Overview
Due to rulings and regulations implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), mobile carriers (e.g. Verizon) have implemented a series of policies and procedures to adhere to these guidelines to increase trust across the messaging ecosystem and reduce the spam that consumers may receive through SMS messaging. One part of creating this trust in SMS messaging relates to a registration process brought forward by carriers to provide transparency about who is sending messages, what types of messages they are sending, and if the consumer consented to receive these messages. To comply with these new regulations, Updox will be making a series of changes to our SMS-based products to ensure compliance with these new regulations and allow us to stay ahead while ensuring the deliverability of SMS messages to your patients.
Updox has been working directly with our messaging service providers to collaborate on best practices to ensure compliance and aid Updox in developing a strategy and solution that creates a consistent experience for consumers that aligns with how other software vendors are approaching these regulations. These conversations have led Updox down the path of moving our SMS-based products to standardized text messages that drive the consumer to a web application to take action or view additional information and instructions from the practice. Multiple Updox products that leverage SMS delivery already align with this strategy including Video Chat, Payments, and Secure Text.
The Updox default is toll-free phone numbers for all SMS-based products. We currently only support the use and request of a 10 DLC phone number for sending out appointment reminders.
What Types Of Phone Numbers Do You Support?
There are 2 main number types used at Updox for practice to patient text messaging products such as Reminders, Video Chat invites, Secure Text, and Broadcast.
NOTE: We only support service in the United States and its territories.
10 DLC – A local number
Sanctioned business text messages using a local phone number otherwise known as a 10-digit long code. To send messages using a 10DLC number, the business must register their brand, campaign content, and be carrier-approved.
These can be helpful if you want to show your business locality (area code) to the customers.
Toll-Free
Sanctioned business text messages using a toll-free number which is a ten-digit number starting with 8XX such as 800, 877, 888, etc. All traffic through toll-free numbers needs to go through a verification process and gain carrier approval.
While a toll-free number does not have the same tie to locality, it provides a lower-cost method of sending SMS messages.
What are the Registration Processes?
Each number type will undergo a different registration process. For 10 DLC numbers, a campaign will need to be registered and approved by the carriers. For Toll-Free numbers, they will need to be verified by the carriers. Updox will complete the number registration on your behalf once we have collected all necessary business details.
10 DLC – A local number
Use of a 10 DLC number requires the submission of a campaign to the carriers. The campaign requires details such as business name, address, phone number, contact, email, company website, and EIN (What is an EIN?). Along with business details, the campaign requires examples of message contents and end-user consent. This also requires a one-time campaign registration fee of $25 as well as monthly campaign fees of $12 per number.
If you are an admin on your account, please reach out to support (support@updox.com) if you would like to request the use of a 10 DLC number.
NOTE: If you request to use a 10 DLC number, this number will be used for your practice reminders. We do not have the ability to request a specific number but we will match the practice area code.
Toll-Free
Use of a toll-free number requires the number to go through a verification process with the carriers. The verification requires details such as business name, address, phone number, contact, email, and company website. There are no additional fees for verifying a toll-free number.