How Can Businesses Send SMS in USA?

While the world might have moved to OTT apps like WhatsApp for communication, US has stuck with SMS as a primary channel of communication. Most of the traffic is split in SMS vs iMessage.  

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been focusing on stricter enforcement of TCPA rules to combat spam and fraudulent messages.

Businesses generally use SMS API providers to enable multiple business cases through SMS. This article covers the A-Z of sending SMS in USA.

Using SMS requires certain amount of regulatory compliance and best.  Business have been using SMS for various purposes including:

1. Marketing communication as promotional SMS
2. Important updates like delivery notifications as transactional SMS
3. Verifying user’s identities as SMS verification

Key Considerations for Sending SMS in USA

1. Compliance and Regulations
   Sending SMS in the USA requires compliance with several regulations to protect consumer privacy and prevent spam. Key regulations include:
   • Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): Requires businesses to obtain explicit consent from consumers before sending SMS messages. This includes clear opt-in mechanisms and honoring opt-out requests.
   • Carrier-Specific Guidelines: Each mobile carrier in the USA may have its own guidelines and best practices for SMS messaging, including content restrictions and volume limits. This also includes any professional text messages.

2. Types of SMS Numbers
   When sending SMS in the USA, businesses can choose from different types of numbers:
   • Short Codes: Typically, 5–6-digit numbers used for high-volume messaging campaigns. They are easy to remember and ideal for marketing purposes. You can read more about the same in our guide on SMS short codes.
   • Long Codes: Standard 10-digit phone numbers used for person-to-person communication and low-volume messaging. They are more personal and can handle two-way communication.
   • Toll-Free Numbers: 1-800 numbers that support both voice and SMS, offering a versatile option for customer service and support.

3. Content Restrictions

To ensure SMS campaigns are effective and compliant, businesses must adhere to content restrictions:

Different industries also need to comply with specific content regulations. For example: A2P 10DLC for political campaigns.

4. Technical Considerations
   Effective SMS campaigns require attention to technical details:
   • Character Limit: Standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. Messages exceeding this limit will be split into multiple parts and may incur additional charges.  
   • MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service allows sending images, videos, and other media, but may have different cost structures and limitations. Now, this can also be enabled using RCS. You can easily setup RCS with Message Central.
     
   • Delivery Reports: Use delivery reports to confirm that messages have been successfully delivered to recipients. You can refer to our guide on text delivery statuses for better understanding of these reports.
     
   • Unicode Support: Essential for messages containing special characters or emojis to ensure correct display across all devices.
     
   • Message Segmentation: Long messages are automatically segmented and reassembled on the recipient’s device, but this can affect message costs and readability.
     
   • Opt-Out Mechanism: Mandatory inclusion of opt-out instructions (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe") to comply with regulations and improve customer satisfaction.
     
   • Rate Limits: Carriers may impose rate limits on the number of messages sent per second to prevent spamming and ensure network reliability.
     
   • Throttling: Managing the rate at which messages are sent to avoid exceeding carrier limits and to ensure consistent delivery.
     
   • Sender ID: Customizable sender IDs (where supported) can improve brand recognition and engagement but must comply with carrier and regulatory requirements. You can read more about the same in our article on A2P 10DLC.  
     
   • Message Templates: Pre-approved message templates can streamline the sending process and ensure compliance with content guidelines. Although, you can enable use cases like SMS verification without an approved content template or 10DLC.
   • Time Zone Management: Schedule messages according to the recipient’s time zone to maximize engagement and avoid sending messages at inappropriate times.

Send SMS in the USA with Message Central

Message Central provides a robust platform for sending SMS messages in the USA, offering seamless integration and advanced features to enhance your SMS campaigns. You should use Message Central because:

1. Reliable Delivery: Ensures high deliverability rates by complying with carrier guidelines and using advanced routing technology.
2. Scalability: Whether you are sending a few messages or millions, Message Central scales with your business needs.
3. Advanced Features: Benefit from features like two-way messaging, keyword automation, and detailed analytics to enhance your SMS campaigns.
4. Excellent Support: Access dedicated customer support to assist with any technical or compliance-related queries.
5. Cost Efficiency: The platform is at least 40% lesser expensive than its competitors providing an added advantage.

You can get in touch with the team to get started.