Verified Toll-Free Numbers - US and Canada TFNs

All purchased Toll-Free Numbers (TFNs) should be "verified" to ensure SMS and MMS message delivery, even for testing purposes.

TFNs that have not been "verified" will have their messages blocked. 

Single Submission Form - To request verification of a TFN if you have an email account provided by Gmail, please complete and submit this Google form.

  - Otherwise, please use this Google form, which asks to provide a hyper-link to a file or URL we can download or browse to review the request’s opt-in requirement.

  - After request is processed, you will be contacted with a status update at the email address provided.

Bulk Submission Sheet - If you have 5 or more TFNs, download the Bulk Verification Sheet and email it to verified.toll.free@vonage.com.  Include "VTF" and "Company Name" in Subject line.

  - All submissions must include content provider's company name, address, contact name, email and phone. 

  - After request is processed, you will be contacted with a status update at the email address provided.  If a reseller contact email address is included, then Vonage will only contact the reseller.

Purpose

TFN verification by the wireless carriers/operators enables reliable SMS and MMS mobile messaging service across the US and Canada. 

"Verification" is a lightweight on-boarding process that privately submits business information and messaging use cases to be approved before routing messages over the wireless networks. 

What Does Verified and Unverified Mean?

A Verified TFN means the message content has been reviewed and does not fall under the Disallowed Content Policy, as well as should not send Spam or fraudulent (unsolicited messages) to users. The traffic type is known, documented and the TFN is only associated with the organization submitted on the verification request.

An Unverified TFN is restricted and has not successfully completed the verification process. All unverified messages get blocked. Recommended verifying all TFNs regardless of message traffic volumes.

New Request Process & Status

1. Customer submits a Single or Bulk verification request form to Vonage with end-customer information.

2. Vonage reviews request to pre-approve and submit to wireless carriers for verification and activation.

• Vonage may contact the submitter at the email address provided to request further information.  If reseller enters their email address in the form, Vonage will only contact the reseller.

3. After Vonage submits a new request to the carriers, the number goes into a queue waiting to be verified and activated by the carriers.

4. Vonage will be contacted when the TFN is either a) verified to route messages, or b) seeks further information to be verified, or is c) rejected.

5. Submitter will receive an email update indicating whether verification has been approved.  It may take 5-10 business days to complete the verification process, hopefully sooner.

Who Can Request a Toll-Free Number to be Verified

Any organization can send and receive SMS and MMS messaging traffic.

First, just purchase a TFN and then successfully complete the TFN verification process. 

• The verification form consists of standard organization information and a short description of the messaging program.
• Each TFN must be verified for the end-customer who wishes to route message content over that number.  Ex: If Company X is sending messages on behalf of Brand Y, then Brand Y is the end-customer who will need to be verified.
• Each submission can include up to 5 TFNs. All submissions with more than one TFN must include a "valid business reason" to justify why more than a single number is required. Ex: Three numbers needed for three sales regions. Specific reasons (or locations) provided increase the chance of verification. On Bulk form, include reason in Column S.
• User "opt-in" consent to receive messages from the sender is required before a first message is received. A hyper-link to a URL, a screenshot image that visually shows, or a letter on company letterhead that explains opt-in consent disclosure must be provided to be verified.  SMS opt-in may not be obscured within a Terms of Service or Privacy Policy and must be optional.
• TFNs are verified simultaneously for both US and Canada nationwide messaging coverage. 
• TFNs are verified simultaneously for both SMS text messaging and MMS picture messaging (images, audio/video clips, vcards).  If a TFN is already verified for SMS, no further action is required to add MMS assuming the submitted use case has not significantly changed. 
• TFNs follow similar program guidelines to the US https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/industry-commitments/messaging-interoperability-sms-mms and Canada CWTA messaging handbooks for common short codes.

TFN Service Benefits

TFNs enable fast, reliable, interactive, nationwide, multi-carrier SMS and MMS message delivery.

Messages received on mobile devices are sent from a TFN (not a short code, or 10-digit local number).

Applications connect with customers, employees and systems - quietly, quickly and efficiently.

Alerts get the message out quickly and can include hyper-links (using a private URL shortener).

MMS adds pictures, clips and vcards.

Each verified TFN comes with 30 SMS and 30 MMS messages per second throughput.  With a valid business need, throughput may be increased by contacting your account manager, or support (support@api.vonage.com).  Example message volumes:

SMS messages are routed 160-characters at a time. Longer messages are routed 153-characters per segment up to 5 segments. Ex: 300-character message on Big 3 carriers reassembles segmented messages and presents them as a single message to the user. On the smaller carriers, two segments are received on recipient's handset (first 160, second 140-characters).  Sender is billed for two increments.

MMS messages route images (jpg, jpeg, png, gif), audio clips (mp3 recommended), video clips (mp4 recommended for best device and network support) and vcards. Big wireless carriers support MMS. For smaller networks with no MMS, suggest sending images as SMS with URL hyper-link. Up to 600Kb maximum file size per MMS.

How-To Fill-In the TFN Request Form

US and Canada TFNs must complete verification to send and receive text and picture messages. 

TFN verification doesn't guarantee deliverability as the mobile carriers subject traffic to content filtering.

• Organization Name
  The content provider (end-customer), not an ISV or reseller
  

• Organization Address
  The registered address, city, state/province/region and zip/postal code

• Organization Website
  The content provider's URL (end-customer, not reseller). Should be an active site with security (https), and links to the Terms and Privacy Policy pages.
  • SMS Terms should mention the user opts-in to receive mobile messages. May include "Message and data rates may apply" pricing disclosure, "Message frequency varies" (or "One message per request") message frequency disclosure, "Text HELP for info, STOP to cancel" keyword support, and "Carriers are not liable for any delays or undelivered messages."
  • Privacy Policy should not share SMS data commercially with third-parties. If so, it should add to the site and abide by "All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third-parties." Categories refer to any section in the policy that sells, shares, rents, leases or buys SMS information commercially with third-parties for advertising, marketing or promotions.

• Organization Contact 
  The content provider (end-customer) contact's first and last name, phone number and email address. Best if email domain matches the website URL and company/brand name.  Exception permits smaller orginzations to get verified using gmail, yahoo and outlook email addresses.

• Reseller Contact
  If a Reseller, enter the email address of the individual Vonage should communicate with.

• Estimated Monthly Message Volume
  Select from drop down options. This is not a precise forecast, but to get an approximation for planning purposes.

• Toll-Free Numbers
  On "Single Form" up to 5 TFNs per submission. Enter ten-digit number format, separated by spaces in between, with no dashes, parenthesis or spaces in the numbers. Ex: 18443659460 18669010242.  On "Bulk Form" up to 1,000 TFNs may be included per submission. One TFN and Org name per row. If an org is requesting to verify more than 1 TFN, then a "valid business reason" must be provided per number. Ex: 3 sales regions require 3 TFNs, one for each region.

• Use Case Category
  Select from drop down options. If unable to find an appropriate industry, select "Mixed" which represents "Other".  Se list on bottom of this page for restricted content types.

• Use Case Description
  Enter a sentence describing your org, what you will be messaging, who are the recipients and how they find out about the messaging program? Ex: Restaurant collects a mobile number from a guest at check-in to receive notification when their table is ready.

• Message Content
  Provide example message to be sent, up to 160 characters. Ex: "Thanks for visiting our restaurant, your table is ready." One message segment is up to 160-characters including spaces.  We process segmented (concatenated) longer messages and suggest limiting them to five segments. Big carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, USCell) receive segmented or concatenated messages and reassemble them as one single message before presenting the message to the user on handset.  Smaller carriers deliver in segments (ie: 1 of 2, 2 of 2).  

• Opt-In Description
  How does the message recipient consent to receive text messages? Ex: Do they provide a mobile number online, on a mobile website, or a mobile application?  Or do they text a keyword to the number and text-to-join, or verbally relay at a point of sale, or do they ask end-users to sign-up on a paper form?  Enter either Online (which includes Mobile), Text-To-Join, Point-Of-Sale, or Other (explain).

• Opt-In Screenshot, URL or Letter
  At a minimum, the user must be informed something like "By entering your number, you agree to receive mobile messages."  To get verified, we must demostrate proof of opt-in describing how the recipient explicitly agrees to receive text messages? Options include: (a) Provide a link to a shared URL for opt-in, (b) Provide a link to a shared image for opt-in, (c) Provide a jpg/png screenshot for opt-in, (d) Provide pdf letter on organization letterhead explaining what is told to end-users at point of sale, (e) Provide pdf letter on organization letterhead explaining usage for employees only, (f) Provide pdf letter on organization letterhead explaining usage is for product development and quality assurance internal purposes only.  

Best Practice Guidelines

All campaigns in the US and Canada should provide the program name or brand name in the message header for every message that is sent to a mobile handset for recognition and consistency purposes.

• Opt-In, Consent
  The message sender must obtain explicit opt-in consent from the recipient for messages sent to a mobile number. Example opt-in disclosure should be underneath where the user enters their number to sign-up to receive messages. Hyper-link to URL, or screenshot is required for verification.

         Opt-in may also include Text-To-Join (Keyword), Point-Of-Sale (verbal) and Employee agreements (paper form). Verbal and paper form opt-in disclosure should be written on company letterhead and explain how the user is notified and accepts they will be receiving messages.

• Opt-Out, No Consent
  Mobile Terminated messages should include opt-out instructions such as "Reply STOP to cancel".  The user may revoke consent at any time. Opt-out requests must be honored, where the user sends a message from their mobile device with the word “STOP”.  A STOP request should block all subsequent text messages between a mobile number and a text-enabled Toll-Free Number. A user may reply "UNSTOP" or "START" to start receiving messages again.
• Age Gating
  Certain disallowed content is allowed to be sent with user age-gating (double opt-in with specific disclosures).  Canadian destinations do not permit alcohol content, even with age-gating.
• Disallowed Sending Practices
  If a message sender is observed performing disallowed sending practices, then a review may be performed of the business and number which may result in the suspension of sending rights.
• Disallowed Content Policy
  Specific content is prohibited from being routed over the messaging network. All Toll-Free number traffic should adhere to the CTIA guidelines. For more information please see the https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/industry-commitments/messaging-interoperability-sms-mms.  
• Restricted Campaign Types
  The following content categories have been identified as potentially harmful or deceitful to the end-user and will not be supported on the messaging network.  These categories are subject to change and traffic in other categories that are not listed may also be blocked without notice.  Message senders are expected to enforce restrictions to prevent messages containing the content types described below.  

• • High-Risk Financial Services • Payday Loans • Short Term-High Interest Loans • Auto Loans • Mortgage Loans • Student Loans • Credit Payments • Credit Repair • Debt Collection • Debt Consolidation • Debt Reduction • Debt Relief • Debt Foregiveness • Tax Relief • Affiliate Lead or Commission Generation • Gambling • Sweepstakes • Stock Alerts • CryptoCurrency 
  • Get Rich Quick Schemes • Deceptive Work from Home Programs • Risky Investment Opportunities • Multi-Level Marketing • Deceptive Marketing
  • 3rd Party • Third-Party Brokers (Loans, Insurance, Jobs) • Debt Related • Credit Related • Lead Generation
  • Controlled Substances • Tobacco • Vaping/Vapes/Vape • Illegal Drugs • Cannabis/CBD
  • SHAFT • Sex (Adult), Hate Speech, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco • Profanity

T-Mobile Fines for Non-Compliance

T-Mobile non-compliance fines for mobile messaging "Sev-0" violations apply to all TFN traffic in an effort to encourage proper commercial messaging practices.

Every incident identified as a Sev-0, may be subject to a fine and assessed in accordance with the infraction. 

Tier 1: $2000, for phishing, smishing, social engineering.

• Social Engineering refers to the practice of targeting individuals in a way that manipulates people to reveal private information like passwords, credit card or social security numbers.

Tier 2: $1000, for illegal content (must be legal in all 50 states and federally).

• Illegal content includes, but is not limited to, cannabis, marijuana, CBD, vaping, adult solicitation and gambling.

Tier 3: $500, for all other violations including but not limited to SHAFT (Sexual, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco).