Toll-Free Number Changes Oct 1, 2022 (FAQ)

Starting October 1st, 2022, there are changes to 8XX toll-free verification guidelines and requirements.

See FAQs below.

Question	Answer
Can I get an extension or grace period for the September 30, 2022, deadline to avoid getting blocked?	No, effective October 1, all unverified numbers will experience message throughput restrictions and may experience service unreliability. We recommend verifying all toll-free numbers if you wish to send messages.
Can I increase my MPS to be more than the default 30 SMS and 5 MMS?	Vonage’s standard throughput settings are 30 MPS for SMS and 5 for MMS which helps us manage our shared messaging platform. If you would like higher message throughput, please ask your Account Manager for assistance and provide them with message forecasts documenting the need.
Does each message segment for concatenated messages count towards the limited volume thresholds for Unverified TFN?	Yes, SMS concatenated (segmented) messages count as one message for each 160-character segment. For example, a 300-character text message would count as two segments. MMS images and clips count as one message too. Up to 500 characters can be included in one MMS image message.
Does the 30 SMS and 5 MMS messages per second throughput also apply to Unverified TFN, on top of the daily limited volume thresholds?	Yes, this limitation is applied to every number, disregarding of throughput allowance agreed.
Will I be charged for messages sent from Unverified TFN which are blocked by the daily limited volume thresholds?	Yes, messages transmitted on the network, whether blocked or not, will be charged for since this is a known service condition. More information can be found in this article.
I cannot send SMS / MMS in the US & CA since October 1, 2022. Why is this happening?	The USA & Canada requires TFNs to be verified in order to send messages. Any message delivered to Canadian and US carriers will be blocked if the TFN is unverified. All unverified number messages, regardless of being successfully sent or not, will count toward the daily, weekly and monthly volume limits if they are processed through the network. For example, if you send 25,000 messages on the first day of the month, the first 2,000 are delivered, the remaining 23,000 will be blocked and you have met your monthly maximum. The process to verify your TFN is outlined in this article.
Should I always proceed with verifying TFN or can I use Unverified TFN if my use case works within its sending restrictions?	We recommend that all TFNs be verified to ensure delivery despite ongoing changes with Toll-Free Numbers.
What adjustments, if any, need to be made on the customer’s end for sending SMS once a TFN has been verified?	Typically, if the verification is successful, there is no need for adjustments. Customers will be more likely to need implementing adjustments if their first attempt at verification fails (notably for not providing sufficient proof of an Opt-In from the recipient of the message)
If verification is not approved and the number will no longer be able to route messages, what are the steps to provide additional information to try having the number approved again?	The flow is as follow: - TFN is unverified → unverified throughput apply (in the US) - TFN verification application is sent to our supplier → Verified throughput applied temporarily - if verification failed: TFN reverts to unverified throughput Customers will be required to submit a brand new verification application with the appropriate information and opt-in consent proof. The new application does not take older applications into consideration
Can I approve multiple TFN for the same campaign to increase its throughput as needed?	Typically, only one company (brand) is allowed to verify one toll-free number. However, if a company wishes to verify more than 1 number, they need to provide a "valid business reason" for each number up to 5 numbers (for example, staging and production server need 2 numbers, or three sales regions need 3 numbers verified).

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