Guidance for Messaging Practices and Developing Proper Opt In Procedures
To participate in A2P business messaging, it is important for you to understand the basic expectations of the industry. A2P (Application To Person) messaging is where a business uses an application to send messages to a cell phone recipient. We are here to help you navigate this new territory and communicate effectively with your customers.
Building Trust
The mobile carriers understand the importance of reestablishing trust in the industry, so that people will begin accepting calls and allowing texts. They are working very hard to identify and block the bad actors that send unwanted messages, phishing, smishing, and scams to everyone’s phones.
Identity Fraud Cost Americans $43 Billion in 2023 claimed Christina Ianzito in her AARP article published April 10, 2024. “There are different ways that criminals can access your personal information. They include identity fraud scams, where criminals influence a consumer to expose sensitive data, often by misrepresenting themselves.” She explains, “These commonly are in the form of impersonation scams, where you’ll receive calls, emails or texts spoofing a government agency, law enforcement, a deliver service, or your bank.”
We understand how important it is that you build your customers’ trust in your business. We recommend that you learn and implement good messaging practices. These best practices help you to communicate very effectively with your customers and future prospects in their preferred medium–the text message.
Messaging Consent and Opt In Guidance
Opt-In Consent
The Opt-In process involves getting permission or consent from the receiver before sending a business text. A disclaimer in your terms and conditions does not qualify. Third party opt-ins are not allowed. You must directly obtain your own opt-in for business communication from an application platform. Make sure your CRM system has Consent and Non-Consent fields enabled so that you can document their consent response. On your messaging campaign, you must demonstrate that you receive the appropriate consent level for your use case.
Ways to Obtain Opt-In Consent
Always provide transparency about the purpose and content of your messaging. You are building trust with the individual, and you want them to have a good customer experience. Keep it clear and simple. Disclose their ability to opt-out at any time.
Here are some examples of methods you could employ to gain messaging consent:
Paperwork: The perfect time to obtain messaging consent is immediately upon establishing the new relationship. For example, hiring paperwork, customer onboarding, new patient paperwork, etc.
Oral: You can record oral consent during customer service interactions; however please note that this is more difficult to document when going through the campaign submission process. You must have a documented procedure or script, and be able to produce that documentation.
Webform: Any website forms that collect a phone number (like a sign up form, contact us form, checkout page or pop-up forms) must display messaging disclosures. If the phone number is a required field, you must fully disclose the reason for collecting the phone number and provide all required disclosures. For example:
“By providing my phone number, I consent to calls and/or text messaging. I understand that mobile message and data rates from my cell phone carrier may apply, message frequency [may vary, is weekly, is daily, etc.], and that I may opt-out of messaging at any time by replying ‘Stop’. For assistance, text ‘Help’ or visit our website at [Brand URL]. Visit [Privacy Policy URL] for privacy policy and [Terms URL] for Terms of Service.”
Email: You might include a call-to-action on your emails like “Text SUBSCRIBE to [phone number]”. This CTA must include all required messaging disclosures.
Social Media: You could promote your SMS subscription on your social media platforms with “Text SUBSCRIBE to [phone number]”. Include all required messaging disclosures.
Promotional Materials: Include your call-to-action “Text SUBSCRIBE to [phone number]” on your business cards, flyers, etc.
QR Codes: You can provide a QR code that links to an online form. Make sure your form includes all required messaging disclosures.
Consent Methods that are Not Valid
Third-Party Consent: Consent cannot be shared. For example, let’s say you receive a list of phone numbers where consent was granted to another entity. That consent does not transfer to your organization. You must receive your own direct opt-in using another method before you can message them.
Messaging Them to Ask: You cannot text someone to ask for consent when you don’t have consent to message them in the first place. You must get consent to messaging from another method first.
Transferring Consent to All your Use Cases: When an individual consents to appointment reminders, that consent does not transfer to your promotional texts, like your weekly specials or discount on services. They must have also given explicit written consent to marketing.
Opt-In Confirmation Message
Once an individual has consented to message (via hiring paperwork, a webform, etc.), your first message must be an opt-in confirmation message that contains full disclosures.
The formula for your Opt-In Confirmation message is (in any order): Brand name, messaging purpose, messaging frequency, applicable data rates, instructions for Help and Stop, URLs to Privacy and Terms, consent confirmation. For example:
- “Thanks for opting in to messaging [Brand Name] customer support help line. Mobile message and data rates may apply and message frequency may vary. Visit [Privacy Policy URL] to see our privacy policy and [Terms URL] for our Terms of Service. You may reply ‘Help’ for help or ‘Stop’ to cancel at any time.”
What is a Double Opt-In?
The Double Opt-In is not required yet in business SMS; however, the industry is stressing their desire for all businesses to get double opt-in confirmation during the initial SMS conversation. Consumers like it because they have that extra opportunity to really make sure it is what they want. Businesses like it because they know the subscriber is truly interested, and it can weed out spammers and bots. Your programmable SMS can also electronically record the Yes or No response, making it easier to document consent in their customer record.
Here’s how it works:
Upon receiving messaging consent from the customer though a channel described above, the business sends a text message asking the individual to confirm their consent with a response like Yes, Y, Subscribe, etc. Rather than a sterile legal consent, consider it more like a friendly Welcome Message that thanks them for subscribing and asks them to please reply with a consent response.
The formula for your Double Opt-In message is (in any order): Brand name, messaging purpose, messaging frequency, applicable data rates, instructions for Help and Stop, URLs to Privacy and Terms, consent request.
Here are a few examples:
- “[Brand Name]: Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! Msg & data rates may apply. Frequency is weekly. Reply Help for more info or Stop to opt-out. View [Privacy URL] and [Terms URL]. To confirm your subscription, please reply Yes.”
- “Hi, this is [Brand Name] responding to your request for information. Mobile message and data rates may apply and message frequency may vary. Reply ‘Help’ for help. ‘Stop’ to cancel. Visit [Privacy Policy URL] to see our privacy policy and [Terms URL] for our Terms of Service. Please reply C to confirm your messaging consent.”
- “Welcome to the [Brand Name] team! We send employee reminders and alerts as explained in our hiring paperwork. Reply ‘Help’ for help or ‘Stop’ to opt-out. Msg & data rates may apply and frequency will vary. Please consent to employee notifications by replying YES.”
Double Opt-In Confirmation Message:
After receiving consent, your next message is an opt-in confirmation. Because you already had sent disclosures, including them again is now optional. Otherwise, an opt-in confirmation must include all disclosures. For example:
- “Welcome to [Brand Name]! You’ve opted in to get our latest offers! Enjoy 10% off your next online purchase with one-time code ABC123. “
- “[Brand Name]: You are now opted-in to appointment reminders. Save us as a contact so you don’t miss a thing.
The Opt-Out
Be aware that high volumes of Opt-Outs like STOP can impact your deliverability. When mobile carriers notice high volumes of opt-outs, this sends a red flag indicating poor messaging standards or lack of opt-in. Developing proper Opt-In and Opt-Out procedures will help ensure your message deliverability.
Your STOP notification could be a keyword like STOP, REMOVE, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT, OPT-OUT, CANCEL, etc. Unusual STOP keywords are interpreted as an attempt to make the Opt-Out difficult (a serious red flag), so we recommend that you keep it simple and use STOP. You do not have to include your Opt-Out language with every text you send, but we recommend it. Some countries require STOP on every message. Consumers like to be reassured that they always have the option. Whatever you choose, at the very least you must include your Opt-Out language in your first message to the recipient.
Opt-Out Confirmation Message. Upon receiving the message to STOP, you must reply with an Opt-Out confirmation message explaining that all texts from this number are now blocked, and provide an UNSTOP option to receive messages again.
- [Brand Name]: You are now opted-out and will receive no further messages. Reply START to resubscribe.
- [Brand Name]: You replied with the word “stop” which blocks all texts sent from this number. Text back “Subscribe” or “Start” to receive messages again.
Honor every Opt-Out request. Record their non-consent in their CRM record. No further communication is allowed until new consent is received.
Consent Documentation
In all cases, it is expected that you will document their consent response (consent or non-consent) in your CRM record and send messages according to the terms you outlined.
Industry Accepted Use Cases
| 2FA App Notifications Appointments Auctions Auto Repair Services Bank Transfers Billing Booking Confirmations Business Updates Career Training Chatbot Conversational / Alerts Courier Services and Deliveries COVID-19 Alerts |
Emergency Alerts Events and Planning Financial Services Fraud Alerts Fundraising General Marketing General School Updates Healthcare Alerts Housing Community Updates HR / Staffing Insurance Services Job Dispatch Legal Services Motivational Reminders |
Notary Notifications Order Notifications Political Public Works Real Estate Services Religious Services Repair and Diagnostics Alerts Rewards Program Surveys System Alerts Voting Reminders Waitlist Alerts Webinar Reminders Workshop Alerts |
Ineligible Use Cases
| High-Risk Financial Services | Get Rich Quick Schemes | Debt Forgiveness | Illegal Substances/ Activities | General |
| Payday loans Short-term, high-interest loans Auto loans Mortgage loans Student loans Gambling Sweepstakes Stock alerts Cryptocurrency |
Debt consolidation Debt reduction Credit repair programs Deceptive work from home programs Multi-level marketing |
Work from home programs Risk investment opportunities Debt collection or consolidation |
Cannabis Alcohol Tobacco or vape |
Phishing Fraud or scams Deceptive marketing Pornography Profanity or hate speech |
Messaging Industry Resources
The Campaign Registry
Website: https://www.campaignregistry.com/
Introduction to the Campaign Registry: https://www.campaignregistry.com/wp-content/uploads/TCR-Intro_V4-2.pdf
CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices
https://api.ctia.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/170119-ctia-messaging-principles-and-best-practices.pdf
MMA Best Practices
https://www.mmaglobal.com/files/bestpractices.pdf
M3AAWG Best Practices
https://www.m3aawg.org/sites/default/files/m3aawg-mobile-messaging-best-practices-service-providers-2015-08_0.pdf
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Omnibus Declaratory Ruling (FCC 15-72)
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-72A1.pdf
FTC Truth in Advertising
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/truth-advertising
Toll Free Messaging Verification
Mobile carriers are now requiring businesses that send SMS messages to register their Toll-Free Numbers to avoid usage thresholds and aggressive spam filtering.
To learn more about submitting your toll free number for messaging verification, please see our article Toll-Free Messaging Verification.
10DLC SMS Campaign Registration
The Campaign Registry has mandated that all businesses desiring to send SMS messaging from their 10DLC numbers must register a brand for their company and a campaign to register their use cases.
To learn more about the Campaign Registry and this process, please see our article 10DLC SMS Campaign Registration.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about best practices, registering phone numbers, and the possible impacts on your messaging service, please contact us at support@inventivelabs.com.