Messaging Special Use Case Guidelines

Political Messaging

Political campaigns are supported but must adhere to all applicable CTIA guidelines, including the Messaging Principles and Best Practices and Political Campaign Messaging Document as well as all carrier codes of conduct and the Convey Acceptable Use Policy. All prohibited behavior outlined in these articles must be avoided and compliance responsibilities must be obeyed. Importantly, the scope of the anti-spam protections in the Messaging Principles – and the expectations placed on message senders – are separate from and broader than message senders’ minimum legal obligations. Regardless of whether the TCPA and associated FCC consent requirements apply, message senders must obtain a consumer’s consent to receive messages.

Depending on the carrier, political campaigns may be required to register and undergo vetting for authenticity. Please see carrier code of conduct documents for explicit instructions for carrier vetting.

Additionally, keep in mind that political campaigns must always:

• obtain express consent prior to sending a message. Opt-in lists are not permitted to be shared, bought or sold for any message types. Political use cases are not excepted.
• inform recipients at opt-in who will be messaging them, the purpose for the messages and the expected frequency and quantity of the messages under clear and conspicuous terms.
• store all consent records in case of audit or inquiry
• honor all opt-out requests

Please review the following additional articles as they are applicable to all political messaging:

• Obtaining & Observing Message Consent
• CTIA Political Campaign Messaging Explainer
• T-Mobile Code of Conduct section 6
• 10DLC Registration for 527 Political Organizations
• 10DLC Carrier Specifications “Political (Election Campaigns)”

Adult Content Use Cases

Adult content is highly regulated and may likely be subject to additional reviews or audits in excess of other use cases.
All adult content programs must include as part of any and all opt-in methods a substantial, robust age gate effective in verifying the age of a subscriber at point of opt-in and preventing minors from subscribing. Additionally, the following content remains prohibited for adult content messaging:

• illegal sexual themes of any kind, simulated or real, including the exchange of illegal sexual imagery
• prostitution/exchange of intimate acts for money
• misrepresentation of adult content as family-friendly
• adult substances, actual or implied, targeting minors

Shopping Cart Reminder Notifications

Cart Reminders are sent as strategic marketing follow-ups to users who have added items to online shopping carts but did not complete their transaction. This is high-risk traffic because end-users often do not directly opt in to receive text messages and these messages carry high potential for negative interaction with recipients.

Simply put - you must establish clear consent from recipients at the time information is collected. Consumers must consent to the type of message and from whom they are receiving it. Carriers field a lot of subscriber complaints from marketing messages because e-comm businesses fail to get explicit consent from consumers. The Call-to-Action for opt-in should describe the types of messages recipients can expect to receive and should include clear opt-out instructions.

Cart Reminders must comply with guidelines from the CTIA and T-Mobile regarding this use case:

1. The CTA opt-in verbiage must explicitly state that the message program includes cart reminders.
2. Double opt-in via text is required, and must explicitly state that the program includes cart reminders.
3. Certification submissions must be filed as an “Account Information” campaign with a description explicitly stating that the program includes cart reminders.
4. The Privacy Policy must explicitly state how information is captured by the e-commerce site to determine when a cart has been abandoned (e.g. cookies, plugins, etc.)
5. Terms & Conditions must link to the privacy policy.
6. Cart reminders must be sent within forty-eight (48) hours and limited to one alert per unique abandoned cart.
7. Cart reminders must not result in the e-commerce site completing the transaction on behalf of the customer.
8. Cart reminders must not collect payment information or accept approval for purchase via keyword confirmation.
9. Consumers must complete the transaction by processing payment themselves via a direct URL link to the e-commerce website.

Charitable Donation Use Cases

Programs facilitating end-users’ donations to charitable causes and organizations are supported on some carrier networks. Mechanisms for supporting this may vary by carrier. Consult individual carrier codes of conduct for details about how donations are supported and requirements for donation campaigns.

Direct Lender Use Cases

Marketing of loan use cases is strictly prohibited. However, customer support, status, and account notifications are permitted.

Emergency Notifications Use Cases

While emergency notifications are supported on all number types, it is recommended that the campaign undergo certification as-applicable per number type.

High-Risk Use Cases

High-risk use cases (typically marketing) may not be outright prohibited, but run a high chance of getting blocked or resulting in carrier complaint. It is critical to set expectations that the following use cases are unlikely to run smoothly on carrier networks.

• Mailbox Rental
• Cart Reminders (read more above)
• Weight Loss

Higher Education & K-12 Use Cases

These messages are intended for teacher-parent-student communications and may not be used for marketing.

Machine to Machine Use Cases

IoT/M2M messages are not expected to engage in direct customer interaction and use cases intending to incorporate both direct consumer communication and IoT/M2M messages must utilize separate dedicated codes for each.

Sweepstakes & Contest Use Cases

Programs which offer a chance to receive a prize must adhere to all applicable laws and should consult legal counsel prior to submitting sweepstakes or contest campaigns for 10DLC, Verified Sender or short code certification.