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SMS Prohibited Content
SMS Prohibited Content

Learn how to ensure your SMS is delivered.

Yasmine avatar
Written by Yasmine
Updated over a week ago

In SmartrMail we care about your business and we want you to achieve the best possible results with your SMS campaigns.
Since SMS marketing follows highly regulated rules and standards, in this article we will run you through subjects that cannot be included in an SMS campaign.

The following Categories are prohibited for SMS:

  • High-risk financial services

  • Debt collection or forgiveness

  • “Get rich quick” schemes

  • Illegal substances

  • Gambling

  • S.H.A.F.T.

  • Third-party lead generation services

Let's explain every point in details

High-risk financial services:

SMS campaigns that give financial advice and tips. It includes the below examples:

  1. Payday loans

  2. Short term high-interest loans

  3. Third-party auto loans

  4. Third-party mortgage loans

  5. Student loans

  6. Cryptocurrency

Debt collection or forgiveness:

SMS campaigns that offer debt forgiveness texts or claims that a third party will collect the debt/loan on behalf of the owed company. See below examples:

  • Third-party debt collection

  • Debt consolidation

  • Debt reduction

  • Credit repair programs

“Get rich quick” schemes:

Including false remote work offers and ''How-tos'' for financial independence.

Illegal substances:

It includes everything that is illegal in the country of the recipient.
For example:

  • CBD (United States)

  • Prescription drugs

  • Cannabis

  • Vaping

Gambling, Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms:

  • Casino apps

  • Gambling websites

  • Tobacco

  • Firearms

  • Alcohol

S.H.A.F.T.

SHAFT stands for content that includes any element below:

  • Sex

  • Hate

  • Alcohol

  • Firearms

  • Tobacco

Note:

  • Tobacco traffic is prohibited on Toll-Free, but it is allowed on Short Code, or Long Code if proper age gating procedures are applied.

  • Firearms and Alcohol traffic is allowed on Toll-Free, Short Code, and Long Code if proper age gating procedures are applied.

Third-party lead generation services

Businesses that buy, sell or share customer data.

Please note that even if your case is not listed here, you need to ensure your SMS marketing is following the TCPA guide and follows the CTIA best practices if you are in the USA or (CASL) if you are in Canada and the Spam Act 2003 and the Spam Regulations 2021 regulate the sending of SMS marketing messages if you are in Australia.
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