Text message marketing rules for service businesses (consent and 10DLC basics)
Before a service business texts customers, it needs two things: the customer's permission to text that number, and a registered texting number. In the US, business texts sent from a regular 10-digit number must be registered with the carriers through A2P 10DLC, or they are likely to be blocked. Marketing texts need stronger consent than appointment reminders, every message must honor STOP, and texts should stay within reasonable hours.
This is a plain-English overview, not legal advice. The rules come from federal law, state laws and the phone carriers' own requirements, and they change. If texting is a big part of your marketing, it is worth a conversation with a lawyer who knows the area.
Why are the rules for texts stricter than email?
A text lands on someone's personal phone, often with a buzz, and many people treat their phone number as more private than their email. US law reflects that. The federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) covers calls and texts, and lawsuits under it can be expensive. Several states have their own telemarketing laws on top, and Florida and Oklahoma are two states that have passed their own versions.
On top of the law, the mobile carriers (like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon) set their own rules for business texting and filter messages that don't follow them. Even a perfectly legal text can be blocked if it isn't registered.
What kinds of texts does a service business send?
It helps to sort your texts into two groups, because the consent rules differ.
| Type | Examples | Consent needed (in general) |
|---|---|---|
| Informational or transactional | Booking confirmations, reminders, on-my-way texts, invoice links, receipts | The customer gave you their number and agreed to receive texts about their service |
| Marketing | Seasonal offers, promotions, win-back messages, campaign texts | Clear, documented permission to receive marketing texts, typically in writing (a checkbox or form counts) |
When a message mixes both, like a reminder that ends with "Ask about our spring special!", treat it as marketing.
How do you get consent properly?
Good consent is clear, specific and recorded.
On a booking form or website, use a checkbox that is not pre-checked, with plain wording:
"Yes, text me appointment reminders and updates at this number. Message frequency varies. Msg and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help."
If you also want to send marketing texts, use a separate checkbox with its own wording, so customers can say yes to reminders and no to promotions.
Over the phone, have the office ask: "Is it OK if we text you reminders at this number?" Then record the answer in the customer record, with the date.
What doesn't count as good consent:
- A number scraped from a website or bought on a list
- A pre-checked box
- Burying text consent in the fine print of your terms
- Assuming consent because someone called you
Keep a record of when and how each person agreed. If there's ever a dispute, that record is your protection.
What do STOP and HELP have to do?
Every business text program should handle these keywords:
- STOP (and similar words like UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT): stop texting that number. Send one confirmation that they've been opted out, then nothing else.
- HELP: reply with your business name and how to reach you.
- START (or similar): opt back in, if the customer wants to.
Once someone texts STOP, no one in your office should be able to switch texts back on for them. Only the customer should be able to opt back in.
Include "Reply STOP to opt out" in your first message and in marketing texts.
What hours should you text?
Federal rules limit telemarketing calls to between 8 AM and 9 PM in the recipient's local time, and some states set narrower windows or other limits. A sensible policy for most service businesses:
- Marketing texts only during normal daytime hours on weekdays and Saturdays
- Reminders at reasonable times, scheduled for the morning or afternoon
- Exceptions only for messages the customer is waiting for, like an on-my-way text for an appointment that's happening now
It's not just the law. A promotional text at 9:45 PM is a quick way to lose a customer.
What is A2P 10DLC?
A2P stands for application-to-person: texts sent by a business system rather than a person typing on a phone. 10DLC means 10-digit long code, which is a regular local phone number.
US carriers require businesses that send A2P texts from 10-digit numbers to register. Registration happens through your texting provider, which submits your details to The Campaign Registry, an industry registry the carriers use. Unregistered business texting is filtered or blocked by the major carriers.
Registration has two parts:
- Brand: your business. Legal name, business type, EIN (your federal tax ID), address, website and a contact person. Businesses without an EIN can often register as a sole proprietor, with lower limits.
- Campaign: what you'll text and how people opt in. A description of your use case, sample messages, how customers give consent, and your opt-in, opt-out and help wording.
Toll-free numbers have a separate process called toll-free verification. Short codes (5 or 6 digits) are another option with their own application, generally used by much larger senders.
There are registration fees and sometimes monthly fees, set by the registry and carriers and passed on by providers. Check your provider's current pricing.
Why do 10DLC registrations get rejected?
Rejections are common and frustrating. The usual causes:
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Legal name doesn't match the IRS record | Copy it exactly from your EIN letter, including punctuation and "LLC" |
| Website doesn't work or doesn't match the business | Make sure it loads and shows your business name and services |
| No privacy policy, or it allows sharing phone numbers | Publish a privacy policy that says you don't share mobile numbers for marketing |
| Opt-in isn't described clearly | Say exactly where and how customers agree, quoting the checkbox text |
| Sample messages don't name the business or include STOP | Start with your business name, end with "Reply STOP to opt out" |
| Using a PO box as the address | Use a real street address |
| Public link shorteners in samples | Use full links or your own domain |
Content about cannabis, firearms, alcohol, adult content, gambling and certain loans gets extra scrutiny or is not allowed on standard registrations. Most home-service texting is fine.
What should good business texts look like?
Short, identified and useful. A few examples:
"Ridgeline Plumbing: Your appointment is tomorrow between 8 and 10 AM. Reply C to confirm or call us to reschedule."
"Ridgeline Plumbing: Mike is on his way and should arrive in about 20 minutes."
"Ridgeline Plumbing: Spring AC tune-ups are booking up. Pick a time here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out."
Always start with the business name. Keep marketing texts rare. Once or twice a season is plenty for most customers. For more on the reminder side, see email marketing for home-service companies, which covers when to use email instead.
A checklist before you start texting
- Decide which messages are reminders and which are marketing.
- Add clear consent checkboxes to your booking forms, separate for marketing.
- Train the office to ask and record consent on phone bookings.
- Publish a privacy policy and terms on your website.
- Register your brand and campaign for A2P 10DLC (or verify your toll-free number).
- Make sure STOP, HELP and START are handled automatically.
- Set quiet hours and a limit on how many texts one customer gets per day.
- Keep a log of every message sent.
FAQ
Do I need to register for 10DLC if I only send appointment reminders?
Generally yes. Registration is about sending business texts from a system using a 10-digit number, not just marketing. Reminder-only programs are usually straightforward to register.
Can I text a customer who called me?
Calling you isn't the same as agreeing to texts. Ask, and record the answer. For marketing texts, get clear written permission.
How long does 10DLC registration take?
It varies from a few days to a few weeks, depending on brand checks, campaign review and whether anything is rejected and resubmitted.
Can I text from my personal cell phone instead?
Texting customers one at a time from a personal phone is different from automated business texting, but it creates other problems: no records, no STOP handling, and customer conversations that leave with the employee. A business number with proper registration is the safer habit.
How ServFlo helps
ServFlo gives each new business a local texting number and walks you through A2P 10DLC registration, with the campaign description and sample messages pre-written from your real opt-in points and a readiness check that flags common rejection causes before anything is submitted. Texts on every plan go through the same checks: ServFlo records consent per phone number, never texts a number without OK to text, handles STOP, HELP and START, holds messages during quiet hours, and keeps a log of every text. Marketing campaigns on the Grow and Pro plans only reach customers who agreed to marketing. See reviews and marketing and the pricing page for text allowances.