All you need to know about Opt-ins and Opt-outs when texting your US Customers

We’ve been in business since 2000 and we’ve seen SMS change and evolve from personal to business use, and with that, SMS has become a much more regulated space. SMS Regulatory bodies are working hard to maintain SMS as a trusted communications channel, one in which reputable brands are buying in to and sending anything from promotional messages or confirmation notifications to One Time PINs. More and more businesses are using SMS to deliver short, important, and time-sensitive messages to their customers, clients, stakeholders, and staff.

While we know that the regulatory requirements or restrictions of SMS messaging may be quite frustrating and onerous, we believe it is a good thing; it means your messages will remain credible in the eyes of your customers. The CTIA has put together these Messaging Principles and Best Practices with the main aim being that consumers are protected from receiving any unwanted messages.

What does this mean for you when sending messages to your US contacts?

For your messages to reach their destination successfully, you’ll need a phone number dedicated to your company (commonly referred to as an incoming number and can be either a 10 digit long code or a toll-free number) to use as per your specific messaging campaign requirements. And you’ll need to ensure that all message recipients are easily able to opt-out of any future SMS campaigns.

Having a dedicated number that has been assigned (and verified) by the networks to you for your SMS campaign means that your SMS messages will reach your US contacts, and that they will easily be able to reply to your messages either as a double opt-in mechanism, or an opt-out mechanism for these SMS communications.

There are costs involved when applying for and sending from your incoming number:

First Time Registration Fee:
USD 24.99
Monthly Fee:
From USD 1.50* pm (paid for upfront for either 6 or 12 months).

*Price for a TFN (Toll-free number). We do offer 10DLCs. Please speak to us if you would prefer a 10DLC.

We’ve outlined the process you can expect to follow when signing up with us:

Step 1 10 minutes

Register and apply immediately for your incoming number.

What you’ll need:

  • Company details (including EIN / Tax ID where relevant)
  • Proof of consent
  • Information on the SMS use case (or SMS campaign)

Step 2 +/- 48 hours

Once the form has been filled in, we’ll let you know if we have any questions. We will then send you a link to pay for your incoming number. We can only submit your application to the relevant regulatory body once this payment has been received. Please be sure to pay promptly.

Step 3 1 to 8 weeks

Your application should be verified within 1 to 8 weeks depending on various factors, such as your application type or use case, message volumes etc. We know that this can be a long time to wait to run your SMS campaigns, but the sending of messages to North America is highly regulated by the CTIA and we believe that these restrictions posed by this regulatory body benefits reputable businesses who are sending text messages. Once you've applied, we will let you know how long we expect it to take for you to get up and running with your incoming number.

We will keep you up to date every step of the way, and as soon as we have a response to your application, or any questions, we’ll let you know.

If you have any questions or need any help with your incoming number for the United States, email us on support@bulksms.com.

If you’d like to get started, register for a BulkSMS account or contact us for more information.

Register here Email us