SMS Opt-In Compliance & Configuration

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) governs business text messaging in the US. Sending marketing or promotional texts without proper consent exposes your shop to class-action lawsuits, FCC complaints, and carrier-side blocking. Even transactional messages (order updates, shipping alerts) require documented consent if they are sent using an automated system.

You need proof that each customer agreed to receive texts from your shop before you send them anything. The CTIA calls this prior express written consent. There are several valid ways to capture it:

Under CTIA rules, your messaging system must recognize the following standard opt-out keywords and immediately stop sending messages when any of them are received. Twilio handles this automatically for your registered number — but you need to understand what's happening so you can troubleshoot and keep your customer records in sync.

1. 1

   Open any customer record from the Customers page.

2. 2

   Find the "Notifications" section in the customer detail panel. Each customer has a toggle for SMS notifications.

3. 3

   When a customer asks to opt out (by any method — phone call, in-person, reply to a text), turn off their SMS toggle immediately.

4. 4

   Add a note in the customer record with the date, how they opted out ("replied STOP", "called in", etc.), and the staff member who recorded it.

5. 5

   The automation engine checks this toggle before sending any SMS. A customer with SMS disabled will receive email notifications only.

CTIA guidelines require specific elements in different message types. Here's what must be in each category:

Compliant message examples for screen printing shops:

When you complete A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration in Twilio (covered in the Twilio SMS Setup guide), you're not just unlocking reliable delivery — you're filing a legally significant declaration with US carriers about how you use SMS. Here's why each step matters for compliance:

If your shop is ever named in a TCPA complaint or FCC investigation, your opt-in records are your primary defense. Here's what to document and retain:

• Opt-in consent is captured via a form checkbox, keyword, or written signature — not just a phone number
• Opt-in disclosure includes shop name, message types, frequency, "Msg & data rates may apply", and STOP/HELP instructions
• Checkboxes are unchecked by default
• A2P 10DLC brand and campaign are registered and show APPROVED status in Twilio Console
• Phone number is linked to your approved campaign via a Number Pool
• All SMS templates include your shop name
• All SMS templates include opt-out instructions ("Reply STOP to opt out")
• No URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) in message bodies — use your actual domain
• Customer SMS toggles in Kontrol™ match Twilio's opt-out list
• Staff know how to record opt-out requests and update customer records immediately
• Opt-in consent records retained with date, method, and disclosure text shown
• Opt-out records retained with date, method, and staff member who processed them