---
title: "Manage customer portal & card expiry emails | Helcim Learn"
slug: "customer-account-notifications"
description: "Learn how to customize automatic emails for Customer Portal invitations and notifications for customers with an expiring credit card on file."
updated: 2025-09-18T20:49:08Z
published: 2025-09-18T20:49:08Z
canonical: "learn.helcim.com/customer-account-notifications"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.helcim.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manage customer portal & card expiry notifications

Keeping customer information up-to-date and providing them with a secure place to manage their account is a great way to build lasting relationships.

These settings allow you to control the automated emails that help your customers manage their accounts with you.

## Finding your communication settings

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First, you'll need to navigate to the main communications hub in your account.

1. Click on the **All Tools** menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. In the menu that appears, scroll down and select **Settings**.
3. On the **Settings** page, click **Communications**.

![How to access the communications settings page in the Helcim platform.](https://cdn.document360.io/4e721329-1a9d-4ef0-8d2f-497e0c1f185a/Images/Documentation/communication-settings.png)

## Configuring your customer notifications

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### Available notifications

On the left side of the **Communications** page, look for the **Customers** heading. Here you can control important account-related emails.

Click on an email from the list to view its settings on the right side of the page.

- **Portal invitation:** This welcome email is sent to new customers to help them verify their email and set up their secure [Customer Portal](/v1/docs/using-customer-portal) access.
- **Credit card expiring or missing:** This is an automated reminder sent to customers when their credit card on file is about to expire or is missing.

| ![](https://cdn.document360.io/4e721329-1a9d-4ef0-8d2f-497e0c1f185a/Images/Documentation/settings.png) | The portal invitation email only applies if you’ve set up and enabled your Customer Portal. Head to [this article](/v1/docs/using-customer-portal) to learn more. |
| --- | --- |

---

### Customize notification settings

Once you've selected an email, you can customize its settings on the right.

- **Send email:** Use the main toggle at the top to turn this specific email notification on or off.
- **Choose Recipients:**
  - **Send customer copy:** Check this box to send the email to the customer.
  - **Send merchant copy:** Check this box to send a copy to your business.
- **Merchant email:** If sending a merchant copy, enter the email address(es) where you'd like to receive it.
- **Email template:**
  - **Subject:** Edit the subject line of the email.
  - **Body:** Edit the body of the email.

Click **Save** once you’re done making changes.

| ![](https://cdn.document360.io/4e721329-1a9d-4ef0-8d2f-497e0c1f185a/Images/Documentation/pencil-white.png) | To learn how to use special placeholders called **Dynamic fields** in your email templates, check out our [guide on personalizing emails](/v1/docs/dynamic-fields-email-personalization). |
| --- | --- |

## Next steps

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- **Learn more about the Customer Portal:** Get a full tour of the features available in the Customer Portal and see how it can benefit your business: [How to use the Customer Portal](/v1/docs/using-customer-portal).
- **Securely save customer payment info:** Learn how to use the Card Vault to securely store customer credit cards for future payments: [Manage customer credit cards (in your Card Vault)](/v1/docs/manage-customer-cards-vault).

---

### FAQs

**When is the "Credit card expiring" email sent?**

This email is sent to customers automatically during the month their card is set to expire, giving them plenty of time to update their information and avoid service interruptions.

**Can I customize the portal invitation for different customers?**

The email template is the same for all customers, but d[ynamic fields](/v1/docs/dynamic-fields-email-personalization) will automatically personalize the greeting and information for each recipient.

**What happens if I don't invite a customer to the portal?**

Your customers can still pay individual invoices using the direct payment links you send them. They just won't have a central, secure login where they can view their entire history with your business.