Are you using a toll-free number to text for your business in the U.S. or Canada?

If so, you’ll want to hear this... Starting on January 31st, you will only be able to send text messages for your business from a toll-free number that has been verified.

Also, your toll-free number can not have a PENDING verification. If your number has a pending verification, your text messages will be blocked after January 31st.

So, a few important questions…

1. Have you already verified each of your toll-free numbers? If not, please start the verification process right now inside your Salesmsg app. (We’ll show you how in just a moment.)
   
   
2. Do you have a pending verification on any of your toll-free numbers? If so, you should wait until your number is verified before sending any text messages after January 31st. (Please keep in mind that verification can take 2–3 weeks.)
   
   
3. Not sure if your toll-free numbers are verified? This is the day to check. You can find out by logging into your Salesmsg app. Go to your settings, then to your numbers page. A column on this page of numbers will indicate if the number needs to be verified, like this, below. You can start the verification process by opening the menu and selecting "verify.”

As you may know, we have been talking about toll-free verification for a while now. Over a year ago, we explained why it’s necessary to verify your toll-free numbers, so you can continue texting your leads and customers in the U.S. and Canada. We filmed this quick webinar to show you why. Scroll up to watch this webinar or read on for more details.

What is Toll-Free Message Verification?

Toll-free message verification is a process where your business and your use case are reviewed before you can send traffic via toll-free numbers to the U.S. and Canada.

This verification process is free of charge and greatly reduces the risk of message filtering on toll-free traffic for all major networks in the U.S. and some in Canada. (That’s as long as your business adheres to your stated use case and all applicable rules, such as Twilio's messaging policy.)

This verification applies to messaging to mobile users in the U.S. and to the Fido, Rogers, Telus, and Videotron networks in Canada. In other countries, toll-free SMS is treated the same as other international SMS, and businesses should consult the country's SMS guidelines page for compliance considerations.

Toll-free verification is currently required in the U.S. and Canada.

To avoid traffic being blocked in the U.S. and Canada, it is important to complete the verification process as soon as possible. This verification process is part of aligning sender visibility with short code and 10DLC messaging channels.

If your toll-free numbers have already been verified, you’re good to go! No further action is needed.

Okay, my toll-free number is NOT verified yet. What should I do?

Submitting your toll-free number, verification is easy! We built this process into our Salesmsg application, so you can submit the necessary information for approval in less than 10 minutes. Here's how...

How to Verify Your Toll-Free Numbers

Step 1: Register Your Business

Go to Organizations Settings > Compliance and register your business profile. After you have submitted your business profile, you can register your toll-free phone numbers.

If you've registered your local area code numbers for A2P 10DLC or Shaken/Stir then you have already submitted information to register your Salesmsg Business Profile.

Step 2: Choose Your Toll-Free Number for Verification

Scroll down to the Toll-Free section and press "Add New Case" to start your Toll-Free verification. Choose the number you want to verify.

Step 3: Add Use Case, Description and Expected Number of Messages

Select one of the approved use cases for Toll-free numbers. You can either use our description or provide your own. Add an appropriate estimate on the amount of messages you expect to send out.

You can create as many use cases as you'd like, however if you are using the same use case for a different number, then add the number to that use case. Only create a use case if it's different from one that has already been created.

Step 4: Sample Messages

Use one of our sample messages, or provide two sample messages of your own. Some use cases may not have sample use case descriptions or sample messages.

Step 5: Opt-in Method

Select the opt-in methods you plan on using for your toll-free number(s). You can choose 1 or multiple Opt-in methods on this step.

Step 6: Opt-in Method Description

Provide detailed description for your Opt-in method. Note that there will be a separate description field for every Opt-in method you selected in the previous step.

Step 7: Opt-in Method Images

Provide screenshots of your Opt-in process to confirm the description from the last step. Note that there will be a separate upload section for every Opt-in method you selected on the previous step.

After your submission is made, we will send this to the carriers for approval. If it's rejected, you will receive a notification with a chance to edit and re-submit for approval.

Just in case: How to re-submit a rejected number for approval

When you navigate to the Compliance page, you'll find an overview of all your toll-free use cases.

Once you enter a specific case, you'll have access to a list of numbers associated with it. You can further streamline your search by filtering these numbers by their current state, which includes options like ‘Pending Review,' 'In Carrier Review,' 'Rejected,' 'Blocked,' and 'Approved.'

Also, for any numbers marked as 'Rejected' or 'Blocked,' you now have the capability to update your verification application and resubmit it for a second round of review. That provides you with a valuable opportunity to address any issues and increase your chances of approval.

Final thoughts on Toll-free Verification

Remember: Your text messages will be blocked if you try to send from an unverified toll-free number or a toll-free number with a PENDING verification after January 31st.

If you have NOT verified your toll-free number(s) yet, start the process right now from inside Salesmsg. It takes less than 10 minutes to submit your information for approval.

Keep in mind, it still will take 2–3 weeks for your numbers to become verified. Once your numbers are verified, you’ll be all set to text as usual.

Have more questions? Our support team is ready to help! Reach out at support@salesmessage.com.