United States SMS Features and Restrictions United States SMS Features and Restrictions

United States SMS Features and Restrictions

Chris FlensBatina

Country Summary

Country Name United States of America
ISO US
Country Code 1
Region North America
MCC (Mobile country code) 310,311,312,313,316

 

Sender ID Guidelines

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Alphanumeric sender ID is not allowed
Numeric Sender ID

10DLC Numbers

  • 10DLC stands for 10 Digit Long Code
  • It is the new standard for A2P messaging in the US, which applies to all messaging over 10 digit geographic phone numbers
  • Local numbers based on geography
  • Examples: Alerts, marketing, political
  • SMS, MMS and Voice capable

Toll Free Numbers

  • Toll-Free is an approved A2P solution
  • Toll-Free numbers support handset delivery receipts, binary and unicode encoding
  • Supports long or concatenated messaging on the large carriers
  • Charged for outbound and inbound SMS and MMS
  • Examples: Alerts, marketing, call centers
  • SMS, MMS and Voice capable

Short Codes

  • Short codes are five to six digit numbers used to send SMS.
  • Short codes are an approved A2P solution.
  • Supports long or concatenated messaging on the large carriers
  • Hyper-links accepted using private URL shortener
  • Reliable handset delivery receipts
  • SMS and MMS capable
Generic Sender ID Alphanumeric sender ID is not allowed in US/CA

 

Use-Case & Content Guidelines

Use Case Numbers Notes
Alerts Toll-free numbers, 10DLC, Dedicated Short Code  
Marketing Toll-free numbers, 10DLC, Dedicated Short Code  
2FA Toll-free numbers, 10DLC, Dedicated Short Code  
Political Toll-free numbers, 10DLC, Dedicated Short Code  
Opt-out Toll-free numbers, 10DLC, Dedicated Short Code The US requires opt-out in response to STOP messages.

 

P2P traffic is allowed on a case-by-case basis, special carrier approval required.

 

Disallowed Content (Restricted Campaign Types)

  • High-risk financial services
    Payday/cash advance loans • Short term loans (unless from direct lender bank) • Auto loans • Stock alerts • Mortgage loans • Student loans • Debt collection (unless for company sending message) • Lead or commission generation • Tax relief programs • Cryptocurrency
  • Get rich quick schemes
    Deceptive work from home programs • Secret shopper ad campaigns • Risk investment opportunities • Multi-level affiliate marketing • Gambling/sweepstakes
  • 3rd party
    Debt collection or consolidation • Debt relief or reduction • Debt forgiveness • Credit repair • Lead generation • Generic job alerts • Brokers
  • Controlled substances
    Tobacco • Vaping • Cannabis/CBD • Illegal drugs
  • SHAFT
    Sex • Hate speech • Alcohol • Firearms • Tobacco • Profanity
  • Scams
    Phishing • Fraud • Spam • Deceptive marketing
  • Charity
    Giving donations (case by case)

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