Compliance with text messaging laws and regulations is crucial for businesses and organizations using SMS marketing. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of SMS compliance, helping businesses establish a compliant messaging program and develop a successful SMS marketing strategy.
The TCPA, or Telephone Consumer Protection Act, is a federal legislation that regulates telemarketing, text messaging, and the use of the Do-Not-Call list. The purpose of these laws is to safeguard individuals from unwanted and unsolicited text messages and phone calls. Although the TCPA did not specifically mention SMS, it has been interpreted to include text messages as phone calls under its provisions.
The CTIA, or know as Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, is a trade group that represents wireless carriers and others in the telecommunications industry. They have created the Short Code Monitoring Handbook, which provides additional guidelines for SMS marketing. These guidelines not only comply with TCPA laws to protect consumers from unwanted text message. Its purpose is to assist SMS marketers in complying with TCPA regulations and improving the consumer experience with effective and engaging SMS campaigns.
You must obtain express written consent from people before sending them promotional text messages. Failure to do so will lead to penalties. The good news is that getting consent isn’t that hard. Here’s a few different ways to get users to opt in. Checking a box on a web form, texting a keyword to a phone number or verbal consent. You will also need to give users the ability to opt out. Our software has the capability to automatically opt out contacts from further communication when they text STOP to your registered phone number or short code. This feature ensures compliance with regulations, relieving the need for manual contact removal. Be sure to read our Responsible Use Policy section