No surprise, there are a TON of questions surrounding the new Toll-Free verification that changed on September 30th, 2022. Messaging regulations are constantly adding new requirements. Good in the long run?—Yes! But it doesn’t mean it’s any easier to comprehend!?
Many business leaders like yourself joined part 2 of our webinar Registration Roundup Series on Toll-Free Verification to learn more about what’s happening. Did you miss the webinar and have some questions on Toll-Free Verification? There’s a good chance we answered them!
We’ve compiled the most frequent questions attendees asked during the webinar below:
What are the differences between Verified, Pending, and Restricted numbers?
The Toll-Free Aggregator has created 3 Classes of Service to classify verification status: Verified, Pending Verification, and Restricted. Effective October 1, 2022, The Toll-Free Aggregator will begin to apply industry-wide thresholds for messaging sent over Toll-Free numbers in the U.S. according to their status.
- Verified: Verified numbers were approved through the Toll-Free verification process. Their traffic is subjected to limited filters. If traffic does trigger any filters, that specific content will be blocked, but the number will not be automatically blocked.
- Pending Verification: Pending Verification numbers have submitted a Toll-Free verification application and are awaiting a response from the Toll-Free Aggregator. They can send at a lower throughput than verified numbers but higher than restricted numbers. Blocking can be applied to individual content or automatically block all traffic from the number. These numbers will remain in this pending state until a decision has been made on verification status.
- Restricted (aka Unverified): Restricted numbers have either 1) not submitted a verification request or 2) have had their application denied. These numbers are subject to the highest amount of filtering, and numbers in this state will automatically get shut off if any spam or unwanted traffic is detected.
- Daily Limit: 2,000 messages per day
- Weekly Limit: 12,000 messages per week
- Monthly Limit: 25,000 messages per month.
- Whether successful or not, all messages will count toward the daily, weekly, and monthly volumes. For example, if a customer sends 25k messages on the first of the month, the first 2k messages will be allowed to send, and the remaining 23k messages will be blocked. All 25k messages will count toward the weekly and monthly totals.
Do these restrictions fall on a per diem, TN basis?
Yes, the send thresholds for restricted Toll-Free numbers will be applied per-TN (Telephone Number). So this may be important to keep in mind as you evaluate how the new requirements may affect your business.
Does Bandwidth help verify individual phone numbers?
Yes, Toll-Free numbers are verified on a per-TN (Telephone Number) basis. With Toll-Free Verification, each number has a unique ticket. Although you can submit up to 1000 numbers using a bulk verification form, each Toll-Free number will be individually evaluated and verified.
Where is Toll-Free Verification data sent? Is it processed through TCR, or sent to a different place?
Toll-Free Verification is handled by a specific Toll-Free Aggregator that handles Toll-Free messaging for the industry. Toll-Free numbers are not registered through TCR. They are managed separately through this verification mechanism.
Why does Canada have stricter requirements?
Canada is more restrictive because of its anti-spam laws and the policies implemented by mobile carriers to meet the law.
Can you provide an example of acceptable opt-out language?
“End,” “quit“, “unsubscribe“, and “stop” are all adequate opt-out language. *https://www.mogli.com/blog/text-messaging-opt-in-and-opt-out-laws-in-the-us
In the past months, Toll-Free Verification and the downstream provider often required legal language to be found somewhere on the brand’s website about messaging. Is that still feedback we’ll receive after submitting the Toll-Free Verification form?
Yes. You’ll have to provide a link to your company’s terms and conditions and your privacy policy.
How long can one expect the Toll-Free Verification process to take?
Once the Bandwidth Campaign Team receives an application, it can take up to a week for Bandwidth to process and provide feedback or submit it to the Toll-Free Aggregator. Upon submission, a number will likely stay in a pending state for about 3-4 weeks before being processed. So from start to finish, it’s a five- to six-week process.
How will someone know if their request for Toll-Free Verification is denied?
Currently, the process is manual and entirely ticket-based. So you would find out via the ticket that the request had been approved or denied. This ticket does not include the reason why a submission was denied. If you need additional information, reach out to the Bandwidth support team, and we can connect with the Toll-Free Aggregator to help investigate the why.
Besides the volume limits starting on September 30th, will we see increased filtering of Toll-Free numbers?
Beginning October 1st, if you are running unverified traffic or running traffic over an unverified Toll-Free number, you can expect that there will be some additional filtering.
Final Thoughts
We hope this gave you a little more insight into Toll-Free Verification. If you still feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone! It can be challenging to understand the constant changes happening in the industry. So, if you have any outstanding questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!
