Account Verification, SMS Policy Compliance and Understanding SMS prohibited content
Account Verification
We take SMS sending seriously for EasyRoutes. One way we do this is by ensuring that customers are using our platform in accordance with our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy for our messaging provider.
If you find your SMS notification settings disabled and receive a prompt to contact us for SMS service access, this indicates your account requires manual review as part of our verification process with our compliance team.
Please reach out to easyroutes@roundtrip.ai to initiate this review. To expedite this process and determine SMS suitability for your business, our compliance team may require additional details as a part of this review.
Non-compliance Scenarios
Please see Understanding SMS prohibited content below for more details related to forbidden categories for SMS.
Due to restrictions specified in the forbidden categories of our messaging provider's Acceptable Use Policy, SMS notifications are not available when this is detected. If we identify that these restrictions pertain to your store, your SMS capabilities may be disabled. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. This is required to comply with the policies that are set based on federal regulations and carrier requirements the in US and Canada.
Additionally, if there's a potential non-compliance with our messaging provider's Acceptable Use Policy or our terms of service, your store's SMS capabilities will be disabled.
Understanding SMS prohibited content
This information is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. The content provided is general in nature and may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Roundtrip strongly advises consulting with a qualified legal counsel to ensure your compliance with applicable laws and regulations in connection with your use of our services.
SMS is a highly regulated channel and is subject to stringent rules, regulations, and carrier requirements. In countries such as the US and Canada, certain message content is prohibited and is best avoided no matter where you are sending.
Wireless carriers also have their own rules for what they will allow, and they will reject SMS and MMS messages that contain prohibited content.
What if my business falls under a forbidden category?
For businesses that are entirely prohibited (i.e., when it’s forbidden even with age-gating), SMS may not be the appropriate channel to reach your customer base. Some SMS content is subject to additional requirements, like age-gating procedures. If your use case requires age gating, we recommend trying a third party for SMS. EasyRoutes does not currently support age-gating use cases. Review the forbidden categories document for more information on what is prohibited.
SMS prohibited content
EasyRoutes prohibits the following message categories for SMS and MMS based on the restrictions specified in the forbidden categories of our messaging provider's Acceptable Use Policy.
Review the forbidden categories document for a complete list on what is prohibited.
In general, for delivery-related use cases, this will be of these categories below in the US and Canada:
Illegal substances/articles:
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Cannabis, CBD, Kratom, or drug paraphernalia product businesses are prohibited from utilizing SMS/MMS messaging on Twilio in the US and Canada, regardless of content. These restrictions apply regardless of the federal or state legality. All use cases for these are disallowed from sending SMS whether it contains cannabis content or not, even for 2FA purposes it is not permissible for such entities. |
"S.H.A.F.T." use cases and electronic smoking devices:
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Alcohol traffic is allowed on Toll Free, Short Code, and Long Code in the US, as long as proper age gating procedures are in place. Age gating means that website users must input their date of birth. It cannot be a yes or no question. Firearms, Tobacco, Vape, and E-cigarettes are not allowed on Toll Free, Short Code, or Long Code regardless of age gating. All age-gated content into Canada must be blocked across Toll Free, Short Code, and Long Code. The only way to send age-gated traffic into Canada (even with proper age-gating) is to receive a special carrier exemption. Allowed age gated content in Canada include: pocket knives, lighters, and non-alcoholic beverages |
Prescription drugs
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Offers for drugs that cannot be sold over-the-counter in the US/Canada are forbidden regardless if the business is a licensed professional. |
Additionally, all messages you send should comply with the applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which the message recipient is located; applicable communications industry guidelines or standards; and Twilio's Acceptable Use Policy, which prohibits sending any content that is illegal, discriminatory, hateful, obscene, indecent, deceptive, fraudulent, malicious, or otherwise objectionable.