{"slug":"toll-free-and-hosted-messaging","title":"Toll-Free Verification and Hosted Messaging","tags":["signalwire","toll-free","hosted-messaging","sms","port-in","loa"],"agent_summary":"Toll-free SMS verification flow (separate from TCR), the Hosted Messaging path for numbers held elsewhere for voice, Letter of Authorization (LOA), and the porting prerequisites. Includes the Sept 30 / Jan 1 form-field changes and Canada-carrier specifics.","trigger_phrases":["toll-free SMS verification","TFN verification SignalWire","hosted messaging SignalWire","Letter of Authorization SMS","port in messaging only","Canada toll-free SMS","Business Registration Number SMS"],"runnable":false,"markdown":"\n# Toll-Free Verification and Hosted Messaging\n\nTwo compliance paths that aren't the TCR/10DLC track.\n\n- **Toll-Free Verification** — required before any toll-free number can send SMS. Separate process, separate aggregator, no TCR involvement.\n- **Hosted Messaging** — keep voice with your current provider, host messaging on SignalWire. Useful for migrations where you can't move voice yet.\n\n## Toll-Free Verification\n\nVerifying a toll-free number means your business and use case have been reviewed and your message templates have carrier approval. Verification reduces (not eliminates) spam filtering on toll-free traffic to all major US mobile carriers, plus Fido, Rogers, Telus, and Videotron in Canada.\n\nThere is **no charge** for the verification process. **Verified does not mean whitelisted** — deviating from your approved content can still result in filtering.\n\n### Requirements\n\n- Clear opt-in consent.\n- Easy opt-out.\n- No public URL shorteners. Use full branded URLs.\n- No snowshoeing (multiple TFNs to bypass throughput). Carriers prohibit it. Increase throughput via Sales.\n\n### Verification form fields\n\nSubmit via the **Toll-Free Verification form** in the dashboard. All required:\n\n| Field | Description |\n|---|---|\n| Business Name | Legal name of the business |\n| Company Website | Official company website |\n| Business Address | Primary physical address |\n| Compliance Contact | Someone who can respond to compliance questions |\n| Requested Throughput | Default 3 MPS |\n| Toll-Free number(s) | Justify if multiple |\n| Use Case | Description of the use case |\n| Message Content | Sample messages reflecting the planned content |\n| Opt-in Description | How recipients give consent |\n| Opt-in Details | Link, image, or scan of the opt-in page or process |\n| Business Registration Number | Government-issued business identifier |\n| Issuing Country | Country of business registration |\n| Entity Type | Public Profit, Private Profit, Non-Profit, Government, Sole Proprietor (requires extra vetting) |\n\n**Effective Sept 30, 2025**: Business Registration Number, Issuing Country, and Entity Type added to the form. **Optional until Jan 1, 2026**, then **mandatory**.\n\n### Turnaround\n\n- Standard: 3-5 business days for SignalWire processing.\n- Upstream peer current turnaround: 1-2 weeks (or longer if info is incomplete).\n\n### Canada notes\n\nCanadian carriers have stricter requirements driven by anti-spam law. Brand websites must include legal language about messaging — provide links to your terms and conditions and privacy policy.\n\n### Bulk verification (ISVs)\n\nIf you're an ISV verifying many customer numbers, download the SignalWire bulk template (File → Download → Excel from the linked form), fill it in, and email to `support@signalwire.com`.\n\n### FAQs\n\n| Question | Answer |\n|---|---|\n| Is TCR involved? | No. A separate Toll-Free Aggregator handles it. |\n| Is there an API for submission? | No. Dashboard form only. |\n| Is legal language on the website required? | Yes — link to terms and privacy policy. |\n| Does verification guarantee deliverability? | No. Content that's flagged as spam after verification can still be blocked. |\n\n## Hosted Messaging\n\nHosted Messaging lets you send and receive SMS/MMS via SignalWire on numbers that remain with your existing voice provider (PBX, VoIP). Use case: migrate messaging now, keep voice infrastructure intact.\n\n**Not supported on mobile (wireless) numbers.** To move a wireless number, you port both voice and messaging to SignalWire.\n\n### Prerequisites\n\n- **Letter of Authorization (LOA)** signed and dated within the past 30 days by the authorized user/admin. Download the LOA from the Port In form's \"Letter of Authorization\" section.\n- **Recent invoice** from the current voice provider showing the number in service.\n- **Permission from the current voice provider** to split messaging away from voice.\n- **Active TCR campaign** (not required for toll-free).\n\n### Process\n\n1. **Verify ownership** — complete the LOA.\n2. **Submit the request** via the **Port Requests** area in the dashboard. Under **Services to Port**, select **Messaging Services Only**. Standard hosted-messaging requests outside this flow won't be processed. **No API for porting.**\n3. **Order processing** (sequence):\n   - SignalWire reviews docs and adds the number to your account.\n   - SignalWire submits the messaging-enablement order. **Minimum 48-hour turnaround** for enablement.\n   - You configure Inbound Message Settings on the number in your dashboard (won't be testable yet — still pending).\n   - For US numbers, 10DLC Campaign provisioning kicks off after enablement. 10-30 minutes; **outbound messaging won't function during provisioning**.\n4. **Test** inbound and outbound once SignalWire confirms enablement.\n\n### After activation\n\n- **Keep voice services active with the current provider** — releasing voice releases the whole number and breaks hosted messaging.\n- Maintain valid TCR campaign provisioning for 10DLC numbers.\n- For toll-free: complete the toll-free verification path above.\n\n### Full port-out later\n\nIf you eventually want to move voice too, follow the standard port-both-services guide. Don't try to release voice while hosted messaging is in place.\n\n## Anti-patterns\n\n- Submitting toll-free verification without legal language on the website — Canada carriers reject.\n- Snowshoeing across multiple TFNs to dodge throughput limits — banned.\n- Releasing voice from the old provider before completing a full port — breaks hosted messaging immediately.\n- Skipping the LOA refresh — old LOAs (>30 days) get rejected.\n- Trying to host messaging on a wireless number — not supported.\n- Treating \"verified\" as \"whitelisted\" — content can still be filtered.\n\n## See also\n\n- [A2P 10DLC Campaign Registry](/topic/a2p-10dlc-campaign-registry)\n- [SMS best practices](/topic/sms-best-practices)\n","html":"<h1>Toll-Free Verification and Hosted Messaging</h1>\n<p>Two compliance paths that aren't the TCR/10DLC track.</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Toll-Free Verification</strong> — required before any toll-free number can send SMS. Separate process, separate aggregator, no TCR involvement.</li>\n<li><strong>Hosted Messaging</strong> — keep voice with your current provider, host messaging on SignalWire. Useful for migrations where you can't move voice yet.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Toll-Free Verification</h2>\n<p>Verifying a toll-free number means your business and use case have been reviewed and your message templates have carrier approval. Verification reduces (not eliminates) spam filtering on toll-free traffic to all major US mobile carriers, plus Fido, Rogers, Telus, and Videotron in Canada.</p>\n<p>There is <strong>no charge</strong> for the verification process. <strong>Verified does not mean whitelisted</strong> — deviating from your approved content can still result in filtering.</p>\n<h3>Requirements</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear opt-in consent.</li>\n<li>Easy opt-out.</li>\n<li>No public URL shorteners. Use full branded URLs.</li>\n<li>No snowshoeing (multiple TFNs to bypass throughput). Carriers prohibit it. Increase throughput via Sales.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Verification form fields</h3>\n<p>Submit via the <strong>Toll-Free Verification form</strong> in the dashboard. All required:</p>\n<p>| Field | Description |\n|---|---|\n| Business Name | Legal name of the business |\n| Company Website | Official company website |\n| Business Address | Primary physical address |\n| Compliance Contact | Someone who can respond to compliance questions |\n| Requested Throughput | Default 3 MPS |\n| Toll-Free number(s) | Justify if multiple |\n| Use Case | Description of the use case |\n| Message Content | Sample messages reflecting the planned content |\n| Opt-in Description | How recipients give consent |\n| Opt-in Details | Link, image, or scan of the opt-in page or process |\n| Business Registration Number | Government-issued business identifier |\n| Issuing Country | Country of business registration |\n| Entity Type | Public Profit, Private Profit, Non-Profit, Government, Sole Proprietor (requires extra vetting) |</p>\n<p><strong>Effective Sept 30, 2025</strong>: Business Registration Number, Issuing Country, and Entity Type added to the form. <strong>Optional until Jan 1, 2026</strong>, then <strong>mandatory</strong>.</p>\n<h3>Turnaround</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Standard: 3-5 business days for SignalWire processing.</li>\n<li>Upstream peer current turnaround: 1-2 weeks (or longer if info is incomplete).</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Canada notes</h3>\n<p>Canadian carriers have stricter requirements driven by anti-spam law. Brand websites must include legal language about messaging — provide links to your terms and conditions and privacy policy.</p>\n<h3>Bulk verification (ISVs)</h3>\n<p>If you're an ISV verifying many customer numbers, download the SignalWire bulk template (File → Download → Excel from the linked form), fill it in, and email to <code>support@signalwire.com</code>.</p>\n<h3>FAQs</h3>\n<p>| Question | Answer |\n|---|---|\n| Is TCR involved? | No. A separate Toll-Free Aggregator handles it. |\n| Is there an API for submission? | No. Dashboard form only. |\n| Is legal language on the website required? | Yes — link to terms and privacy policy. |\n| Does verification guarantee deliverability? | No. Content that's flagged as spam after verification can still be blocked. |</p>\n<h2>Hosted Messaging</h2>\n<p>Hosted Messaging lets you send and receive SMS/MMS via SignalWire on numbers that remain with your existing voice provider (PBX, VoIP). Use case: migrate messaging now, keep voice infrastructure intact.</p>\n<p><strong>Not supported on mobile (wireless) numbers.</strong> To move a wireless number, you port both voice and messaging to SignalWire.</p>\n<h3>Prerequisites</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Letter of Authorization (LOA)</strong> signed and dated within the past 30 days by the authorized user/admin. Download the LOA from the Port In form's \"Letter of Authorization\" section.</li>\n<li><strong>Recent invoice</strong> from the current voice provider showing the number in service.</li>\n<li><strong>Permission from the current voice provider</strong> to split messaging away from voice.</li>\n<li><strong>Active TCR campaign</strong> (not required for toll-free).</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Process</h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Verify ownership</strong> — complete the LOA.</li>\n<li><strong>Submit the request</strong> via the <strong>Port Requests</strong> area in the dashboard. Under <strong>Services to Port</strong>, select <strong>Messaging Services Only</strong>. Standard hosted-messaging requests outside this flow won't be processed. <strong>No API for porting.</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Order processing</strong> (sequence):\n<ul>\n<li>SignalWire reviews docs and adds the number to your account.</li>\n<li>SignalWire submits the messaging-enablement order. <strong>Minimum 48-hour turnaround</strong> for enablement.</li>\n<li>You configure Inbound Message Settings on the number in your dashboard (won't be testable yet — still pending).</li>\n<li>For US numbers, 10DLC Campaign provisioning kicks off after enablement. 10-30 minutes; <strong>outbound messaging won't function during provisioning</strong>.</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n<li><strong>Test</strong> inbound and outbound once SignalWire confirms enablement.</li>\n</ol>\n<h3>After activation</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keep voice services active with the current provider</strong> — releasing voice releases the whole number and breaks hosted messaging.</li>\n<li>Maintain valid TCR campaign provisioning for 10DLC numbers.</li>\n<li>For toll-free: complete the toll-free verification path above.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Full port-out later</h3>\n<p>If you eventually want to move voice too, follow the standard port-both-services guide. Don't try to release voice while hosted messaging is in place.</p>\n<h2>Anti-patterns</h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Submitting toll-free verification without legal language on the website — Canada carriers reject.</li>\n<li>Snowshoeing across multiple TFNs to dodge throughput limits — banned.</li>\n<li>Releasing voice from the old provider before completing a full port — breaks hosted messaging immediately.</li>\n<li>Skipping the LOA refresh — old LOAs (>30 days) get rejected.</li>\n<li>Trying to host messaging on a wireless number — not supported.</li>\n<li>Treating \"verified\" as \"whitelisted\" — content can still be filtered.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>See also</h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"/topic/a2p-10dlc-campaign-registry\">A2P 10DLC Campaign Registry</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"/topic/sms-best-practices\">SMS best practices</a></li>\n</ul>\n"}