To request verification of a toll-free number, complete and submit the this Google form.

Please use this Google form if you encounter issues with the link above.

If you have 10 or more toll-free numbers, download the Bulk Verification Sheet and email it to verified.toll.free@vonage.com.

Purpose

Verification of Toll-Free numbers in the US and CA is a requirement due to the policy of our providers, to align with 10DLC in the USA. Anyone that wants to send SMS / MMS via Toll-Free numbers will need to register.

Vonage does not guarantee that having a verified number will stop traffic from being blocked, however, this does help alleviate it.

Who Can Request a Verified Toll-Free

A verified toll-free number will be verified to the company/brand who is sending content on that number. So, if Company X is sending messages for Brand Y then Brand Y is the one who will need to be certified on the number.

• Only 1 toll-free number can be verified to a brand. 
• Purely marketing content is not a compliant use-case.
• A Demo/not intended for live traffic is not a compliant use-case.
• Toll-free numbers go by the CTIA and CWTA handbook rules (Dedicated short code).
• All Toll-Free messaging in the USA and Canada must go through this process. 

What does verified and unverified mean?

A Verified number simply means that the traffic does not fall into our Disallowed Content Policy and we are able to confirm that this traffic is in line with our Best Practices for sending content. It also means that we are now associating this number with the business submitted through the process.

An unverified number is a number that has not gone through verification. Being that it has not gone through the identification process, unverified numbers will not be able to send messages.

Benefits

• Allows deliverability and predictability on Vonage Network
• Reduction in False Positives
• Increase carrier visibility
• Automatic false positive reviews when detected
• Increase protection for your brand

Best Practices

All programs in the US and CA should have the program name or brand name in every message that goes out.

Sweepstakes have special rules and regulations. You must have "STOP" on every message. 
If it is high risk campaign the Carrier Team may have it go through compliance checks with the carrier partner.

1. Consent (Opt-In)
   The message sender must obtain proper consumer consent for each message sent. The type of consent that is required depends on the type of message content sent to the consumer. Vonage recommends obtaining a secondary “Double Opt-In” in cases where the consent was initially collected out of band, (i.e. phone call, web form, etc.). Double Opt-In is the practice of confirming an opt-in via text by requesting that the consumer reply “Yes” to confirm participation in text messaging with the business. This gives the business confidence that it has received proper subscriber consent and is protection against incorrect mobile number collection during an out of band opt-in.
2. Revoking Consent (Opt-Out)
   Consumers can revoke consent at any time and in any way. Consumer opt-out requests must be honored, whether they are made by phone call, email, or text. Vonage supports mandatory opt-out compliance by supporting the STOP keyword at the network level. This opt-out system is active by default across all accounts on the Vonage network. A STOP request blocks all text message exchanges between an individual mobile number and a text-enabled business number. A consumer can opt back in at any time by replying with the keyword UNSTOP.
3. Vonage ID Process
   Vonage Identification process is a lightweight onboarding process that allows you to submit your high-value customer use cases. Once the use case is approved the traffic is considered verified, and therefore removes any potential friction to the message delivery process. 99% of verified traffic is allowed and delivered.
4. Disallowed Sending Practices
   If a message sender is observed performing any of the disallowed sending practices (continuing to send to opted out customer; opt-out avoidance; snowshoe sending; number cycling; URL cycling; URL redirects) then an account review should be performed. The review should result in the suspension of sending rights for a provisioned phone number; restriction of high-throughput access; suspension of provisioning rights for new phone numbers; or suspension of all network services.

Age Gating

Age gated content is any substance or service that requires a consumer to be of a certain age such as, alcohol, vape/smoking, lottery, gambling, federally illegal drugs, pornography. It is Vonage's expectation that any class of messaging content that involves age restricted goods or activities must involve a robust age gate verification process.

An acceptable age gate would consist of, at minimum, a recipient entering a day, month, and year confirming their age at messaging opt-in prior to receiving messaging on Vonage's network. A tickbox, checkbox, or age gate that asks if the were recipient is over a certain age is not considered an acceptable age gate for restricted message content. If the provider cannot show proof of opt-in and an appropriate age gating mechanism, Vonage reserves the right to block messaging.
At this time any content that requires age gating is not supported on Canadian carriers over Toll-Free.

Restricted Campaigns for all US Numbers

All US Numbers traffic adheres to the CTIA guidelines. For more information please see CTIA Handbook.

• Affiliate lead or commission generation
• Auto Loans
• Credit repair programs
• Debt consolidation and reduction
• Debt forgiveness
• Deceptive Marketing
• Financial offerings
• Fraud, Spam, and Phishing
• Get rich quick programs
• Health Insurance
• Illegal Substances (Cannabis)
• Investment opportunities
• Loans (exceptions may be considered for direct lenders only)
• SHAFT (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco) content is strictly prohibited on all US number originators
• Tax relief programs
• Work from home programs