Today we released the SMS Authentication option.When turned ON, users have to enter a phone number after they clicked on a package or entered a voucher code on the splash page. The system sends a 4 digit code which has to be entered back for verification. If verification was successful, the process continues as before (user can register an account or login in case of online payments OR activate the voucher). You can also restrict where the SMS can be sent (for example to italian phones only). That way only customers with a valid italian phone number can purchase access online by credit card or paypal for example.
The SMS authentication can be used for the following purposes:
- In some countries (f.e. Pisanu Law in Italy) user identification is necessary in public hotspots
- You can turn this option ON if you want to reduce the abuse of the system
- You can collect phone numbers and send information, advertisements, etc. to those phone numbers (especially useful in free hotspots). WARNING: You have to replace the NOTE text and tell users that they will get SMS messages if you want to use their phone numbers for this purpose.
You can turn this option ON in the Control Center > Manage > Locations > click on name > Modify Hotspot Data > Splash Page Settings.
COMING SOON: Voucher codes via SMS (You don't have to give the voucher code to the user personally, they can get a code via SMS)
NOTE: If you're using a custom Skin, the sms part may appear wrong. For this to be fixed you can create a new Skin (based on the same layout as your existing custom skin), copy the contents of sms.inc.html and paste it to your existing skin's sms.inc.html.
