US SMS Compliance

US mobile carriers require all businesses sending Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS to US phone numbers to register and verify their brands and campaigns before message traffic is allowed. This guide outlines the essential compliance requirements for your business. To ensure a flawless onboarding experience and verify that all criteria are perfectly met, the indigitall support team or your assigned Account Manager will send you a direct link to your customized registration form.

Before You Start

To register your Sender ID (10DLC Campaign or Toll-Free Number) for the US market, carriers and registries require comprehensive information about your business identity. Please ensure you have the following details ready before filling out the form provided by our team:

• Legal Entity Registration: Your official, legally registered company name and business structure (e.g., LLC, Private Corporation, Public Company, Non-Profit, or Government Entity) exactly as it appears on official tax documents.
• Tax ID (EIN or International Equivalent): A US Employer Identification Number (EIN) is strictly required for US-based companies. For international companies operating outside the US without an EIN, a valid DUNS, GIIN, or LEI number must be provided.
• Physical Address & Active Website: A verified physical business address and an active, publicly accessible website. Operators closely audit these details to confirm brand legitimacy; placeholder websites or landing pages under construction will result in immediate rejection.
• Business Vertical: Your specific industry classification, which carriers use to determine your risk profile and default throughput (sending limits).
• Opt-In & Consent Verification: Documented proof of how end-users grant explicit consent to receive SMS from your brand (e.g., unedited web form screenshots, website URLs showing signup flows, keyword opt-in descriptions, or physical signup forms).
• Customer Support Channels: A dedicated, monitored corporate customer support email address and phone number for carrier escalations and user inquiries.

Message Content & Campaign Requirements

Beyond verifying your business identity, every SMS campaign deployed in the US must strictly adhere to the following baseline rules to prevent carrier filtering, avoid heavy compliance fines, and eliminate the risk of immediate account suspension:

• Clear Brand Identification: Your exact brand name must be clearly stated at the beginning of the very first message in any conversation or campaign blast.
• Immediate Opt-Out Processing: Senders must automatically honor opt-out keywords (stopor unsubscribe) instantly. An automated opt-out confirmation text must be delivered to the user immediately.

• Rate Disclosures: The mandatory disclosure text "Msg & data rates may apply" must be explicitly included in your text message opt-in confirmation and on your website's call-to-action (CTA).
• Terms & Privacy Compliance: Your digital opt-in collection entry points must prominently link to your comprehensive Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, explicitly detailing your SMS program rules, message frequency, and data usage.
• Prohibited Content (SHAFT & High-Risk Categories): Carriers enforce a zero-tolerance policy for certain content categories, commonly referred to as SHAFT (Sex, Hate speech, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco/Vaping). Additionally, cannabis/CBD marketing, gambling, high-interest debt collection, payday loans, phishing, and "get rich quick" or work-from-home schemes are completely banned.

Campaign Information

• Campaign Summary: Invite users to receive order updates, shipping notifications, customer support responses, and exclusive promotional offers from [Brand Name].
• Use Cases (Select all that apply):
  • [X] Customer Care
  • [X] Account Notifications / Alerts
  • [X] Marketing / Promotional ("Discover amazing deals today! Shop now and save big on your favorite products.")

Opt-In Experience

• Opt-In Methods (Select all that apply):
  • [ ] Verbal consent
  • [X] Online consent
  • [X] Keyword
  • [ ] Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
• Describe the exact action the end-user will take to opt-in: Customers opt-in by entering their mobile phone number on our website signup form (e.g., https://yourbrand.com/signup) and checking an un-ticked box that reads: "I agree to receive automated SMS updates and marketing alerts from [Brand Name]. Consent is not a condition of purchase."

Message Flow & Mandatory Compliance Templates (Max 320 Characters)

• Opt-In Confirmation Message (Must include: Brand Name, opt-out keyword info, customer care contact info, message frequency note, and rate disclosure).
  • Template: IndiStore: Welcome to our SMS alerts! Get updates on orders & deals. Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply stop to cancel, or call 1-800-555-0199. (164 characters)
• Example Message 1 (Transactional / Alert Use Case) (Must include: Brand Name, and stop instruction).
  • Template: IndiStore: Your order #12345 has been shipped! Track your package here: https://indistore.com/track. Reply stop to unsubscribe. (128 characters)
• Example Message 2 (Marketing / Promotional Use Case) (Must include: Brand Name and stop instruction).
  • Template: IndiStore: Don't miss our Summer Sale! Use code SUMMER20 for 20% off your next purchase at checkout. Reply stop to unsubscribe. (127 characters)
• Opt-Out Message (Must include: Brand Name and confirmation that no further text messages will be delivered).
  • Template: IndiStore: You have successfully unsubscribed from our text alerts. No further messages will be delivered to this number. (121 characters)

Support Information (Required Fields)

• Customer Support Email Address: A monitored corporate email address (e.g., [email protected]) that strictly matches your company's web domain.
• Customer Support Phone Number: A toll-free or dedicated support phone line (e.g., 1-800-XXX-XXXX) for standard customer inquiries.
• SMS Terms and Conditions (Public URL): The direct, live link to your public SMS program terms.
• Privacy Policy (Public URL): The direct, live link to your official company privacy policy detailing exactly how consumer data is safeguarded.

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  SMS Terms & Conditions Compliance

  US carriers will thoroughly audit your public SMS Terms and Conditions URL. Your page must explicitly display the following legally mandated disclosures, or your campaign registration will be instantly rejected:

  • Rate Disclosure: The exact phrase: "Message and data rates may apply."
  • Message Frequency: A clear disclosure of how often users will receive texts (e.g., "Message frequency varies" or "Up to 4 messages per month").
  • Opt-Out Instructions: Unambiguous help on how to unsubscribe (e.g., "Reply stop to opt out").

Next Steps

To ensure regulatory compliance and guarantee a frictionless carrier audit, our support team or your dedicated Account Manager will review your account setup and email you a secure link to your official registration form