Register your local phone number to enable texting

Due to a new industry-mandated regulation, all customers who use SMS/MMS to U.S. numbers are required to register their brand and SMS campaign(s).

What is the new regulation?

There is a new industry-mandated regulation to protect consumers (your customers) from spam texts. Mobile carriers in the U.S. and Canada that deliver SMS traffic must now register with The Campaign Registry (TCR). Registration is required to ensure SMS delivery for U.S. phone numbers.

Follow the steps below to register your local phone number(s) for texting compliance.

What is the TCR

The Campaign Registry (TCR) is a third party agency designed to help telecoms protect consumers from unwanted SMS via a mandate for brand and campaign registration. Learn more.

Who does this impact?

Who has to do this?

Registration is required for all customers who send SMS/MMS messages to U.S. numbers for conversational purposes, regardless of whether the customer intends to send business-related campaigns or just a single response to an SMS received by a user/client. This impacts all U.S. customers; however, if the businesses are outside the U.S. and send a message to customers with U.S. phone numbers, they will also be impacted. 

I don't send bulk messages. Do I still need to register?

Yes, registration is required for all SMS traffic regardless of volume. During registration you will be asked to specify the amount of messages you plan to send.

What happens if I don't register?

Registration must be completed by December 1, 2024. Text messages sent after this date will be blocked if not registered. Carriers may choose to block your messages or mark your numbers as spam in the meantime. Also, you cannot add new numbers with texting capabilities or make any changes until you have successfully registered a campaign.

How do I register?

You can register with TCR in the GoTo Admin portal. You will need to:

Complete the pre-checklist
Register your company as a brand
Register your texting campaign(s)

Note: Please note that registration through the TCR can take a few weeks to process.

1. Complete the pre-checklist

It is critical for a smooth registration to ensure you have all of the following in place, as TCR will check for these things when reviewing your registration. If they are unable to verify any of these for things, your campaign is likely to be rejected.

Provide a working website

TCR will look for a website associated with your brand entity. We recommend providing this in your registration. This can be a social media page, as long as it is accessible and verifies the business identity. If you are collecting any information on the website, we recommend you also include a link to where the Privacy Policy is posted on your site.

Note: If there’s any prohibited content on the website, the campaign will be rejected.

Include opt-in language on phone collection forms

In order to be approved, you'll need to ensure that all of all of your phone collection forms on your website include opt in language.

Most rejected campaigns are due to insufficient opt in methods, so it’s very important to make sure your methods are compliant before registering your campaign. All entities sending text messages are required to follow CTIA guidelines for text messaging opt in process.

Opt-in messaging should include a clear and concise description of how an end user signs up to receive messages. This method needs to be able to be easily verified by TCR.
Opt-in must be 1-to-1, can't be shared with third parties, and can't be implied. It must be clear, conspicuous, and can't be obscured within the terms & conditions and/or other agreement(s).

The opt-in method most likely to be approved is the collection of phone numbers and opt-ins through your working website, as this is the easiest method for TCR to verify. If you collect opt-ins through the website, TCR will check the website you provide to confirm all forms collecting phone numbers contain clear opt-in language and a link to your compliant privacy policy.

Important: Even if the opt-in methods section indicates that opt-ins are collected outside the website, all lead intake forms on the brand's website will be reviewed by TCR. If the phone number field is required, the disclaimer about the SMS opt-in must be included. Otherwise, the campaign will be rejected.

Examples of compliant opt-in messaging:

Entering a phone number through a website and agreeing to receive messages. For example, customers opt-in by visiting www.examplewebsite.com and adding their phone number. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from the example brand.
Clicking a button on a mobile webpage.
Sending a message from the consumer’s mobile device that contains an advertising keyword. For example, customers opt-in by texting START to (111) 222-3333.
Initiating the text message exchange in which the message sender replies to the consumer only with responsive information.
Signing up at a point of sale (POS) or another message sender on-site location.
Opting in over the phone using interactive voice response (IVR) technology.

Examples of non-compliant opt-in messaging:

The Voter File, or accessing any public database with phone number information.
Purchased list of phone numbers.
Texting existing customers without prior explicit opt-in.
Pre-checking an opt-in check box on a phone collection form

Ensure a compliant Privacy Policy easily accessible on your website

Tip: Privacy Policy Generators can facilitate in creating a privacy policy. The following websites offer such generators:

We recommend double checking that your privacy policy is easily accessible from your main website, and is compliant.

Per CTIA guidelines, message senders must maintain a readily accessible, compliant Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy should be easy to access from your brand's main website, and should be linked on all forms collecting phone numbers. A compliant policy must be explicitly stated that consumer information is not shared with third-parties for marketing purposes. If your brand does engage in information sharing with third parties, we recommend adding language to your privacy policy to specify that text messaging is excluded. For example: "Text messaging opt-in is excluded from information sharing with third parties."

Your privacy policy should include the following details:

The nature of the information you collect.
The methods by which you gather information from your users.
The ways in which you utilize and distribute any collected information.
Clearly states that you do not share or sell collected information without consent or unless legally obligated to do so.
Steps by which users can unsubscribe/opt-out from your communications.

Important: The absence of a privacy policy or the presence of a non-compliant one will likely result in the rejection of your campaign. Non-compliance typically pertains to the sharing of consumer information with third-parties for marketing purposes. The Privacy Policy must unequivocally state that personal information will not be shared with third parties without consent or unless legally required.

Link to your privacy policy from your phone collection forms

In addition to requiring opt-in language on all phone collection forms, each form must also link to your compliant privacy policy.

2. Register your brand

Create a brand by registering your company with the TCR. A Brand is otherwise known as "who" is sending a message. This is usually your business or company name.

Important: Each submission is charged registration fees, whether successful or unsuccessful. If your registration is rejected for any reason, you will be charged another $15 USD to resubmit. Your carrier charges us those fees, and we will reflect those charges on your next invoice.

Before you begin

The following items are required to complete SMS registration:

You must be assigned the Super admin role to perform this task.
For US customers, we suggest using the confirmation letter from the IRS (SS-4 form) that you received when they applied for an EIN. You can also contact the IRS tax specialty line at 800-829-4933 to validate your information.
For Canadian customers, if you intend to send SMS communication to US numbers, you will be required to complete SMS brand and campaign registration through the TCR. You will need to use your Business Number registry issued by the CRA (Canadian Revenue Agency).
Add your business address in Locations.
It’s crucial that the form is filled out correctly to the carrier's requirements. Please see these best practices provided by T-Mobile.

Important: Your legal business name, business information, and Tax ID Number/EIN must match exactly, or your application will automatically be rejected.

Complete brand registration steps

If you are not already, sign in to GoTo Admin.

Attention: SMS Registration is only available in the GoTo Admin portal. Admins who primarily use the PBX Administration portal ( https://my.jive.com/pbx) will need to complete these steps in GoTo Admin.
From the left navigation, select Phone System.
Select SMS Compliance.
Review the cost breakdown for SMS registration.
Then select Register your brand.
Enter all company information required:
1. Legal company name — This entry must match how your business is registered with the corresponding federal agency that issues your business registration number/EIN/Tax ID (e.g., IRS SS-4).
2. Optional: Brand name
3. EIN/Tax number issuing country — Enter the country where your business is registered.
4. EIN/Tax number — Must be the business registration number assigned to your business by a federal agency. For example, in the US, the IRS provides the EIN. Failure to provide your correct business registration number and business name will result in automatic rejection by TCR. If you don’t have an EIN, you’ll need to register for one with the IRS.
5. Legal form of your organization
6. Industry
7. Optional: Company website
8. Contact email
9. Contact phone number
10. Business address — Select from the drop-down list. If you have multiple addresses listed, select the address of the legally registered business entity. This address should match the address on your Federal Tax ID.
  
  Note: If your business address is missing from the drop-down list, select Locations from the left navigation menu to add your business address.
Select Next: Review brand registration.
Carefully review and verify the information is correct and the total cost, then enable the check box to confirm.
Select Submit.

Results: Your brand registration takes a couple of minutes to verify. Once completed, you can start campaign portion of registration.

Note: If the brand registration is rejected due to invalid information, you will receive an automated email asking to resubmit your brand registration in the GoTo Admin portal. Please see Resubmitting brand registration in the Troubleshooting section below.

3. Register your campaign(s)

Once brand registration is complete, you will need to register your SMS campaign using the steps below. An SMS Registration (10DLC campaign) contains information about your intended use case and traffic type. You can associate one or more phone numbers to a campaign or create multiple campaigns. Registering a campaign is not an instant process. There is a vetting period of approximately 5-10 business days after it’s been submitted.

Complete campaign registration steps

If you are not already, sign in to GoTo Admin.

Attention: SMS Registration is only available in the GoTo Admin portal. Admins who primarily use the PBX Administration portal ( https://my.jive.com/pbx) will need to complete these steps in GoTo Admin.
From the left navigation, select Phone System.
Select SMS Compliance.
Review the cost breakdown for SMS registration.
Select Register SMS campaign.

Enter all campaign information required:

Use case — Choose the use case that best fits your SMS campaign.
- High volume: More than 2000 texts/day. Frequent text messages to customers (i.e., daily or weekly).
- Low volume: Less than 2000 texts/day. A few text messages to customers (i.e., monthly).
  Note: Low volume is recommended for majority of our customers.
Campaign description — Describe the type of communication you intend to have with your clients. Learn about ineligible use cases.
Provide a brief overview of the information you plan to share, whether it's about sales, customer service, follow-up messages, etc. Additionally, mention if there will be internal messaging among your employees if required. Your registration description should address:
- Your business description
- Who are you reaching out to via SMS. (i.e. employee, client, customer, patient, etc.)
- Why you are sending SMS messaging
- Good example: We are an Automobile dealership that will be sending SMS to our customers for informational purposes, this can include appointment reminders, repair updates, satisfaction follow-ups, online bill payment notifications, and two-way conversations.

Opt-in methods — Provide detailed information on how users agree to receive SMS messages. Elaborate on how your customers will give consent to receive SMS from your company. Three main types of consent are listed as follows:

**Types of Messaging Content & Required Consent**
Conversational	Informational	Promotional
Conversational messaging is a back-and-forth conversation that takes place over text. If the consumer texts the business first and the business responds quickly with a single message, it’s likely conversational. If the consumer initiates the conversation and the business responds, no additional permission is required.	Informational messaging is when a consumer gives a business their number and asks to be contacted in the future. Appointment reminders, welcome texts, and alerts fall in this category because the first text sent by the business fulfills the consumer’s request. A consumer should agree to receive texts when they give the business their mobile number.	Promotional messaging is when a message contains a sales or marketing promotion. Adding a call-to-action like a coupon code to an informational text may place it in the promotional category. Before a business sends promotional messages, the consumer must agree in writing to receive promotional texts. Businesses that already ask consumers to sign forms or submit contact information can add a field to capture consent.
The first message is always sent by the consumer Two-way conversation Message responds to a specific request	The first message is sent by the consumer or business One-way alert or two-way conversation Message contains information	The first message is sent by the business One-way alert Message promotes a brand or product and Prompts consumers to buy something or go somewhere
IMPLIED CONSENT If the consumer initiates the text message exchange and the business only responds to each consumer with relevant information, no verbal or written permission is required.	EXPRESSED CONSENT The consumer should grant permission before the business texts them. They can grant permission over text, on a form or website, or verbally. Written permission also works.	EXPRESSED WRITTEN CONSENT The consumer should give written permission before a business texts them. They can sign a form or check a box to allow promotional text messages. Participation in international promotions should never be a requirement.

Sample messages — Provide at least three sample messages, which can be either a typical message exchanged between employees and clients or exclusively between employees. Important things to consider:
- Sample messages MUST include the brand name.
- Sample messages MUST include opt-out language if alerts, reminders, etc are sent.
- Good example: Dear [Customer Name], This is a notification to inform you of the temporary closure of our service center on [Date]. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and will keep you updated on any changes. Thank you for your understanding. Should you no longer wish to receive SMS from us please reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Select Next: Campaign options and content.
Enter subscriber opt-in, opt-out, and help keywords and messages.
Optional: Enable additional preferences to help tailor campaigns to your desired goal:
- Embedded phone number
- Embedded link
- Direct lending or loan arrangement.
- Age-gated content
- Number pooling
Select Next: Review and submit.
Carefully review and verify the information is correct and the total cost, then enable the check box to confirm.
Select Submit.
Result: Your brand and campaign registration has been submitted. The brand should be verified within a few minutes however, campaign vetting process can take up to 10 business days. If there are any issues with the Brand or Campaign registration, a Telecom specialist will reach out to the customer to resolve the issue. All your numbers will automatically be associated with the campaign to send SMS.
Optional: If the vetting process is completed, you can delete a campaign by navigating from Phone Systems > SMS Compliance and selecting the trash can icon next to the campaign. Once the campaign is deleted, you can delete the brand following the same process.

Note: If you intend to use SMS in the future, do not delete your brand and campaign. Otherwise, you will have to re-register and incur the one time registration fees again. Once deleted, your organization will no longer be compliant with industry regulations. This means your business SMS messages might not be delivered reliably and carriers may choose to block your message.

Results: The SMS campaign vetting process can take 5-10 business days. You can check the status of your brand registration in the GoTo Admin portal. The possible statuses are: Active, Vetting, Update required, or Denied. If your SMS campaign registration has failed, view Common rejection reasons from the Troubleshooting section below, correct any mistakes, and resubmit. You will be charged an additional registration fee.

Troubleshooting

Common Rejection reasons for eligible resubmission

Each of the below rejection codes are eligible for re-submission. To resolve these issues, please take the corrective action(s) outlined in the table below, and then re-submit your request with the updated information.

Error Code	Rejection Category	Rejection Reason	Correction Needed
30886	Invalid Campaign Description	Campaign description does not thoroughly explain the purpose of the campaign or description does not match the use case.	Verify that the campaign description is accurate and detailed. If you are an ISV registering a direct offering to your customers, please indicate that in the campaign description. Resubmit campaign for review.
30893	Invalid Sample Message Use Case	Sample messages are either not provided, unclear, or content does not match the campaign use case.	Verify that sample messages are accurate and detailed. Sample messages should reflect actual messages to be sent under campaign and indicate templated fields with brackets. At least one of the sample messages needs to include your business name. Use case and campaign description need to match campaign description.
30892	Invalid Sample Message - Public URL Shorteners	Public URL shorteners are not accepted. The website URL included in the sample messages was either from a public URL shortener or is non-secured.	Remove public URL shorteners from sample messages.
30891	Invalid Website URL	Invalid URL was provided for registration. Websites need to be functioning. If this is a registration pre-launch, it needs to be indicated in campaign description.	Verify that provided websites are functioning or detail is provided if the registration is for a pre-launch website.
30896	Opt-in Error	Opt-in message workflow is not sufficient for campaign type and consent is required or opt-in is shared with 3rd parties.	Verify opt-in meets CTIA's guidelines. All methods of opt-in need to be listed. If opt-in is collected through a paper form or behind a login, please provide a hosted link to the image of opt-in. If opt-in occurs on a website, please provide a link to the website. The website needs to have a privacy policy and terms of service. Ensure opt-in is not shared with 3rd parties.
30887	Opt-out Error	Campaign indicated collecting and processing consumer Opt-Outs, but the workflow is unclear, missing opt-out keywords or opt-message.	Verify that opt-out workflow is accurate and update Message Flow (labeled as 'How do end-users consent to receive messages' while submitting) description with opt-out process. If opt-out is managed, add opt-out keywords and update opt-out message to include acknowledgment of opt-out request, confirmation that no further messages will be sent, and brand name.
30890	Subscriber Help	HELP message reply does not contain brand name, phone number, or email address.	Verify that subscriber help message contains brand name, phone number, or email address. Message needs to guide customers on who they can contact after replying "help".
30889	Embedded Phone Number	Embedded phone number use is selected, but is not reflected in the sample message.	Verify embedded phone number selection is accurate. Update the Sample Messages with Embedded Phone Number or update Embedded Phone Number selection.
30888	Age Gate Not Present / Not Acceptable	Age gate is not present.	Verify and add a robust age gate to your website or opt-in policy.
30881	Invalid Brand Support Email	Support email is not associated with the brand. The brand support email was either invalid or associated with a public domain email.	Verify brand support email is valid and not associated with a public domain email.
30894	Invalid Brand Information	Campaign registration needs to be associated with the brand behind the campaign. If you are an ISV registering a direct offering, campaign description needs to indicate a direct offering.	Verify brand information is valid.
30895	Direct Lending - Campaign and Content Attribute Error	Campaign is for direct lending or loan arrangement and is missing content attribute indicating direct lending.	Verify direct lending or loan arrangement is selected for campaign registration. If the campaign is not related to direct lending or loan arrangement, please update the campaign description.
30903	Incorrect Sole Prop Brand Registration	Brand behind the campaign does not meet the small business Sole Proprietor (EIN) criteria set by TCR and mobile carriers. Campaign can not be registered with a Sole Proprietor use case.	Register the brand as a standard brand and register a standard or acceptable campaign use case that aligns with the registered brand’s classification.

Rejection reasons for ineligible resubmission (Forbidden messaging categories)

Each of the below rejection errors are due to forbidden messaging categories and are therefore ineligible for resubmission.

Error Code	Rejection Category	Rejection Reason
30883	Content Violation - SHAFT - Sex	Submission included content such as nudity, pornography, sex toys, or other adult content
30883	Content Violation - SHAFT - Hate	Submission included speech that is hateful, profanity, violent, incites violence, or similar speech
30883	Content Violation - SHAFT - Alcohol
30883	Content Violation - SHAFT - Firearms	Submission included: Firearms, Ammo, Gun Ranges (Common for guns to be sold at Gun Ranges)
30883	Content Violation - SHAFT - Tobacco / Vape	Submission included products such as: Cigarettes, Cigars, Tobacco Products (Chew, etc.), Vape, Vape Juice, or similar items
30883	Content Violation - SHAFT - Marijuana / CBD	Submission included products such as: Cannabis, Marijuana, CBD, THC, Hemp, or similar items
30884	Spam/Phishing	Spam/Fraud team has flagged the number/business/traffic for spam or phishing.
30885	High Risk	Spam/Fraud team has flagged the number/business/traffic for fraud or deceptive marketing.
30897	Disallowed Content	Submission included: disallowed content types, such as Loan Marketing, 3rd party debt collection, gambling, sweepstakes, stock alerts, cryptocurrency, risk investments, debt reduction, credit repair, 3rd party lead generation, and federally illegal substances.
30882	Terms & Conditions	Campaign does not meet Terms and Conditions.
30898	Excessive EIN	Same EIN is used for multiple brands. Only register minimum number of brands per EIN and do not resubmit until brand registration is updated.

Resubmitting brand registration

If your brand registration has been rejected due to missing or inaccurate information, the associated one-time fees will apply for each resubmission attempt.

If the brand registration fails, you will be contacted to provide the correct information or you can follow the steps below to update and resubmit the brand registration in the GoTo Admin portal. Common rejections:

Tax ID/ EIN mismatch
Wrong company name
Entity type
Missing Website/Social Media presence

We suggest that customers use the confirmation letter from the IRS (SS-4 form) that was received when applying for an EIN. You can also contact the IRS tax specialty line at 800-829-4933 to validate their information.

Note: Canadian customers can provide their Business Number registry issued by the CRA (Canadian Revenue Agency).

If you are not already, sign in to GoTo Admin.
Attention: SMS Registration is only available in the GoTo Admin portal. Admins who primarily uses the PBX Administration portal ( https://my.jive.com/pbx), you will need to complete these steps in GoTo Admin.
From the left navigation, select Phone systems.
Select SMS Compliance.
Within the red notification banner, select Edit brand registration.
Please review and edit the information using the SS-4 form issued by the IRS. Fields that are commonly rejected by the TCR are highlighted to help indicate information that may be inaccurate. GoTo is unable to know exactly which field(s) are accurate/inaccurate. Please review all fields and check for accuracy.
Note: The SS-4 form only applies to US customers. Canadian customers will confirm their Business Number BN- BN is the 9 digit account number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Select Next: Review brand registration and verify that all information is valid before submitting.

Why am I getting an error saying my Tax ID doesn’t match the business name or type?

While we can’t know exactly the reason for the mismatch, some common issues are:

Special characters. The IRS doesn’t allow special characters in business names and accepts only: alpha (A-Z), numeric (0-9), hyphen (-), and ampersand (&).
INC or LLC: The registered name has or is missing a trailing “INC” or “LLC”. US customers can call the IRS helpline to verify their registered business name: +1 (800) 829-4933. When calling, first choose your language, then “1” for EIN questions, then “3” for “I have an EIN”.

FAQs

What fees are associated with registering my brand and SMS campaigns?

The registration process involves a $19 USD in one-time fees ($4 to register your company with TCR and $15 for carriers to vet your campaign) plus a fixed monthly fee to TCR based on the campaign registered (see table below). If your brand registration and/or campaign vetting has been rejected due to missing or inaccurate information, the associated one-time fees will apply for each resubmission attempt.

Per campaign fixed monthly fees:

Low volume campaign (Less than 6000 texts/day)	$1.50 per month
Standard volume campaign (More than 6000 texts/day)	$10.00 per month

Does this impact my phone calls too?

This does not have any impact on your voice call features, ONLY texting.

Do I need to register each of my business phone numbers?

No, all your numbers with SMS permissions are automatically assigned to the campaign once it's approved. Any new numbers you order or port will also be automatically assigned.

I thought texting was included with purchase, why do I have to go through this extra registration?

Registration is an industry-wide requirement enforced by the wireless carriers who deliver messaging traffic to consumers. Like you, GoTo, and other service providers must comply with the industry's restrictions on unverified traffic.

Is  GoTo going to switch off my text messaging capabilities if I haven’t registered an SMS campaign by a specific date?

I just obtained a new EIN with the IRS, how long should I wait to register?

The TCR has indicated that processing may take up to 4 weeks before the EIN is available in the IRS database for SMS registration.

What is opt-in and opt-out?

Opt-in: Customers who agree to receive text messages from a business "opt-in". Customers manually opt-in by selecting a button or checking a box to agree to receive text messages from a contact form on the business website. Below are examples of compliant and non-compliant opt-in examples.

Compliant opt-in messaging examples:
- Entering a phone number through a website and agreeing to receive messages. For example, customers opt-in by visiting www.examplewebsite.com and adding their phone number. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from the example brand.
- Clicking a button on a mobile webpage.
- Sending a message from the consumer’s mobile device that contains an advertising keyword. For example, customers opt-in by texting START to XXX-XXX-XXXX.
- Initiating the text message exchange in which the message sender replies to the consumer only with responsive information.
- Signing up at a point of sale (POS) or another message sender on-site location.
- Opting in over the phone using interactive voice response (IVR) technology.
Non-compliant opt-in messaging examples:
- The Voter File, or accessing any public database with phone number information.
- Purchased list of phone numbers.
- Texting existing customers without prior explicit opt-in.
- Pre-checking an opt-in check box on a phone collection form

Opt-out: Customers who unsubscribe to text messages from a business "opt-out". Customers must have the ability to opt-out in at least two ways:

Customers who previously opted in to texting can opt-out by texting "STOP" to XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Customers must also have the option to manually opt-out by selecting a button or checking a box to not receive text messages from a contact form on the business website.

If you do not have a clear opt in/opt out option on your website, you must create one for the carriers to approve your request. Please ensure:

the language used in opt-in is clear and specific
opt-in information is present in each section of the website where you collect user information
opt-in is included on the 'contact us' section of your webpage
if you don't have a contact us page, you should create one