Toll-free verification
Overview
Toll-free numbers are a great alternative to messaging with Short Code or 10DLC (local area code) numbers. In the US, toll-free numbers can be used for business messaging to all major US carriers, as well as most major mobile Canadian carriers.
All toll-free numbers must be verified prior to sending messages.
As a rule of thumb, some categories of messaging are forbidden on SignalWire. Please take the time to review our list of explicitly prohibited content before submitting your application for Toll-Free, 10DLC, and Short Code.
Downstream message filtering is designed to prevent unwanted messaging, fraud, and abuse. Before considering verifying your Toll-Free number, please be sure to follow the CTIA guidelines and best messaging practices.
Requirements
The following standards must be followed for Toll-Free messaging:
- Obtain clear opt-in consent from your recipients before sending messages
- Enable easy opt-out for message recipients
- Avoid using shortened URLs
- It's highly recommended to use a full branded URL as well as URLs that lead back to a legitimate website that contains branding, a privacy policy, terms of service, and contact information. Publicly hosted URL shorteners are forbidden and are guaranteed to cause spam blocks.
- Using multiple Toll-Free numbers to send the same or similar content to bypass throughput limitations is known as snowshoeing. This is highly prohibited by carriers. If you need to increase your throughput, it can be approved by our Sales team. If you have a valid use case for using multiple Toll-Free numbers (such as multiple locations all requiring an individual Toll-Free number), this is something we may be able to work out with our carriers.
Verification process
Getting your Toll-Free number verified means that your business and use case has been reviewed and vetted prior to sending messaging via Toll-Free and that your content has received carrier approval.
There is no charge associated with the verification process.
Having your Toll-Free numbers verified will greatly reduce the risk of spam filtering on Toll-Free traffic towards all major mobile carriers in the US, as well as most major mobile carriers in Canada. Make sure you stick to the content you submitted for verification and continue to follow SignalWire's messaging best practices and code of conduct. Deviation from your verification registration can still result in spam filtering. Verified does not mean whitelisted.
Verification affects messaging to mobile subscribers in the United States as well as Fido, Rogers, Telus, and Videotron in Canada.
Note: Other (non-US/Canada) countries do not treat Toll-Free SMS any differently than other international SMS, and you should consult that country's SMS Guidelines page to learn more about compliance considerations for messaging.
Toll-Free Verification Process
If you believe you have a valid use case for a Toll-Free number, our Carrier Operations team would be happy to assist you. Once you fill out the verification form, a ticket will be generated for our Carrier Operations team to process. The turnaround for Toll-Free verification is 3-5 business days.
Due to an influx of upstream requests, our messaging peer has stated that the current turnaround time for registrations can be around 1-2 weeks or longer if insufficient information is provided.
The form linked above includes the following fields, all of which are required.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Legal name of business |
| Company Website | Official company website |
| Business Address | Primary physical address of business |
| Compliance Contact | Someone at your business who can respond to compliance questions if they arise) |
| Requested Throughput | Default is 3 MPS |
| Toll-Free number(s) to be verified | If multiple, please provide justification. |
| Use Case | Description of the Use Case |
| Message Content | Sample messages that reflect the type of content you will be sending. Samples need not include every possible iteration of your messaging content, but they should represent the majority of planned content. |
| Opt-in Description | Describe how your recipients provide consent to receive messages. |
| Opt-in details | Link to, image of, or scanned copy of opt-in page or process |
| Business Registration Number | A unique identifier assigned to a business by a government authority or regulatory agency to identify and legitimize the business is recognized and allow to operate within a specific jurisdiction. |
| Issuing Country of Business Registration | The country where the business is legally registered to operate. |
| Entity Type | The classification of the business based on ownership and purpose based on the following:
|
Effective September 30th, 2025, the Business Registration Number, Issuing Country of Business Registration, and Entity Type fields will be added to the existing Toll-Free Messaging Verification Form. These fields will be optional until January 1st, 2026 at which time they will be mandatory.