Registration Forms
We will need information to set up your brand and campaign.
Fill out the BRAND form. That way we can get started creating your Brand.
Fill out the CAMPAIGN form. Please fill in as much information as possible. We understand there are a lot of questions. We will work with you to modify any sections (if needed) and get you up to compliance so your campaign will be approved as quickly as possible.
Your completed forms will be sent to our Support Team. The approval process typically takes up to 30 days.
Phone Number and Email
This part talks about the contact person's phone number and email for managing messages. These may be different from what's on your website/online presence. If your brand uses social media, it's best if the contact info matches there too.
For larger companies, the email should be from the company's domain (not Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.). Using public emails like Gmail may cause the campaign to be rejected.
Many small businesses have a website but still use Gmail or other public email, which is typically acceptable for small businesses. Reviewers will decide during the vetting if it's okay.
If someone else handles messaging for your brand, you can provide their contact info. Please let us beforehand if that's the case.
Website / Online Presence
Please include a URL your website or online presence. This URL can include a social media page, as long it can be reviewed to verify the business. Even if you do not put your website on the form, the aggregator will search for the business to see if there’s any associated website. If there is prohibited content on your website, the campaign will be rejected.
Website
Acceptable Criteria
A working and secured website.
If a website has a web form that is used to collect mobile numbers, opt-in language with SMS disclosures is required.
The site's content and offerings correspond to the proposed messaging use cases.
The Privacy Policy must clearly state that consumer Personally Identifiable Information (PII) will not be shared or sold to third parties for the purpose of marketing.
The privacy policy must indicate what information is being collected, how it is used, and how users can opt-out.
Rejectable Criteria
An unsecured and non-working website.
A website that lands on a domain parking site (e.g., GoDaddy, Wix, or others).
A website that is an empty placeholder (or a “coming soon” site).
A website with a web form that collects phone numbers but doesn't include opt-in language.
The Privacy Policy link is inactive.
The Privacy policy does not state explicitly that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) will not be shared with third parties.
The Privacy Policy referenced sharing information with third parties.
Websites without SMS disclosures.
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
Acceptable Criteria
The brand is clearly identified (meaning the brand name or DBA is the same as what appears on their social media). If at all possible, it is best if the email address and phone number in the Brand details also match.
A more established social media presence will be more likely to be approved than something that was more recently launched.
Social media pages should be made public.
Rejectable Criteria
If the company's website that collects phone numbers is listed or mentioned on the customer’s social media page, the DCA will check it and reject the campaign.
Private pages.
Online presence without SMS disclosures and Privacy Policy.
Acceptable Criteria
The LinkedIn page should be a company listing – not an individual.
The LinkedIn page should be made public.
The 'About' section of the company listing should have enough information to fully vet the campaign for the brand, including Privacy Policy links as well as a fully compliant SMS Disclosure.
Rejectable Criteria
The 'About' section of the company page doesn't have enough information.
Private pages.
Use of personal LinkedIn profiles in lieu of a business profile will certainly result in rejection.
No SMS disclosures and Privacy Policy.
Yelp
Acceptable Criteria
Make sure your business page link on Yelp is viewable in all regions.
Incorporate an appropriate SMS Disclosure and Privacy Policy for your business.
Rejectable Criteria
No SMS disclosures and Privacy Policy.
Profile Sites
Acceptable Criteria
These sites are typically used to provide general information about a professional.
Common with physicians, medical, and occasionally legal professionals, these sites should provide general information about the professional(s) in question.
Incorporate a compliant SMS Disclosure and Privacy Policy link (or statement) for the business.
Rejectable Criteria
No SMS disclosures and Privacy Policy.
Privacy Policy
The key point is that the policy must be clear that an end user’s Personally Identifiable Information (or PII) will not be shared or sold to third parties for the purpose of marketing.
Privacy Policies vary greatly from simple statements to very long and complex policies – it’s dependent on the industry and business as well as applicable privacy law. Most policies typically indicate what they can and will do with PII – most of which – is perfectly acceptable – especially when used to operate the business itself. If a business shares or sells information, the Privacy Policy must specify the reasons. A few examples might include:
If the business is sold or merged
Compliance with legal requirements of the business
If the business has payment processing or other business operational responsibilities
Even if the Privacy Policy notes that the business does share or sell information to unaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes, the Privacy Policy can become compliant if a statement similar to the following is added:
“No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.”
Compliant Privacy Policies are mandatory on the following campaigns:
All Political Campaigns.
All Marketing Campaigns.
Any campaign that is in the business of buying houses (typically a real-estate or investment firm) which uses a variety of A2P 10DLC use cases (Marketing, Mixed, Low Volume, etc.).
There are an increasing number of these campaigns showing up and several have been cited or suspended for excess spam traffic.
If a messaging campaign collects numbers on the website (typically through a webform – which must have the appropriate messaging disclosures and/or consent notifications or check-boxes) AND the business provides any of the following:
Mortgages and Loans – typically Mortgage companies, banks, savings and loans, credit unions
Financing of any kind (automobile, other motor vehicle, medical, home improvement, etc.)
Medium to large businesses that may utilize number pools or have a large number of employees (typically greater than 49)
Age-Gated campaign registrations of any kind
Notes regarding Facebook or Instagram sites: Some small businesses do not have a website but use a business social media presence. In those cases, you may create a post with both the full SMS disclosure and a Privacy Policy link or the actual text of a short Privacy Policy. You can make that social media post “sticky” so that it always appears at the top of the social media presence for this business. Another option is to link it in the “About” section (applies to Facebook). Privacy Policies can be linked to Google documents or written out in the social media post.
Campaign Description
Please be sure to explain the campaign's objectives and intended use. The campaign description should clearly explain for what purpose the messaging is being used by the company. Your Campaign description should answer the following questions:
Who you are
Who do you want to reach
Why you are sending out messages
Here are some examples:
Messages aimed at customers of a car dealership service center. Appointment reminders, repair updates, satisfaction follow-up, online bill payment, and 2-way conversations.
We will be sending out 2FA codes for login and password reset. Additionally, users will also receive codes after they have signed up with their phone number to validate the phone and activate their account.
Please note that each one of these examples describes how the SMS (and/or MMS) campaign will be used. It is important that the campaign description actually matches the sample messages and that the sample messages are as accurate as possible.
Campaign Types
2FA - Any authentication, verification, or a one-time passcode.
Account Notifications - Standard notifications for account holders, relating to and being about an account.
Agents and Franchises - Agents; franchises; local branches
Charity - Communications from a registered charity aimed at providing help and raising money for those in need. 501c3 Tax-Exempt Organizations only. If registering as a Non-Profit with a 'Charity' Special Campaign Use Case, you must also use the EIN and Legal Company name that matches your Federal Government Registration as a Non-Profit, and you must have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to qualify as a Non-Profit Organization.
Customer Care - All customer care interactions, including but not limited to account management and customer support
Delivery Notifications - Notification about the status of the delivery of a product or service.
Emergency - Notification services that are designed to support public safety/health during natural disasters, armed conflicts, pandemics, and other national or regional emergencies.
Fraud Alert Messaging - Notifications regarding potential fraudulent activity on a user's account.
Higher Education - Messaging created on behalf of Colleges or Universities, including School Districts and education institutions. This use case is NOT for the "free to the consumer" messaging model.
Low Volume Mixed - For Brands that have multiple use cases and only need very low messaging throughput. Most companies can be served by ‘Low Volume Mixed’ use case, which includes less than 2,000 messages per day (T-Mobile) or 75 Texts Per Minute.
Marketing - Any communication that includes marketing and/or promotional content.
Mixed - Any messaging campaign containing 2 to 5 standard use cases.
Political (Election Campaigns) - Part of an organized effort to influence the decision-making of a specific group. Available only to registered 501(c)(4/5/6) and Orgs with a Campaign Verify token.
Polling and voting - The sending of surveys and polling/voting campaigns for non-political arenas.
Public Service Announcement - Informational messaging to raise an audience's awareness about important issues.
Security Alert - A notification that the security of a system, either software or hardware, has been compromised in some way and there is an action you need to take.
Social - Communication between public figures/influencers and their communities. Examples include: YouTube Influencers' alerts or Celebrity alerts
Sweepstakes - All sweepstakes messaging
Embedded Link / Embedded Phone Number
If any of the messages that you will send will include a link (such as your website) or your phone number (or both), select “YES” for these.
We recommend always checking YES for both in the event you decide at a later date to include an embedded URL or phone number in the text of the message -- regardless of whether it is shown in your sample messages.
For embedded links, public URL shorteners are not typically approved (bit.ly, tiny.url). If a brand has its OWN URL shortener, we will review it and decide if it is acceptable on a case-by-case basis.
If a customer selects "NO" for the embedded link, but the sample content provided clearly shows links, the DCA might reject the campaign; In these cases, you will need to submit a new campaign with "YES" selected for the embedded link.
This is part of your campaign and content attributes. Please make sure your campaign and content attributes are correct. These fields cannot be changed, so a brand-new campaign will have to be submitted if any change is needed.
Direct Lending / Loan Arrangements
Select “YES” if the brand originates loans or financing of any kind, including arranging third-party financing. For example, even auto sellers who provide or arrange financing or loans should check this attribute “YES.”
Virtually all banks, savings & loans, and credit unions offer loan products, so the attribute should be set to “YES.” This includes places such as car, truck, boat, or other vehicle dealerships and sellers. While not their primary business, they likely arrange some sort of financing. If that is the case, then this attribute should be checked “YES.”
If your website (regardless of business) indicates anywhere that it might provide or arrange financing, then check this attribute as “YES.” We’ve seen window companies, HVAC dealers, home builders, home remodelers, appliance companies that need to have this attribute checked since they can arrange financing for consumers.
This is part of your campaign and content attributes. Please make sure your campaign and content attributes are correct. These fields cannot be changed, so a brand-new campaign will have to be submitted if any change is needed.
Sample Messages
The sample messages should show the kind of messages that would be sent by the campaign. You must show messages that are different from each other and give examples of what you might send so that the DCA can see how the exchange might look. These should be specific to the campaign’s intended use and not a general set of messages that have nothing to do with the campaign use case.
Here are some examples:
[Brand Name]: Your validation code is 123456. It will expire in 15 minutes.
Hi %FirstName%! This is John with Sonictel. We would love to invite you to visit our booth at the upcoming Conference, which is taking place virtually and in person from Nov 9-13! Tickets are available now. There will be panels relating to voice, messaging, and 911! Register at www.sonictel.com.
Hello John Doe, this is a reminder about your appointment with John’s Car Dealership on April 2nd, 2021, at 10:00 AM. Please reply YES to confirm your attendance or NO if you are not able to make it. Let us know when you would like to reschedule your appointment. Thank you!
Reminder from Dr. Smiles, DDS, Hi John, we look forward to seeing you at 3:00 pm tomorrow for your appointment.
Age-Gated Content
Government–approved texts that can only be sent to consumers over 21. This means that the business must check the consumer’s age before giving them the option to opt-in to receive text messages. Verification of age can be done by getting the date of birth information. The following are allowed if proper age-gating procedures are in place. Select "YES" if it applies to the business being registered.
Alcohol
Tobacco
Age-Gated Form Example
This is part of your campaign and content attributes. Please make sure your campaign and content attributes are correct. These fields cannot be changed, so a brand-new campaign will have to be submitted if any change is needed.
Call-to-Action / Message Flow
A “Call-to-Action” is an invitation to a Consumer to opt-in to a messaging campaign. Its purpose is to describe how recipients of text messages via this campaign consent to receive these messages. In other words, how those numbers were acquired will need to be disclosed. The key point here is to be accurate and descriptive.
Opt-in Via Website
The user fills out a form on the website where they can consent to receive notification messages. There is also a box they can check to receive product updates and/or marketing messages. The messaging disclosure is displayed to users by this form.
Under the “Contact Us” website option, there is a form to fill out to get more information. The user’s phone number is requested. Additionally, there is a checkbox that the user may check to receive information via SMS message, with a full SMS disclosure provided.
When a consumer uses our online form to make an appointment, they are asked if they would like SMS appointment reminders sent to their phone. If they check the box YES, then appointment reminders will be sent.
When the user signs up for an account, the user must first enter their phone number. A 2FA message is sent to validate that phone number. After that, they are asked if they wish to receive account notification messages sent to the provided (and validated) phone number. The user will see all text messaging disclosures here.
Important: All webforms on a website that require or collect a phone number must include opt-in language and a Privacy policy. If these items are not included, the DCA will reject the Campaign.
Opt-in via Email
In our weekly marketing emails, we include a button that asks consumers if they would like to receive targeted information about upcoming sales via SMS. If they consent, then no more than twice weekly messages are sent. A full SMS disclosure is provided next to the email button.
In our account validation email, we offer the consumer a button to opt-in for SMS messages. If the consumer consents, messages will be sent for shipping and product updates.
Opt-in via Verbal Consent
While the client is at our location, we ask them if they would like to further discuss through text messaging, also reminding them that they can always opt-out of further messaging if they wish by simply replying STOP. We’ll also remind them that these text messages are subject to message and data rates and that the number of messages will vary based on our conversations. Finally, we note that we won’t sell or convey their private mobile data to any third parties and that they can always refer to the Privacy Policy on the website. If they reply that they would, we enter their phone number, and they will receive an opt-in confirmation message that will contain all of the appropriate disclosures.
When a consumer is checking out of our practice, we ask if we can send follow-up appointment reminders via SMS. If they consent, we remind them that they can always opt-out and that messaging and data rates will apply. Once we get their phone number, they will receive a welcome message noting that subsequent appointment reminders will be sent.
While on the phone with the user, the agent asks the customer to confirm if they wish to receive additional information via SMS. If the user agrees, the information is sent. We remind them that messaging and data charges may apply and that they can opt-out at any time by replying STOP and that HELP provides them with more information.
When a consumer requests directions via a phone call, we ask if it is okay to send them an SMS message with directions to our shop. Additionally, when consumers call us for an appointment, we ask if they would like to receive appointment reminders via SMS. During these calls, consumers are reminded that message and data rates apply and that they can always opt out later by replying STOP. We’ll also note that they will only receive appointment reminder messages when they make an appointment and that no other messages will be received.
Can be in-person or over the phone. You will need to outline a script that the brand will provide.
Consumer Initiated Opt-In
The customer can reach out to us via SMS (the phone number to text is on the website). We’ll send back a welcome message which notes that they will now receive updates via SMS. The welcome (or opt-in message) will have all SMS disclosures.
Employees may opt-in to messaging by texting the keyword START to a posted number on a bulletin board. The bulletin board post also contains additional information about the SMS notifications they will be receiving. There is also a welcome message after they send the START keyword, which contains the full set of SMS disclosures.
We provide a button on our social media site that opens up a form that the consumer may access to fill in their phone number and approve the receipt of SMS messages. There is a full SMS disclaimer underneath the button.
From our messaging app, users opt-in by texting our opt-in number and agreeing to receive text messages by sending OPT-IN. Optionally, our users can text a phone number once the user sends an OPT-IN
Opt-In Language and SMS Disclosures
The webforms should include opt-in language to obtain consumers' permission to send them messages. Effective opt-in language ensures compliance and enables express consent; it is how a consumer consents to receiving text messages from your brand.
SMS Disclosures should be complete enough to enable the person viewing them to realize that they are consenting to receive messaging from the business.
The SMS disclosure should always have the following elements:
Message and data rates may apply disclosure.
Reply STOP [as well as other keywords] to opt-out of future messaging. Reply HELP for more information.
Message frequency (number of messages / month/week/etc., or message frequency varies, or recurring messages)
A link to the Privacy Policy (and Terms & Conditions if there are any).
Sample Opt-in Language with SMS Disclosure:
By clicking "Submit " I agree to receive emails, text messages, and phone calls, which may be recorded and/or sent using automated dialing or emailing equipment or software unless I opt-out from such communications. I also agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy linked below. I understand that my consent to be contacted is not a requirement to purchase any product or service and that I can opt out at any time. Message & data rates may apply. Message frequency varies.
By submitting this form and signing up for texts, you consent to receive marketing text messages (e.g., promos, cart reminders). Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP or clicking the unsubscribe button link (where available). Privacy Policy & Terms
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to receive recurring informational SMS, MMS or Email messages from [YOUR BRAND NAME]. My click is my electronic signature, and I authorize you to send me text messages on my mobile phone or landline. I understand that consenting to receive SMS messages is not a condition of purchase or service. This is a standard rate subscription service available on most carriers, Msg & Data Rates May Apply. You can also request additional information by texting HELP or sending an email to xxxx@BRAND.COM. Service will continue until the customer cancels. Messaging frequency will vary. Subscription may be canceled by texting STOP, END, QUIT, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE. Further disclosure of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
SHAFT-C Content
The following types of content are not allowed on 10DLC: Sex, Hate, Alcohol*, Firearms, Tobacco*, Cannabis (CBD, etc.)
Example: If a chiropractor's office has CDB Oils on its website, this is prohibited, and the campaign will be denied, even if not directly related to CBD marketing. This content is not allowed to be on the customer's website at all.
*Alcohol and Tobacco - can be supported with robust age-gating and proper opt-in.