Starting May 15, 2022, all Toll-Free Numbers must undergo verification. This article provides information regarding this new change.
What is happening?
Effective May 15, 2022, the Toll-Free Messaging Aggregator is requiring all Toll-Free Numbers (TFNs) to complete the toll-free verification process. Numbers that are in-market today but are not verified will need to complete the verification prior to September 30, 2022. This process is industry-wide and impacts all phone providers. This process also takes around 4-8 weeks.
What is toll-free verification?
The toll-free verification process qualifies the messaging traffic to be tagged as verified with carriers. The approved tag reduces the number of false-positive blocks and helps increase the message deliverability on a single toll-free number (TFN).
Verification is not whitelisting, so approval doesn’t guarantee that the customer won’t experience any blocking.
What are the benefits of the verification process?
- Reduced amount of false-positive blocks
- Faster resolution for deliverability issues
- Increased protection for your customer’s brand
Will this prevent spam?
Verification doesn’t systematically remove or prevent any spam blocking. Verification only impacts active deliverability with toll-free messaging partners and not mobile carriers.
Does this impact just U.S. or Canadian traffic as well?
At this time it impacts both U.S. and Canadian traffic.
How can distributors tell customers to OPT-IN to the Broadcast Text line?
- Asking during a text conversation, a text opt-in is sufficient for explicit confirmation
- Asking during an email conversation, an email opt-in is sufficient for explicit confirmation
- Creating flyers in-store “text START to 1-800-___-____ to get all our latest store news, updates, and deals”
- Encouraging customers in conversation to text “START” to the 1-800 number
What if I am already a Prokeep Plus customer using the Broadcast Text feature?
Customers that were existing contacts prior to 5/15/22 are grandfathered in & will not need to opt in. Any new contacts added from 5/15/22 on will need to be “opted in” to the Broadcast Text line. Recommendations for how to “opt-in” are in the above question.
Is this process only impacting Prokeep or all messaging platform providers?
This is an industry-wide verification process that everyone will have to put in place moving forward. Going to another texting service provider will not prevent this from taking place.
Ineligible use cases for messaging:
