Forbidden message categories for SMS & MMS in the US & Canada
Edited

As a reference, the following messaging categories are not allowed on SMS or MMS in the United States and Canada.

Category

Examples

Notes

High-risk financial services

  • Payday loans

  • Short term high-interest loans

  • Third-party auto loans

  • Third-party mortgage loans

  • Student loans

  • Cryptocurrency

“Third-party” means originating from any party other than the one which will service the loan.

Third-party lead generation services

Companies that buy, sell, or share consumer information.

 

Debt collection or forgiveness

  • Third-party debt collection

  • Debt consolidation

  • Debt reduction

  • Credit repair programs

“Third-party” means originating from any party other than the one who is owed the debt. For example, a hospital could send messages regarding bills for its own patients, assuming they provided opt-in to receive that messaging.

“Get rich quick” schemes

  • Work-from-home programs

  • Risk investment opportunities

  • Pyramid schemes

This is different from outreach about employment as a result of compliant opt-in practices, messages from brokerages to their members, investment news alerts, or other investment-related messages.

Illegal substances

  • Cannabis (United States)

  • CBD (United States)

  • Prescription drugs

Cannabis is federally illegal in the United States. Cannabis businesses will not be permitted to use SMS/MMS messaging in the US, regardless of message content.

CBD is federally legal, but is not legal in some US states, so US carriers do not permit messaging related to CBD.

Offers for drugs that cannot be sold over-the-counter in the US/Canada are forbidden.

Gambling

  • Casino apps

  • Gambling websites

Gambling traffic is prohibited in the US and Canada on all number types (Toll Free, Short Code, Long Code).

"S.H.A.F.T." use cases

  • Sex

  • Hate

  • Alcohol

  • Firearms

  • Tobacco

While Tobacco traffic is prohibited on Toll Free, it is allowed on Short Code, or Long Code, as long as proper age gating procedures are in place.

Alcohol traffic is allowed on Toll Free (US only), Short Code, and Long Code, as long as proper age gating procedures are in place.

Firearms and Vaping-related traffic is prohibited.

 

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