Short Code Certification Form Guide

When completing the Short Code certification submission form it is extremely important to be sure you are submitting accurate information. We have created this guide to help with any questions you may have while completing the form.

* Indicates a required field.

Company/Brand Information

Questions	Notes
Legally Registered Business Name*	Ensure you are entering your Legal Business Name EXACTLY as it appears on your tax documents; this includes punctuation and spelling. If you are unsure of your Legal Business name or EIN, you can reach out to the IRS to verify your information by calling the Business & Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933. The hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.
Friendly Business Name/DBA*	If you operate under a different name than your Legal Business Name, you will enter that here. If not, you may re-enter your Legal business name to proceed.
Tax Number/ID/EIN*	You can find your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number on your W-2 or by reaching out to the IRS Business and Specialty Tax line at 800-829-4933. The hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.
Your Business Address*	Enter the complete business address.
Business Website/Online Presence*	Enter the complete business address.
Privacy Policy URL*	Enter the organization's Privacy Policy that can be accessed publicly.
"Carrier Required privacy policy disclosure"	This includes the carrier required disclosure that needs to be added in to the privacy policy.
SMS Terms & Conditions URL*	The organization's Terms and Conditions that can be accessed publicly.
"Recommended SMS Terms & Conditions Template"	This includes recommended verbiage on the SMS terms and conditions. The verbiage does not need to be exactly the same, but the required information should all be in the SMS Terms & Conditions. The required information includes privacy policy link, opt-out instructions, product description, program (brand) name, customer care contact information, message frequency disclosure, and “Message and data rates may apply” disclosure.
SMS Terms & Conditions draft	If a draft of the SMS Terms and Condition is available, upload it here.
Organization Legal Type/Form*	Enter the type of business as registered with the government. Options are: Private Company Publicly Traded Company Government Non-Profit If Publicly Traded Company is selected here, additional questions related to the company's stock symbol, stock exchange and Brand Contact will be asked. The Brand Contact is the email address of a person who works at the brand who can complete the 2FA for the brand.

Contact Person's Information


Your Contact Information*	Enter your First and Last Name, Phone Number and Email.

Short Code Information

Questions	Notes
Is this a shared short code*	This should always be NO. Note that shared short code campaigns are no longer allowed to be filed.
Do you need a vanity or a random short code*	A vanity short code is a combination of 5-6 numbers that is selected specifically by the brand (example 050505). A random short code is a combination of 5-6 numbers picked at random. If you answer vanity, you will be asked for the preferred vanity short code.

Campaign Information

Questions	Notes
SMS campaign customer care information*	Short Code SMS campaigns must have a toll-free support line or support email address where users can reach out for assistance with any issues they are having with the campaign. Separate entries with a comma. Example: example@company.com, 800-XXX-XXXX
Message Type*	Select SMS, MMS or both.
Estimated Daily Message Volume*	Enter the estimated total daily volume for the short code.
Message Program Use Case*	The use case defines the type of messaging content you will be sending. Below are the values to choose from. You can select more than one use case but note that Call to Action documentation and sample messages will be required for each selected use case. 2FA - Any authentication, verification, or one-time passcode Alerts - Standard notifications for account holders, relating to and being about an account. Chat - All customer care interaction, including but not limited to account management and customer support. Delivery Notifications - Notification about the status of the delivery of a product or service. Donation - Text messages soliciting donations. Emergency Alerts - Informational messaging to raise an audience’s awareness about important issues. Fraud Alerts - Notifications regarding potentially fraudulent activity on a user’s account. Sweepstakes/Contest - Messaging related to sweepstakes or contests. Promotional Marketing - Messages for the purpose of encouraging the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services. Political - SMS related to political announcements such as campaign marketing straight into the hands of voters and collecting donations to accruing more. votes. Security Alerts - A notification that the security of a system, either software or hardware, has been compromised in some way and there is an action you need to take. Voting and Polling - The sending of surveys and polling/voting campaigns.
Program Summary*	Short summary of what the campaign promotes or how the short code will be used. Examples: This program will send promotional messages to users who register through our retail website.
How will the end user opt in, Opt-in URL, Opt-in Screenshot, Add a Message Flow	How will the end user opt in, Opt-in URL, screenshot and message flow depend on the Opt-in Type selected. An explanation and detailed samples of each of the opt-in type is discussed in SMS Consent Best Practices.
Provide the phone number(s) the customers call and where they get that number*	If you selected verbal in opt-in type, you will be asked for the phone number the consumer called and where that information is posted (i.e. What number did the consumer call and how did they know that they can call that number?)
Call to Action Mockup*	A mockup image, or script in the case of verbal opt-ins, of how you are advertising your program to users and collecting their consent must be attached with your application. There are specific required disclaimers that must be presented to your users before their consent can be obtained
Does your SMS campaign have a double opt-in process*	Double opt-in is when you send a text to your users after sign-up asking them to respond with a keyword to confirm their sign-up. They help ensure your users entered their phone number correctly when signing up and help ensure that your user wants to receive your messages.
If applicable, the exact behavior the end user will have to take for the double opt-in (i.e. START)	Example: Thank you for subscribing to {Business Name}. reply START to begin receiving alerts. Reply STOP to end/cancel, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply.
Message recurrence*	Subscription: The end-user will receive messages from the short code on a recurring basis. Transactional: Messages are only sent if the end-user initiates contact with the short code (i.e., 2FA alert)
Opt-In Confirmation Message*	The message an end-user will receive once they opt in to the messaging program. This should contain the program (brand) name OR product, description, opt-out information, customer care contact information message frequency disclosure, 'Msg&Data rates may apply" disclosure. Example: Welcome to {customer name}! Msg freq may vary. Msg&data rates may apply. Send HELP to XXX-XXX-XXXX for help or STOP to cancel.
Keywords for HELP*	What keyword will the consumer text to the short code to get help?
Help Confirmation Message*	The message an end-user will receive after texting the keyword HELP to the short code. Example: {Brand}: For help, please visit {website} or call {phone number}.
Opt-out keywords*	What keyword will the consumer text to the short code to revoke consent? Examples: STOP, END, QUIT, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE
Opt-out Confirmation Message*	The message an end-user will receive after texting the keyword STOP to the short code. Example: You have opted out of {brand}. No further messages will be sent. To opt back in, reply UNSTOP.
*Example message content 1, 2* and 3**	Provide examples of messages that will be sent via the short code. Include your campaign name. These are only examples and will not be the only messages you will be able to send. If you selected multiple use cases, provide at least one sample per user case.

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