Notification Emails in Synkra Chat
Notification Emails in Synkra Chat
Section titled “Notification Emails in Synkra Chat”Synkra Chat sends and receives email on your behalf in three different situations. This article explains what each one is, when it happens, and how they all share the same credit pool.
Whether you are reading this because you are setting up your first email inbox or because your allowance is running low, this page has the full picture.
The Three Types of Email
Section titled “The Three Types of Email”All email activity in Synkra Chat falls into one of three categories.
Notification Emails
Section titled “Notification Emails”Notification emails are emails Synkra Chat sends to your customers automatically. They are not replies from an agent, and they are not incoming messages. They are system generated emails that keep the customer informed.
Today the only notification email Synkra Chat sends is the conversation transcript.
When a conversation is marked resolved, Synkra Chat sends the customer an email containing the full conversation history. The customer gets a record of what was discussed and agreed. Your team gets fewer requests for copies of conversations.
You can turn transcripts off in Settings, then Account. If you turn them off, no transcript emails go out and no credits are consumed. Agents can still send a transcript manually from any conversation using the Send Transcript action.
Inbound Customer Emails
Section titled “Inbound Customer Emails”Inbound customer emails are messages your customers send to your business email address. They arrive through the email channel if you have set one up.
When a customer emails your business address, their message forwards to a Synkra address, becomes a conversation in your inbox, and appears alongside your website widget and other channels.
Learn more about setting up the email channel in our dedicated article: Email Channel for Synkra Chat.
Outbound Agent Replies
Section titled “Outbound Agent Replies”Outbound agent replies are emails your team sends from Synkra Chat to a customer. When you reply to a conversation that came in through the email channel, your reply is delivered as a normal email.
The customer sees it as a reply to their original message. It threads correctly in their inbox. They can reply back, and their reply comes into Synkra as a new message on the same conversation.
One Pool, Three Sources
Section titled “One Pool, Three Sources”All three types of email count against the same shared pool on your plan. Every email in or out costs one credit.
| Activity | Consumes a credit |
|---|---|
| Customer emails your business address (inbound) | 1 |
| Agent replies from Synkra to a customer (outbound) | 1 |
| Transcript sent when a conversation is resolved (notification) | 1 |
There is no separate pool for inbound, outbound, or notification emails. There is no separate pool for the email channel. Everything email related pulls from the same number.
This keeps billing simple. You see one number in your billing settings. It tells you exactly how many emails you have left this month, regardless of which direction they went.
Your Plan’s Monthly Allowance
Section titled “Your Plan’s Monthly Allowance”Each plan includes a monthly email allowance. The allowance resets at the start of each billing period.
| Plan | Emails included per month |
|---|---|
| Free | 300 |
| Starter | 2,000 |
| Business | 2,750 |
| Pro | 5,000 |
Every email in or out draws from this number. A busy account with a lot of inbound customer emails will use their allowance faster than an account that mainly uses the website widget.
See Credits and add-ons for how allowances work across everything else Synkra Chat meters.
Warning Notifications
Section titled “Warning Notifications”You will receive an email from Synkra when your monthly email usage crosses 70 percent, 90 percent, and 100 percent of your allowance. The email goes to your account administrators, giving you time to top up before you hit the ceiling.
Running Out of Email Credits
Section titled “Running Out of Email Credits”When your allowance is exhausted, the following behavior applies:
Inbound customer emails still arrive. If a customer emails your business address, their message still reaches Synkra and appears as a conversation. Your team can still see and reply to it.
Outbound replies from Synkra still send. If an agent replies from within Synkra Chat, the reply goes to the customer.
Manual transcript sends are blocked. If an agent tries to send a transcript manually, they see a message explaining that email credits are exhausted.
Automatic transcripts on resolve are paused. No transcript emails go out when a conversation is resolved.
We deliberately do not block inbound customer emails or agent replies when credits run out. Your customers must never be left without a response because of a billing event. The credit is metered, but the message always goes through.
Buying Email Top-Ups
Section titled “Buying Email Top-Ups”When you need more email credits, buy a top-up pack from Settings, then Billing.
| Pack | Price |
|---|---|
| 1,000 emails | R50 |
| 2,000 emails | R100 |
| 5,000 emails | R250 |
| 10,000 emails | R500 |
| 20,000 emails | R1,000 |
Top-up packs have three properties worth noting:
- They never expire. Buy once, use whenever.
- They are drawn down only after your plan allowance is exhausted. You always get the full value of what your plan includes first.
- They apply immediately. As soon as the payment completes, your credit balance goes up. No waiting for the next billing cycle.
The Email Channel vs the Notification Email Pool
Section titled “The Email Channel vs the Notification Email Pool”If you are new to Synkra Chat, the word “email” appears in a few places and it can be confusing. Here is the clearest way to think about it:
The email channel is a way to receive and send emails. It is a feature. It lets your customers email you and lets you reply by email.
Notification emails, inbound emails, and outbound replies are the three things that use the email channel and the transcript feature. They are the events that consume credits.
You do not need the email channel set up to have notification emails. Transcripts work on any channel, including the website widget. A customer who chatted with you through your website can still receive a transcript by email if you have their email address on file.
If you do set up the email channel, all of its activity lands in the same shared pool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”Do I need the email channel set up to send notification emails?
No. Transcripts are sent to the customer’s email address on file, regardless of which channel the conversation came through. A website widget conversation can still generate a transcript email.
Do notification emails count toward my message allowance?
No. Messages and emails are two separate pools. The message allowance covers messages sent through your inbox. The email pool covers everything email related.
Does a transcript cost more than an inbound customer email?
No. Every email costs exactly one credit, whether it is a short transcript or a long customer email with attachments.
If I run out of email credits, will my email channel stop working?
No. Inbound customer emails and outbound agent replies continue to flow. Only transcripts pause, both automatic and manual.
Can I disable transcripts to save credits?
Yes. Turn off auto-transcripts in Settings, then Account. Agents can still send a transcript manually when they want the customer to have a record.
Where can I see my email usage?
Open Settings, then Billing. The notification emails meter shows your usage for the current period.
What is the difference between a notification email and an inbound email?
A notification email is sent by Synkra on your behalf, automatically, typically after a conversation resolves. An inbound email is a message your customer sent to your business address. Both consume a credit from the same pool.
What is the difference between an outbound reply and a notification email?
An outbound reply is a message your agent wrote and sent to a customer. A notification email is sent automatically by Synkra with content the system generated, like a transcript. Both consume a credit from the same pool.
Do top-up credits expire?
No. Purchased credits carry over indefinitely and are only used after your plan allowance for the current month is exhausted.
Do top-up credits get used before my plan allowance?
No. Your included monthly allowance is always consumed first. Top-ups are only drawn down when the allowance is fully used.
