary)
Message our WhatsApp number — that IS the signup. Your first message is a verified phone (Meta authenticated it), so there's no OTP and no form. It also opens a free 24-hour service window, so onboarding costs nothing.
SMS text-in
Text our number from any phone and you're signed up. This is also the automatic fallback when an iPhone user's iMessage isn't deliverable — it silently becomes an SMS and still works.
iMessage
Data-based (free per message), connected through a relay — a Mac signed into Messages.app or a hosted vendor. Same inbound-first signup once a relay is deployed. Apple-ID email handles link to existing accounts by email match.
Phone number + OTP
The classic path from the website: enter your number, get a 6-digit code (WhatsApp first, SMS fallback). Kept for people who prefer starting from the browser.
Shopify App Store
Install from the App Store — OAuth detects your store automatically, and connecting store data jumps you +100 spots in the onboarding queue.
How the OS reaches you
Every outbound message is routed by urgency through the channel policy — the cheapest channel that fits how much the message matters.
Routine
— Digests, stories, onboarding tipsEmail (free). If no email: WhatsApp only while your free reply window is open — never a paid template for routine messages.
Actionable
— Approvals, Money Found statements, fix alertsWhatsApp free-form inside the 24h window; an approved utility template (~half a cent) only when the window is closed; email fallback.
Critical (Sev-1)
— Runway critical, payment failure, store downWhatsApp template regardless of window PLUS an automated phone call. You will not miss it.
Control words
STOP / UNSUBSCRIBEOpt out of everything (honored instantly, carrier-compliant)STARTOpt back inHELPHelp text with all commandsPAUSEMute onboarding tips only — statements and urgent alerts continueSMS / WHATSAPPSwitch your preferred channel"talk to supply chain"Reach any business department by nameChannel economics
| Channel | Per message | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp (in window) | Free | Your message opens a rolling 24h free-reply window |
| WhatsApp template | ~$0.005–0.02 | Only for urgent pushes outside the window |
| ~Free | Default for routine traffic | |
| iMessage | Free | Data-based; relay (Mac or hosted) is the only cost |
| SMS | ~$0.008 | OTP fallback + text-in signup; plan allowances apply |
| Voice (Sev-1) | ~$0.014/min | Critical alerts only |
Each plan includes a monthly message allowance (Free 30 · Starter 500 · Pro 2,000 · Scale 10,000); beyond it, billable messages meter in credits at carrier cost plus a small volume-tiered fee. OTP and STOP/HELP traffic is never billed.