Note: This information is intended to assist in following best practices for A2P messaging and does not constitute legal advice. All messaging traffic must comply with relevant laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

The consumer must give appropriate consent.

Ensure that users explicitly opt-in to receive messages from you. Obtaining clear and reliable consumer consent specific to the type of messages you are sending is crucial. Generally, opt-out rates are consistently low when reliable and clear consumer opt-in consent has been obtained. At any time, Textla or wireless carriers may require evidence from you (or your customers) of documented opt-in consent for a particular message.

If opt-out rates exceed 0.5%* in a 24-hour period for a particular campaign or number, you can expect to complete a consent audit to prove that your campaign is in compliance and appropriately collecting opt-in. If a campaign or number receives opt-outs in excess of 4%*, the campaign or number in question may be suspended, and a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and consent audit will be required.

*The daily opt-out rate is defined as the total number of unique consumer phone numbers divided by the unique opted-out consumers that were sent messages in a 24-hour period.

Utilize a single number for identity.

Avoid spreading your campaigns over several numbers. Using a single number for both text and voice calls is not only a best practice but also provides a better overall user experience. Avoid spreading messages across many source phone numbers, specifically to dilute reputation metrics and evade filters. This practice, known as "snowshoeing," can result in your content being blocked. If your messaging use case requires the use of multiple numbers to distribute similar or like content, please discuss this with your Textla representative (or other carrier representative).

Identify the brand or business in the body of the message.

Your application, service, or business name should be included in the content of the message body.

Example: [Your Business Name]: You have an appointment for Tuesday at 3:00 PM. Reply YES to confirm, NO to reschedule. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Let users know they have been opted in to receive messages from you.

Upon successful opt-in by a mobile subscriber, an opt-in confirmation message should be immediately sent to the subscriber's number. Per the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, "a single opt-in confirmation message displaying information verifying your customer’s enrollment in the identified program and describing how to opt-out" should be sent.

Example: Textla Product Trial Alerts: Welcome to Textla Trial Alerts! Msg&data rates may apply. Recurring Messages. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel.

Textla recommends sending your opt-in confirmation message or HELP message (see below) once a month or every six messages so customers know how to opt-out and how to reach the business if they have questions.

Use of Opt-Out language.

Ensure that your users can opt-out of receiving messages. It is best practice to notify consumers of their ability to opt-out from future messages from the message sender. This is especially important when sending informational or promotional messages.

An example would be to include the sentence, "Reply STOP to unsubscribe," at the end of the initial message sent to the consumer, or "Reply STOP to cancel." It is best practice to use the word "reply" before the STOP keyword.

[Only for toll-free A2P]

Ensure proper functioning of opt-out behavior.

On toll-free SMS, consumer opt-in and opt-out functionality is enforced at the network level via the STOP and UNSTOP keywords. This functionality cannot be disabled for service providers or message senders.

Message senders have obligations to process the opted-out consumer phone number so it is removed from all distribution lists and logged as "opted out" from SMS communications. This ensures that future messages are not attempted and that consumer consent is honored. As you track opt-out responses, it is best practice to keep a log of how many STOP responses you receive and monitor for increasing percentages of opt-out responses.

Examples of valid opt-out keywords include: "STOP," "Stop," "stop."

For toll-free SMS, there is no need to send an acknowledgment to the consumer. The opt-out confirmation message returned to a consumer is generic from your network provider and gives instructions on how to opt back into service again with the message sender’s phone number. Below is an example of an opt-out confirmation message sent from your network provider:

Example: NETWORK MSG: You replied with the word "STOP," which blocks all texts sent from this number. Text back "UNSTOP" to receive messages again.

[Only for toll-free A2P]

Ensure proper functioning of opt-in keywords specific to toll-free texting.

Allow users to opt back in after opting out at the network level. A consumer can opt back in at any time to receive messages by texting the keyword "UNSTOP" or "START" to a message sender’s phone number. The keyword is not case-sensitive and triggers an opt-in only when sent as a single word, with no punctuation or leading spaces (any trailing spaces are trimmed). If the consumer uses the opt-in keyword within a sentence, an opt-in is not triggered.

Examples of valid opt-in keywords include: "UNSTOP," "Unstop," "unstop," "START," "Start," "start."