SMS Compliance

Consumer consent

The TCPA requires prior express written consent for marketing or promotional text messages sent via an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS). Transactional messages — appointment reminders, order confirmations, delivery updates — generally require a lower standard of consent, but still need a clear opt-out path.

Opt-out requirements

Every commercial text must include a clear, functional opt-out mechanism. Common keywords like STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, and QUIT must be honored immediately. Once a recipient opts out, you cannot send further marketing messages to that number — and a single confirmation reply confirming the opt-out is the only allowed follow-up.

How we handle it

Amarillo Logic's Dispatch platform enforces consent status per recipient. Opted-out numbers are blocked from outbound marketing messages automatically. Every outbound message includes opt-out language. Inbound STOP/UNSUBSCRIBE keywords are detected and processed without human intervention.

What it is

A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) is the carrier-mandated system for business text messaging using standard 10-digit phone numbers. Every business that sends SMS to US phone numbers must register their brand and campaign with The Campaign Registry (TCR) and pass carrier vetting.

Registration requirements

• → Brand registration: Legal business name, EIN, physical address, and website. Carriers verify this against public records.
• → Campaign registration: Description of message use case, sample messages, and opt-in/opt-out workflows. Campaigns are reviewed for compliance with CTIA guidelines.
• → Vetting score: Carriers assign a trust score that determines throughput limits and delivery priority. Higher scores mean faster delivery and higher message caps.

Throughput limits

Unregistered or low-vetting traffic faces severe throttling — often single-digit messages per minute. Fully vetted campaigns can reach hundreds of messages per minute. Registration isn't optional; it's the difference between messages that arrive and messages that vanish.

How we handle it

We guide Panhandle businesses through brand and campaign registration as part of SMS onboarding. We handle the technical submission to TCR through our provider (Twilio), review your use case against CTIA guidelines before submission, and monitor campaign status for carrier rejections or throughput issues.

SHAFT content restrictions

CTIA guidelines prohibit or heavily restrict messaging related to Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco (SHAFT). Campaigns involving these categories face additional scrutiny, higher fees, or outright rejection. Even adjacent content — a restaurant mentioning a wine list, a sporting goods store referencing firearms accessories — can trigger review.

Consumer experience requirements

• → Clear identification: Every message must identify the sender. No anonymous business texting.
• → Frequency disclosure: Recipients must know how often to expect messages before they opt in.
• → HELP keyword: Must return your business name and contact information.
• → Quiet hours: Messages should respect reasonable hours. Late-night marketing texts draw complaints and carrier action.

How we handle it

Our compliance screener reviews campaign descriptions against SHAFT categories before submission. We configure quiet hours per tenant. HELP and STOP keyword handling is built into the platform — no custom code required. Every outbound message template includes sender identification.