When you register to access phone numbers for text messaging, your campaign or organization undergoes an identity verification protocol. Importantly, your campaign or organization’s website will be examined for compliance with specific carrier requirements. Websites that don’t meet the criteria frequently lead to registration rejections and delays. We’ve put together these website guidelines to help position your organization for a seamless registration process.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Establish an online presence

Carriers want to see evidence that your campaign or organization has an online presence. 


If you don’t have a website, acceptable alternatives at this time include an active social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) or standalone SMS opt-in form. External pages such as Secretary of State filings or news articles will not suffice.


Ensure your website works

Websites should be publicly accessible. If your website is still under construction, password protected, or leads to an error page, it won’t meet regulatory requirements.


Build a compliant SMS opt-in form

As part of the registration process, you are required to explain how your organization gains access to the phone numbers of the people you contact. You must include an industry-compliant webform for phone number collection to register for toll-free. We also strongly recommend creating a webform following these best practices for 10DLC registrations.


Image above: Webforms for collecting phone numbers must contain an optional field to enter a phone number, an optional checkbox to affirm consent to receiving texts, a SMS opt-in terms and conditions blurb, and a link to the privacy policy.


Mobile opt-in flows should include:


  1. An optional, standalone field for users to enter their phone number. For toll-free, the field should not be starred or marked as required.


  1. A checkbox for individuals to confirm their opt-in. This checkbox should not be pre-selected. 


  1. Beneath the checkbox, include a short paragraph explaining SMS opt-in terms and conditions, i.e. “By selecting this checkbox and entering your phone number you are agreeing to receive campaign updates and news from [ORG] …” 


  1. In the terms and conditions blurb, there must be language specifying the frequency that your audience can expect to receive messages, i.e. “you can expect to receive up to X texts per day/week/month”. Please note that using vague terms such as “periodic messaging" will result in rejection on toll-free. Instead, use specific, numbered language such as "no more than 1 text per day" or "at a maximum of 5 times a month".


  1. The terms and conditions blurb should also describe how users can opt-out, i.e. “Text STOP to stop receiving messages.”


  1. Ideally, the terms and conditions blurb will also link directly to the website privacy policy. 


Here’s a sample opt-in form with the necessary elements.


Align your privacy policy with SMS opt-in rules

To comply with regulatory requirements, websites should include a privacy policy explaining the types of information collected by your organization, why it is being collected, how long it will be retained, and how it will be protected. Most importantly, the privacy policy must make clear that phone numbers collected by your organization will not be shared with or sold to third parties for their own use.


Here’s the Scale to Win privacy policy as an example. Notice that it spells out what information we may collect, how we may use the information, under what circumstances we would disclose it, how we protect information, what options users have, and how to contact us. 


When building your privacy policy, make sure to spell out that phone numbers collected for text messaging will not be shared, rented, or sold. Here is some sample language that gets this across:


Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties, provided that the foregoing does not apply to sharing (1) with vendors, consultants and other service providers who need access to such information to carry out work on our behalf (and who will not use such information for their own purposes); (2) if we believe disclosure is required by any applicable law, rule, or regulation or to comply with law enforcement or legal process. 


Questions? Book time with us to talk through your registration here.