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Tools to Help You Stay Compliant

When using a mass text messaging platform such as SlickText, it’s important that you remain compliant and follow federal and state law and carrier guidelines.  Failure to do so can impact the deliverability of your messages, harm your reputation, and have legal ramifications. While compliance is ultimately your responsibility, SlickText provides tools based on best practices to help you.


In this article:

Age Requirement
Force Double Opt-In 
Opt-Out Intelligence
SMS Terms and Privacy Policy
Compliance Messaging


Before We Begin

Here are some terms to know.

Term

Definition

TCPA

Stands for “Telephone Consumer Protection Act” and is the federal legislation (enacted 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 outlines best practices and 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. 


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.


Force Double Opt-in

When using opt-in methods such as web forms or website popups, contacts are required to complete a double opt-in before subscribing. This prevents bad actors from subscribing someone without their knowledge or consent.  You can enable double opt-in for other subscription methods, like text-to-join keywords or bulk contact import.

  1. Starting from your Dashboard, click your name or avatar in the bottom-left corner, then select Settings.
  2. From the Settings page, select Compliance.
  3. Click to enable the toggle button next to Force Double Opt-In.
  4. Customize your Double Opt-In Message.
  5. Scroll to the bottom and click Save.


Opt-Out Intelligence

SlickText’s Opt-Out Intelligence uses AI to read and evaluate every inbound message to determine whether the contact intends to opt out of future messages 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.)

 


SMS Terms and Privacy Policy

Cellular carriers require mobile messaging programs to have SMS Terms & Conditions and a Privacy Policy that include specific information about your messaging program. SlickText provides tools to help you meet these requirements.

If you already have SMS Terms & Conditions and a Privacy Policy on your website, you can add links to those documents in SlickText. We provide the mobile messaging language that needs to be included in each document. You can copy this content and add it to the appropriate page on your website.

If you don’t have your own SMS Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policy, SlickText provides documents for you to adopt.

To configure your SMS Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy:

  1. Starting from your Dashboard, click your name and brand at the bottom left of the screen, then select Settings.
  2. Select Compliance.
  3. Locate the Compliance Link sections.
  4. To view our provided Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy, click the blue Open Link buttons. To adopt these as your own, don't change the URL.
  5. To replace the provided policies with your own Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policy, replace the link in each with yours.
  6. Locate Compliance Policies. Ensure your terms and privacy policy include this content.
  7. Save your changes.

Your SMS Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy must be publicly accessible when you submit your sending number for registration.

 

 
Compliance Messaging

Cellular carriers require all mobile messaging programs to include specific compliance language at multiple points 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 view its content. 
        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.”