Toll-Free US numbers are designated for business messaging use by all major carriers in the United States, and by most major mobile carriers in Canada.
Although originally popular due to no cost for external contacts, in the age of unlimited calling and data plans, not being connected to a specific location or area code makes Toll-Free numbers a popular choice for businesses looking to present national appeal.
Buy a Toll-Free Number
You can easily buy a Toll-Free number by accessing Admin Dashboard > Phone Numbers and then clicking Get a Number in the upper right corner.
Search for Toll-Free number using the drop-down menu.
Toll-Free Texting Requires Verification
Unregistered text/SMS messages sent via a Toll-Free number are not guaranteed to be delivered by the receiving carriers.
Although it usually leaves the smrtPhone system as expected, many receiving carriers are filtering out messages from unregistered senders.
Toll-Free Verification is currently required in the US and Canada to improve deliverability.
Please complete the free verification process as soon as possible to avoid traffic being blocked (Canada) or subjected to increased filtering and daily sending limits (US).
If your toll-free number is not verified, you might risk having your messages not delivered, receiving carrier fines, or even having your account suspended.
Toll-Free Registration is Free through smrtPhone
Verified Toll-Free Messaging simply means that your business and use case have been reviewed in advance of sending SMS traffic via Toll-Free and that you have received carrier approval for messaging via Toll-Free numbers to the US/Canada.
This verification process is free of charge.
You will receive a notification immediately after buying a Toll-Free number reminding you that toll-free numbers need to be verified for texting. This is not an error; it is just a prompt to get verified!
Take care of your Toll-Free numbers by submitting them to be verified via the verification button on your Phone Numbers page. If you run into issues, contact our Support Team via chat.
Toll-Free Verification Process and Form Examples
Head to your Phone Numbers page from the Admin panel and select the Toll-Free verification button.
Once the pop-up window opens, you can select the phone number to be submitted for verification. This list will only display phone numbers with Rejected or Unverified status.
Select your number from the list and proceed with the verification. All fields are mandatory.
Business Name - Submit your Company's name. This is the 'end' company that will be delivering the SMS messages that the client or mobile device will interact with. For example, if you have two company names, choose the one that the end-user will recognize. (Text)
Example: We Wash Anything
Corporate Website - Fill this with the text for your Company's website. This should be the website of the business name that was previously mentioned. If the business does not have a traditional website, it can include social media links (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.).
Example: www.wewashanything.com
Business Address - Add your physical business' address. You will have a second field to complete in case there are two available addresses. The full business address includes the street, city, state, and zip code.
Example: 123 Main St.
City - The city where your business is situated (Text) Example:
San Francisco
State - Fill only with the abbreviation for your state (Text)
Example: CA
Zip - Zip code for the business' location (Text)
Example: 111111
Business Contact First Name - Add the first name of the owner (Text)
Example: Jane
Business Contact Last Name - Add the last name of the owner (Text)
Example: Doe
Business Contact Email - Add the email address (Text)
Example: [email protected]
Business Contact Phone Number - Add a single phone number (Text)
Example: 123456789876
Message Volume - The projected monthly volume of messages expected to be sent by the Toll-Free phone number included in the submission. Select the nearest value, and if it rises, substitute the value representing your anticipated location after six months. Select one from the available ones: 10; 100; 1000; 10000; 100000; 250000; 500000; 750000; 1000000; 5000000; 10000000+
Example: 1000
Phone Numbers - Add multiple phone numbers separated by a semi-colon ; (Text)
Example: 123456789876;123456789876
Use Case Category - See our documentation regarding the Use Case for A2P 10 DLC. Choose the use case that you think most closely matches the traffic pattern of your customers.
Example: Mixed
Use Case Summary - The main focus of your messaging. The business' or organization's use of this toll-free number for messaging should be explained here. For the use case/summary: the more specific information you can give, the better.
Example: Notifying a customer when their product wash is complete
Message Content - See our documentation regarding Message Flow. The sample message content should match the use case provided.
Example: (Name), your item wash is complete. Your item is available for pickup at the reception. Reply STOP to opt out.
Opt-In Workflow Description - Describe the way your opt-in workflow works: online, text to join, point of sale, etc. (Text)
Example: Customers opt-in to receive SMS notifications when signing in at the laundry reception.
Opt-In Image URLs - Add the URLs for your images, separated by ;. The opt-in provided must be appropriate for the Use Case Category submitted. (Text)
Example: example.com/link-to-laundry-intake-form-image.jpg
Additional Supporting Documentation - Any helpful additional information you want to add. For example, you might want to add your Privacy Policy (Text)
Check Verification Status
On your Phone Numbers page, you can check the verification status of any number you've submitted.
There are 3 possible statutes for the verification - Approved, In review, or Rejected.
If verification was rejected, you can start over. All fields remain completed. You just need to modify those with issues.
For additional help, you can always reach out to our support team.
