How to Ensure Your Toll-Free Number Gets Approved: Compliance Best Practices

Description:
Planning to register a toll-free number for use with Sellify AI? Follow these best practices to maximize your approval chances and ensure compliance with U.S. and Canadian toll-free messaging regulations.

Why Compliance Matters

When you register a toll-free number for SMS messaging, your number must pass carrier review to be approved for full use.

Toll-free carriers in the United States and Canada closely review your application and messaging use case to protect consumers from fraud, abuse, and unwanted communications.

If your application includes prohibited content or does not meet best practices, your number may be rejected or subject to message filtering.

Following these guidelines will give you the best chance of approval and long-term success with Sellify AI.

Disallowed or Non-Compliant Content

Certain types of content are strictly prohibited under U.S. and Canadian carrier regulations.

If your messaging relates to any of the following categories, your toll-free application will likely be rejected:

• High-risk Financial Services
  

• Loans (including payday, personal, or business loans)
  

• Gambling, Lotteries, or Sweepstakes
  

• “Get Rich Quick” Schemes
  

• SHAFT content (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco)
  

• Fireworks Promotions
  

• Cryptocurrency Transactions or Promotions
  

• Adult Content (including escort services, adult dating, or sexually explicit advertising)
  

• Drug-Related Content (including cannabis, CBD, vapes, or paraphernalia)
  

• Personal Messaging (using the number for non-business, private conversations)

If your business activities fall into any of these categories, you may need to seek alternative communication methods outside of toll-free SMS.

Best Practices to Maximize Your Toll-Free Number Approval

To help ensure a smooth registration process, follow these key compliance best practices:

1. Obtain Clear Opt-In Before Sending Messages

• Only message individuals who have explicitly agreed to receive your texts.
  

• Opt-in can be collected through web forms, paper forms, in-person, or email — it does not have to occur via SMS.
  

• Retain documentation or digital logs showing when and how a customer opted in.
  

2. Make Opt-Out Easy and Immediate

• Include simple opt-out instructions in your messaging, such as:
  "Reply STOP to unsubscribe."
  

• Honor opt-out requests immediately without requiring additional steps.

3. Keep Opt-Out Rates Low

• High opt-out rates are a red flag for carriers and may lead to message filtering.
  

• Target only engaged and interested audiences.
  

• Avoid aggressive marketing that could encourage recipients to opt out.

4. Use Branded, Shortened URLs

• When including links, use a custom, branded URL shortener (such as a company-owned domain).
  

• Avoid public, shared URL shorteners like bit.ly, tinyurl.com, or goo.gl.
  Carriers block messages containing shared shortened links due to high fraud risk.
  

Example of a branded link:
“sellifyai.link/offer” instead of “bit.ly/3x28kl0”

5. Avoid Snowshoeing

• Snowshoeing is the practice of sending the same (or very similar) messages across multiple toll-free numbers to try and bypass volume limits.
  

• Carriers actively filter for this behavior and may block your numbers.

If you legitimately need to use multiple toll-free numbers (for example, managing different brands), document and disclose this in your registration application.

6. Follow Message Volume and Throughput Guidelines

• Standard toll-free numbers allow moderate messaging volumes suitable for most businesses.
  

• If you expect to send a high volume of messages, consult Sellify AI Support to discuss options for increasing your approved throughput with carriers.

Important Reminders for Sellify AI Customers

• Sellify AI does not automatically handle your toll-free registration.
  You must complete registration through your SMS provider (Twilio, ClickSend, etc.) before using your number on the Sellify AI platform.
  

• Content compliance is your responsibility.
  Sellify AI can provide general guidance, but ultimately you must ensure your business messages meet carrier requirements.
  

• Filtering can happen even after approval.
  If your messaging practices change or violate carrier policies later, carriers can still filter your traffic.

Conclusion:
Following these best practices helps ensure your toll-free number gets approved, keeps your messaging compliant, and maintains high deliverability rates with Sellify AI.