Texting is considered by the FTC and CTIA to be a high value form of communication, which carries additional responsibility. By choosing to use VipeCloud for texting you agree that you have read and understand the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices.
How to Create Your Text Subscription
A text subscription gives you your monthly text credits, and you need one before you can choose a texting number or register with the Campaign Registry. Each user who texts needs their own subscription. You can buy your own, or an Admin can add one for you from the Users page.
If your Admin already added a subscription for you, Text Settings opens on the number step and you can skip this section. To change a subscription your Admin pays for, contact your Admin.
Buy Your Own Text Subscription
Buying from Text Settings adds the subscription to your account's bill as its own line item, separate from seats and social accounts.
In the sidebar under Communication, click Text Settings.
On the Subscription step, select Monthly or Annually from the Billing Frequency dropdown.
Select how many credits you want from the text subscription dropdown.
Click Go To Text Subscription Checkout.
Review the charges, then click Add Text Subscription.
When the purchase goes through, the page reloads, the Subscription step at the top of Text Settings is marked complete, and you move on to choosing your number.
Add a Text Subscription for a Member
Admins can add a subscription for a member so the member can go straight to choosing a number. The member then completes the number and registration steps on their own Text Settings page.
Go to the Users page.
Open the actions menu on the member's row.
Click Add Text Subscription.
Select how many credits the member gets.
Click Confirm Change.
The same menu has Edit Text Subscription and Delete Text Subscription once the member has a subscription.
What you see on the Subscription step depends on your plan:
Free trial - Text subscriptions can't be purchased during a free trial. Click Go To Billing To Upgrade Account to upgrade first.
Franchise Sales Engine - Your plan includes a text subscription of 500 credits per month, with no purchase or Campaign Registry fee. Click Enable your text subscription instead of going to checkout.
Franchise Sales Engine free trial - Members see a message to contact their account admin, because only an admin can upgrade the account.
How to Choose or Port Your Texting Number
VipeCloud supports 10 digit long code numbers for texting (10DLC). We highly suggest choosing a number instead of porting one, because the process to port numbers is becoming increasingly onerous.
Choosing a Number
When choosing a number, you can search by area code and number pattern.
If the search shows No matching numbers found, our number provider has no numbers in stock for that area code right now. You can search again or try a different area code, or reach out to us with the area codes you want, in order of preference, and we'll request a number from our provider and add it to your account.
Porting a Number
If you are porting a number from another system, we'll ask you for the following information:
The number to port.
Current provider name.
Authorized name on the account with your current provider.
Billing phone number on record with your current provider.
Phone service address.
Once you submit this information, we'll submit it to our backend provider and then request an electronic signature from you to confirm your request.
You cannot port your own cell number. Text numbers in the US can only be used in one circumstance, so if you port your cell phone number, your cell phone will no longer work.
How to Register With The Campaign Registry
Every texting number is required to register with the Campaign Registry. After waiting one hour from when you selected your number, you can submit your registration. The registration includes information about your business, your physical location, your opt-in process, and samples.
If you register as a Sole Proprietor, you will be required to verify your mobile phone number. The Campaign Registry will send you a text with a code that you will enter into VipeCloud to verify.
To comply with Campaign Registry best practices, we will append "Reply STOP to opt out" to the first message you send to any contact.
Texting Best Practices
Once your number is registered, you're all set. Follow these practices to keep your texts delivering:
Text lengths - Whether MMS or SMS, the maximum length of a message in your text is 1530 characters. If there is even one emoji or special character in your message, the maximum is 670 characters, and a growing number of carriers flag longer texts as "undelivered".
Links in texts - Generic short links such as bit.ly or ow.ly are not allowed. If you include a link, put it in the middle of your text, not at the start or end.
Your first text to a contact - Ask the contact to respond. We do not allow a second text to a contact until you have received an inbound text from them that isn't an opt out.
Opt outs - VipeCloud handles your opt outs automatically. You can also manually opt out a contact on their contact record.
Texts to lists - Texts to lists are processed at one text per five seconds, with a 5-10 minute pause every 200 texts. A maximum of 1,000 messages can be sent to T-Mobile numbers per day, and AT&T / Cingular numbers are processed last due to slower throughput limits.
Messaging code of conduct - We highly recommend reading this messaging code of conduct.