Before your business can send texts to customers, the phone carriers have to approve you. If you're waiting on that approval, or your registration got kicked back, this explains what's happening and what you can do to move it along.
What text registration is
Every U.S. phone carrier now makes businesses register before they'll deliver business texts. This isn't an Earnworthy rule. It's a nationwide rule built to cut down on spam and scam texting.
Registration ties your texting to your verified business. Once you're approved, carriers trust your messages, so they're far more likely to land on your customer's phone instead of getting filtered or blocked.
We handle the actual submission for you. Your part is making sure the details we submit match your records.
Why it takes time
Registration happens in two parts. First your business gets verified. Then the type of texts you send gets reviewed. The carriers check both, and once it's submitted, the review is out of our hands.
How long it takes: about 1 to 2 weeks.
What gets a registration rejected
- Your business name or EIN doesn't match your IRS records exactly. Even a missing "LLC" will fail the check.
- You don't have an EIN yet, or it's brand new. A freshly issued EIN takes time to show up in the carrier databases.
- Your website isn't live, or it's missing a privacy policy and terms. The carriers look for both.
- The one-time verification code can't reach your phone. Some phone plans, like Xfinity Mobile, run on another carrier's network, so the system won't send the code there. Nothing's wrong with your phone. It's just how the check works.
How to help it go through
1. Confirm your legal business name and EIN. Pull up the IRS letter you got when your EIN was issued (the CP 575). The name and EIN we submit have to match it exactly. Send us a copy if you're not sure what's on file.
2. Get an EIN if you don't have one. It's free and takes about ten minutes to request at IRS.gov.
3. Put a privacy policy and terms on your website. Both need to be live and public, with specific language about text messaging. We can set this up for you if it isn't there yet.
4. Use a real opt-in. You can only text people who clearly said yes. No purchased lists, and no texting customers just because you have their number. We'll help you add a proper opt-in to your forms.
5. Keep a direct-carrier mobile handy. The carriers send a one-time code to a direct line on AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. A landline won't work, and neither will a plan that runs on another carrier's network. A spouse's or family member's phone is fine.
Common questions
Can I text customers while I wait? Not from the number being registered. Everything else in your account keeps working, so we'll lean on email until texting is live.
What counts as opt-in? Someone clearly agreeing to get texts from you. A checked box on your form, a "yes" reply to a confirmation text, or a verbal yes you can document. A number you bought, borrowed, or already had for another reason doesn't count.
What happens after I'm approved? Read Texting After You're Approved.
Questions? Email support@earnworthy.com.