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      2. Account and Settings

      Tools to Help You Stay Compliant

      When using a mass text messaging platform such as SlickText, it’s important that you remain compliant and abide by both the TCPA and CTIA guidelines.  Failure to do so can impact the deliverability of your messages, harm your reputation, and even have legal ramifications. While compliance is ultimately your responsibility, SlickText provides tools to help you.


      In this article:

      Compliance Messaging

      Force Double Opt-in 

      Terms & Conditions Link 

      Age Requirements

      Opt-out Intelligence

      Before We Begin

      Here are some terms to know.

      Term

      Definition

      TCPA

      Stands for “Telephone Consumer Protection Act” and is the federal legislation (originally written in 1991) that governs telemarketing, text messaging, and the Do-Not-Call list. While these laws don’t explicitly mention anything about SMS, it’s been ruled that texts are treated as phone calls under the TCPA. These laws exist to protect people from unsolicited text messages and phone calls.

      CTIA

      Stands for “Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association” and is a trade group that represents wireless carriers and others in the telecom industry. The CTIA maintains the Short Code Monitoring Handbook, which demonstrates additional guidelines for SMS marketing. The CTIA’s guidelines align with TCPA laws to protect people from unwanted text messages and help marketers create a better experience for consumers.

       A2P Messaging

      A2P, or Application-to-Person messaging, is the process of sending messages from a software application, typically an automated system, directly to a user or consumer on their device.

      Pre Opt-In Compliance Statement

      This is specific verbiage that must be placed wherever you advertise a call-to-action for consumers to subscribe to your text messages. This can be in the form of fine print as long as it's visible wherever your call-to-action is. You'll need this when creating your own opt-in materials.

      Opt-In Compliance Statement

      When a consumer opts in, specific verbiage must be appended to the initial confirmation message they receive.

      Opt-Out Message

      When a subscriber texts stop, unsubscribe, remove, cancel, end, quit, or opt-out to your number, they'll receive a message confirming that they are no longer subscribed.

      Help Message

      When a subscriber texts “help” to your number they'll receive a message with a link to your website and email. 

      Compliance Messaging

      The TCPA and cellular carriers require all mobile messaging programs to provide specific verbiage in different places throughout the subscriber experience. SlickText provides the following verbiage that is included in various places where you advertise your opt-in or in auto-responses via text message. To view this verbiage, follow these instructions.

      1. Once you’ve logged into SlickText, click on your name and brand at the bottom left of the screen. Choose Settings.
      2. On the Settings screen, select Compliance.
      3. Scroll to Compliance Messaging.
      4. Expand each message type to the message. 
        1. Pre-Opt-In Compliance Statement — This is not a text message, but is content that is intended to be used wherever you advertise your opt-in.
        2. Opt-In Compliance Statement — This is appended to all of your opt-in auto-responses.
        3. Opt-Out Message — This message is sent whenever a subscriber opts out via text message.
        4. Help Message — This message is sent whenever a subscriber texts “help.”

      Force Double Opt-in

      When using opt-in methods such as web forms or website popups, it’s required that contacts double opt-in before subscribing. This prevents bad actors from subscribing a contact without their knowledge.  

      1. Starting from your Dashboard, click Tools from the menu on the left-hand side. 
      2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Compliance Messaging.
      3. Scroll to the top of the Compliance page and click the toggle button next to Force Double Opt-In.
      4. Customize your Double Opt-In Message.
      5. Scroll to the bottom and click Save.

      Terms & Conditions Link

      The TCPA and cellular carriers require mobile messaging programs to have clearly defined terms and conditions. In the instance that you don’t have these defined, we can provide your organization with standard policies to meet these requirements. If you already have a terms and conditions link, you can easily add this to your account via our Compliance Tools. 

      1. Starting from your Dashboard, click Tools from the menu on the left-hand side. 
      2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Compliance Messaging.
      3. On the Compliance page, scroll down to the Terms & Conditions Link section.
      4. To view our standard Terms & Conditions policy, click the blue Open Link button.
      5. To replace our policy with your existing terms and conditions, delete the existing link and replace it with yours.
      6. Scroll down to the bottom and click the Save button. 

      Note:

      If your existing terms and conditions don’t include a consent disclosure for SMS, you can use the sample content provided under the Terms & Conditions section. All carriers require for your Terms & Conditions page to be live when registering a local number or short code. 

      Age Requirements

      SlickText users who sell products or send content which requires subscribers to be over a certain age should enable an age-gate to ensure compliance with their policies and industry regulations. 

      1. Starting from your Dashboard, click Tools from the menu on the left-hand side. 
      2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Compliance Messaging.
      3. Scroll to the top of the Compliance page and click the toggle next to the Age Requirement option.
      4. Select your Minimum Age requirement.
      5. If desired, edit your Age Requirement and Age Requirement Ineligible Messages.
      6. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

      Opt-Out Intelligence

      SlickText’s Opt-Out Intelligence uses AI to read and evaluate every message sent to your number to make a determination if the sender’s intent is to opt-out of future messaging from you. Contacts are always opted-out whenever they text stop, unsubscribe, remove, cancel, end, quit, or opt out to your number. You do not have to enable Opt-Out Intelligence for that to work. However, sometimes people who intend to opt-out do not text one of those specific words. For example, they may send a typo (“st0p” or “stttoop”), a full sentence (“please stop messaging me”), or even use much more colorful language. Enabling Opt-Out Intelligence will allow you to act on these messages by automatically opting them out or by sending an auto-response with opt-out instructions.

      1. Starting from your Dashboard, click Tools from the menu on the left-hand side. 
      2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Compliance Messaging.
      3. Scroll to the top of the Compliance page and click the toggle next to the Opt-Out Intelligence option.
      4. Select the Action you want the platform to perform.
        1. Reply with Opt-Out Instructions. This will automatically send the message in the opt-out instructions box. You can edit the message. This option will not automatically opt-out the contact.
        2. Opt the Contact Out. This option will automatically opt the contact out and send your standard opt out message.
      5. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

      Note:

      If the received message is not from a subscribed contact, opt-out intelligence will not send an auto-response (nor will it opt the contact out.)