US messaging use cases

Mobile messaging is a heavily regulated space. We all benefit from this in the form of a clean, direct, and effective line of communication to our audiences. However, these rules and regulations do need to be carefully navigated.

It is important to know which use cases are allowed and which are not, and then to submit the required details to the operators. This guide sets out everything you need to know about US carrier requirements for some common use cases.

First, a disclaimer...

The list of common allowed and disallowed use cases in this section is not comprehensive.

Other types of use cases may result in additional questions from the carriers. It is important to remember that each network is owned and operated on an individual basis. As such, carriers reserve the right to reject or question any specific campaign.

All campaigns are subject to full review by all of the carriers and will need to be approved on a case-by-case basis.

Here are the do’s and don’ts (as outlined by the US carriers) for the most common messaging use cases.

Allowed with restrictions
Abandoned Shopping Cart Notifications	Job alerts
Bank fraud alerts	Loan campaigns
Charitable donation campaigns	Payment reminders
Emergency alerts/Time-sensitive alerts	Political campaigns
Free to end user	Purchases via short code
Gambling	SHAFT
Home listings	Sweepstakes and Contests
Insurance

Disallowed
CBD & cannabis	Lead generation
Competitive marketing	Shared Short Codes
Debt collection	White labelled (affiliate marketing) programs
High risk loans

The following sections drill down deeper into these common use cases, and detail what you need to know.

Allowed with restrictions

Abandoned shopping cart notification (ASCN)

The call to action and terms and conditions must disclose that this messaging program includes ASCN.
A double opt-in is required, and the double opt-in message content must clearly inform the user that this includes ASCN.
The privacy policy must explicitly state how information is captured by the e-commerce site to determine when a consumer cart has been abandoned (for example, website cookies, plugins, and more).
No more than one ASCN per event; ASCN must be sent within 48 hours after abandonment.
ASCN must not result in the completion of a transaction on behalf of the customer.
Abandoned cart notifications must not collect payment information or accept approval for purchase via keyword confirmation from the consumer.
Consumers must complete the transaction by processing payment themselves via a direct URL link to the e-commerce website.

Note

This use case is limited to cart abandonment messages and SMS messages should not be triggered based on views or clicks. SMS messages should only be triggered when a user places an item in their cart.

Bank fraud alerts

There is a TCPA exemption for bank fraud alerts, meaning that the end user’s prior express consent is not required. To qualify for this exemption, the following requirements must be adhered to:

Messages must be zero-rated (FTEU).
Messages must be sent only to the wireless number provided by the customer of the financial institution.
Messages must state the name and contact information (for example, phone number) of the financial institution.
Messages cannot include marketing, advertising, or debt collection content.
Messages are limited to a maximum of three texts over a three-day period from a single financial institution to the owner of the affected account.
Messages must inform recipients of the ability to opt-out by replying “STOP”, which will be the exclusive means by which consumers may opt-out of such messages.
"Reply STOP to cancel" should be included in all content MT for these types of campaigns.
Opt-out requests must be honored immediately.

Charitable donations campaigns

If the campaign uses text messages to support, remind, suggest, request, or advertise any "giving" or "donation," it is considered a donation campaign.

Infobip can manage the messaging but cannot handle mobile billing. The customer must have an agreement with a mobile billing provider.
If the donation aspect of the campaign does not occur via the short code (for example, donation occurs through a web form using a URL), the following must be adhered to.
Charitable donation programs must conform to the non-profit messaging guidelines in the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices. All charitable organizations must meet the following qualifications:
1. Be qualified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
2. Be accredited by at least one arm’s-length, disinterested nonprofit accreditation organization (such as Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator).
3. Receive separate opt-ins for informational and solicitation messages if both types of messages are provided under the same short code.
4. Not use the message program for lotteries, sweepstakes, raffles, or recurring donations.
5. Ensure no entities involved in the donation campaign, aside from the charitable organization itself, use any part of the mobile subscriber data collected.
6. For charitable donation programs outside of direct-carrier billing, the dedicated application address must be leased or owned by the charitable organization.
7. Charitable donation programs supported by a DCA must provide the following information to prove tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code:
  1. Name of company/non-profit organization
  2. Tax identification (EIN)
  3. Charitable organization website
  4. Accreditation organization website listing company/non-profit
Charitable organizations accepting donations must maintain 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and should not fall under the classification of 501(c)(4) entities. These organizations must avoid displaying political bias on their websites or in their messaging. If political affiliations or leanings are present, they must adhere to the political messaging requirements (see 'Political campaigns' section).

Emergency alerts/Time-sensitive alerts

A terms and conditions page must include the statement “Wireless carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.”
It is recommended that emergency notification campaigns be submitted as FTEU to override blocklisting or messaging bucket limitations. This is not a requirement but is suggested to ensure that users who have exhausted their limited text plan or are blacklisted from SMS programs will still receive these notifications.
Emergency alerts programs should be watermarked to indicate an urgent/emergency designation and used only for true emergencies or time-sensitive alerts.

NoteThe 10DLC emergency alerts use case type requires post-registration approval and can only be used for emergency services, not as a mixed-use case or for general alerts.

Free to end user

An FTEU message is provided at no charge to the subscriber.
FTEU short codes can only be used for FTEU and cannot run concurrently with standard services on the same network.
"Msg & Data Rates May Apply" should not be included in MTs or on websites for FTEU programs.

NoteFTEU is only supported on short codes.

Gambling

Promotion of gambling is strictly prohibited.
Any campaigns related to gambling or casinos must include a robust age gate.
Lottery programs are allowed if they do not promote gambling.
1. For example, Powerball jackpot results are allowed, such as "Powerball jackpot results are XXXX."
2. However, "Play Powerball jackpot at www.com (opens in a new tab) to win now" is not allowed.
3. For lottery programs, confirmation that the company is an official affiliate partner of the lottery is required.
Two-factor authentication for gambling programs is approved on a case-by-case basis.
Direct promotion of casinos is not allowed; however, SMS may be used to promote events inside a casino.

Home listings

Real estate alerts about home listings, such as apartment finder alerts, are allowed.
Campaigns tied to a direct realtor or property management company will be more closely considered.
End-user information must not be shared with third parties or affiliate marketers.

Insurance

A content provider must be the direct insurer and not a reseller of insurance.
Insurance quotes must only be for the specific direct insurer.
End-user information must not be shared with third parties or affiliate marketers.

Job alerts

As keyword opt-in is generally not how these campaigns run, a complete description of the process and screenshots for review must be provided.

The content provider must be the direct hiring agency or head-hunting firm.
End-user information must not be shared with third parties or affiliate marketers.
The following alerts are disallowed:
1. Work-from-home programs
2. Job alerts from third-party recruiting firms
3. Risk investment opportunities

Loan campaigns

Only campaigns for the direct lender will be considered, and the message sender must be the loan originator. Please note:

The mobile call-to-action (CTA) or web opt-in must be separate from the end user signing up for the application or loan.
As keyword opt-in is generally not how these campaigns run, provide a complete description of the process and screenshots for review.
Verbal opt-in is not allowed for loan-type campaigns.
End-user information must not be shared with third parties or affiliate marketers.
A completed loan questionnaire (opens in a new tab) must be provided for review.

Payment reminders

Alerts notifying consumers of upcoming payment reminders are allowed. For example, "Your bill is due on XX/XX."
When submitting these types of campaigns, include the following note in the description field within the program summary: "The alerts will be courtesy reminders to the users for payment dates. The ability to initiate a payment cannot be made via SMS, and messages may not indicate an overdue or past due notice."

NotePayment reminder programs must be run by the direct owner of the debt. Messages can be sent for payment reminders from a debt collector only if the debt collector has obtained direct consent. Passthrough or implied consent is not considered.

Political campaigns

Political campaigns require a call-to-action (CTA) or opt-in policy that is clear and applied consistently.
If the political campaign will also support donations, the following must be provided:
1. A valid call-to-action and clear product description within the SMS terms of service, which clearly discloses that donations will be solicited.
2. Example MT for donation messaging, including the URL.
There must be additional transparency on the political entity:
1. Politician or organization name.
2. Politician or organization website.
3. FEC ID, required if the candidate or organization is involved in a federal-level election and donations will be solicited.
4. State Committee ID, required if the candidate or organization is involved in a state-level election and donations will be solicited. In place of the State Committee ID, official documentation from a state institution can also be provided as proof that the candidate or organization is engaged in a state-level election.
End-user information must not be shared with third parties or like-minded organizations. This should be confirmed in the privacy policy page. It is suggested to add the approved carrier language to the privacy policy page: "The above excludes text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties."

For further information about political messaging, see:

Purchases via short code

Purchase confirmation via SMS will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will require additional review by US operators and Infobip. For example, "Reply BUY to purchase this item."
A URL in the text message that redirects the end user to a web form to complete their purchase is permitted. This must occur every time a purchase needs to be completed and cannot be used as a single authorization for recurring orders.

Message programs involving payment authorization via text must adhere to the following restrictions:

Confirmation in the program summary that the following requirements are met:

First message must confirm user. If it is not the intended user, they must opt out.
A one-time double-confirmation message must be used to validate payment authorization via text.
Only non-sensitive user information (for example, last name, date of birth, and so on.) must be used to validate that the message recipient is the correct person.
No additional validation attempts are allowed if the initial payment authorization fails due to incorrect user information. Instead, the user must be informed that payment authorization must be completed on a different channel (for example, website, app, and so on.)

Disallowed sensitive information for payment authorization process:

Financial data (for example, 3-digit security code for a bank card, full/partial bank card numbers, and so on.)
Personal data (for example, SSN, driver’s license, other government-issued IDs, and so on.)

Other message control restrictions:

Changes to the default payment method are not allowed via text. Instead, changes to the payment method must be done on a different channel (for example, website, app, and so on.)

SHAFT

SHAFT stands for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. Hate or hate speech is never allowed. However, messaging related to sex (adult content), alcohol, firearms, and tobacco will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by each of the US mobile network operators in accordance with all applicable laws.

All SHAFT messaging requires a robust age gate.
1. A robust age gate requires a user reply via MT with their birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) or a web opt-in form field that requires the user to include their birthdate.
2. Asking a user to "Reply YES/AGREE to confirm they are over a certain age" is not considered robust age verification.
As a standard, direct promotion of the sale or consumption of these products is not typically allowed.
1. Example: "Use code DRINK15% for 15% off our newest vodka at www.drink.com (opens in a new tab)."
Indirect promotion of these items will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
1. Items like cart reminders, shipping notifications, and exclusive coupon codes for the website will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
2. Example: "Brand: Hey, did you leave something in your cart? Complete your checkout now by clicking www.website.com (opens in a new tab)."
Firearms programs are approved on a case-by-case basis.
1. Must include a robust age gate (age gate should be for 21+ as gun sales are not legal in all 50 states at 18).
2. No direct promotion of the use or sale of firearms.
3. All SMS messages must only contain content that is legal in all 50 states (for example, content regarding ARs is disallowed as ARs are not legal in all 50 states).

Sweepstakes and contests

A sweepstake is a legal game that includes a prize and a game of chance. No consideration is allowed. The definition of a sweepstake includes anything with a prize component, regardless of the method of prize delivery.

A contest is a promotional mechanism that includes a prize and a game of skill. Consideration is allowed, but there cannot be any element of chance. Some details to note:

For sweepstakes, you must provide a copy of all official rules and guidelines and the "in market" call to action that was used.
Services viewed as sweepstakes or contests include any service where points or prizes are awarded, reverse auctions, skills games (Sprint), and IVR voting (Sprint).
Sweepstakes and contest rules must be present on the website and must include, but are not limited to:
1. Rules must be prominently located on the website associated with the sweepstakes.
2. Rules cannot be generic, covering multiple sweepstakes of a type that may run in connection with a program, but must relate to an actual sweepstakes.
3. Name and contact information for the sponsor.
4. Any eligibility restrictions applicable to participants or winners, such as state of residence.
5. Description of means of entry.
6. Date(s) the prizes will be awarded.
7. Description of prize(s).
8. Method of awarding prize(s).
9. Description of how the winner(s) will be contacted and method for obtaining a list of winners.
10. Who is eligible for sweepstakes and how the winner is selected.
11. Age restrictions.
12. Free method of entry.

Viral messaging

Viral messaging is a process by which a consumer:

Receives a message.
Identifies one or more other consumers as likely interested in receiving a similar message.
Initiates a process by which the other consumers will receive the message.

For example, consumer A may input consumer B’s phone number into an app to send a message to consumer B via short code.

A message sender may send viral messaging via short code. To do so, the mechanism by which a message sender sends viral messaging must require a consumer to:

Verify that the consumer has obtained each message recipient’s consent to send the message.
Individually identify and select each message recipient.
Confirm that each message will be sent on the consumer’s behalf.

Additionally, any viral messaging must state why the recipient has received the message, including identifying the consumer sending the message and the purpose of the message. Message senders must honor all opt-out requests from message recipients by opting the message recipient out of all messages sent through the viral messaging application, software, or program. Additionally, consumers sending viral messaging may not receive anything of value for using the viral messaging application, software, or program.

Disallowed

CBD and cannabis

Messaging related to CBD and cannabis is not supported by all US carrier networks. The regulations on this vary from state to state and from federal to state level. Such use cases are disallowed.

Competitive marketing

Any program submitted to the US operators that would be considered competitive in nature is disallowed to run on other networks.

Debt collection

3rd party debt collection messages are not permitted. This includes messaging related to debt forgiveness, debt consolidation, debt reduction, or credit repair programs. Messaging related to debt forgiveness, debt consolidation, debt reduction, or credit repair programs is not permitted.

High risk loans

Messaging related to high risk loans is not permitted. This includes (but is not limited to) payday loans, short-term high-interest loans, auto loans by a third party, mortgage loans by a third party, and student loans.

Lead generation

Any campaigns that are used for lead generation or indicate the sharing of collected information with third parties are not permitted.

Shared short codes

Shared short codes are not allowed. All short codes (and 10DLC numbers) must have a dedicated sender. In rare instances, short codes may be approved to represent multiple brands in the messaging, if, and only if there is a single message sender/controller and the use case is the same.

Safe-labeled programs

The submission of campaigns with a supporting website which was created as a safe-labelled website used only to collect opt in or for promotion of affiliate marketing is a disallowed campaign type. Websites created to mislead users to opt in to unrelated or unauthorized campaign is strictly prohibited.

Here to help

We hope this quick guide has been useful. With a clear understanding of which use cases are allowed and which are not, you are more likely to feel confident and in control of your SMS and MMS campaigns. At Infobip, our expertise lies in getting campaigns approved by carriers and up and running quickly. We are here to help with any specific questions you may have.