Are you actively using SMS with CiviCRM? This can be a highly effective medium to provide critical reminders and solicit donations for time-urgent calls-to-actions. However, on September 1, 2023 brands that had not registered and defined it’s use cases for sending messages are no longer are able to send an SMS. Hopefully, you’ve already done this but if not there are clearly outlined steps you can take so you can comply and continue to use SMS.

When clients wish to utilize SMS with CiviCRM we recommend an integration with Twilio. Setup is relatively straightforward and all you need is to purchase a 10 digit phone number and add some funds to your account.

Now of course, there are some extra hoops to jump thru but there’s a good reason. Have you been getting more spam texts lately?

This has been a growing concern and the phone carriers have been cracking down on this with the filtering of messages (blocking). Long story, short SMS is catching up to email practices. Sender reputation and verification matter and is now here with SMS. Originally 10 digit phone numbers were meant for person to person texting not application to person. Here’s the note from Twilio:

Due to the increase in spam messages, many consumers have lost trust in SMS as a form of communication. US A2P 10DLC is the standard that carriers have implemented in the US to regulate this communication pathway.

A2P 10DLC improves the end-user experience by making sure that people can opt in and out of messaging and also know who is sending them messages. It also benefits businesses, offering them higher messaging throughput, brand awareness, and accountability.

Twilio Docs

There is now a framework to comply with called A2 10DLC brand and campaign registration. Twilio has a “TrustHub” that works directly with the The Campaign Registry that works with phone carriers. It essentially shows your current status and the steps you need to take.

So what do you need to do to get back to sending SMS with CiviCRM?

You need to register your brand (organization) and your campaigns (use cases) for how you intend to contact your supporters. If you’re needing assistance with navigating this process, Twilio has assembled a complete guide to get SMS accounts verified.