What Is Happening?
Background
As an Akia customer who uses SMS, you are sending application-to-person (A2P) messages to your guests - meaning your guests are receiving messages from an application (the Akia Inbox) rather than through a designated mobile device.
The phone numbers we give our customers, 10-digit local numbers (10DLC), were originally designed for person-to-person (P2P) communication. US A2P 10DLC is the standard that carriers have implemented in the US to regulate this communication pathway for A2P use.
Why Is A2P Registration Required?
- Improved Delivery: Registering your business for 10DLC ensures that your text messages have a higher chance of reaching your recipients' mobile devices reliably and promptly. Messages sent from registered numbers are treated as trusted and legitimate, resulting in improved delivery rates.
- Enhanced Trust and Visibility: Carriers prioritize registered businesses, making it more likely that your messages will bypass carrier filtering systems and reach your customers' inboxes directly. This helps maintain the professional reputation of your business and maximizes the impact of your communication.
- Mitigation of Service Interruptions: As carriers increasingly implement stricter measures to combat spam and fraud, unregistered messages may be subject to filtering or delays, leading to potential interruptions in your messaging service. By registering your business for 10DLC, you proactively ensure a smoother and uninterrupted communication flow.
Properties that do not register their business will incur higher message filtering beginning July 5th, 2023 and after August 31st, 2023, would have all messages blocked.
What Do I Need to Do?
Akia will be able to handle your registration as long as you provide the following information to us given the below timeline.
Step 1: Provide Legal Property Information
The following information is required in the same format as shown with the example IRS EIN letter below:
Legal Business Name: ACME LLC THERESA LOPEZ-FITZGERALD SOLE MBR
Employer Identification Number (EIN): 12-3456789
Legal Business Address: 123 SOMEPLACE DRIVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103
I Lost My EIN Letter
If you have lost your EIN letter to verify the above information, please follow the steps here to get a new one: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/lost-or-misplaced-your-ein
I Do Not Have an EIN, I Only Have a Social Security Number (SSN)
If you do not have a separate legal entity for your property and are only doing business with your SSN, please reach out to us so we can register your property in an alternate way.
I Do Not Have an EIN, I Am Not a US Business
We would need the tax ID equivalent for your country for registration. Here are the below recommendations for international customers:
Canada
Please provide your Business Registration Number.
We recommend using this website to locate your Business Number: https://beta.canadasbusinessregistries.ca/search, you would provide us with the “Business Number.” You can also look it up regionally, i.e. Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-business-registry
Europe
Please provide your VIES VAT number. We recommend using this lookup tool to locate your number: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/
Australia
Please provide your Australian Business Number (ABN). We recommend using this official lookup tool for the information: https://abr.business.gov.au/
Step 2: Provide Your Opt-In Verbiage and Privacy Policy/Terms and Conditions
Having an opt-in message is crucial for maintaining compliance with regulations and ensuring a positive user experience for your customers. Carriers require that you include a clear communication opt-in statement in your privacy policy which should be a separate page on your website like https://www.yourdomain.com/privacy
Your opt-in message should describe how guests opt-in to receiving text messages from your business via Akia, therefore giving consent to the sender (Akia) to receive their messages.
Your privacy policy must:
- Disclose what data you collect and how it's used
- Explain that mobile information won't be shared with third parties for marketing purposes (required by CTIA)
Your terms and conditions should generally include:
- Program or brand name
- Program description
- Message and data rates may apply disclosure
- Message frequency (or recurring message disclosure)
- Customer support contact information
- Complete opt-out instructions (HELP and STOP), displayed in bold
- Link to the privacy policy
- Disclosure that states "Carriers are not liable for any delayed or undelivered messages"
Carrier-approved opt-in verbiage includes the following:
- Description of the opt in method(s) with clear opt-in language that invites users to sign up (no pre-checked boxes)
- Message frequency
- "Message and data rates may apply" disclosure
Recommended Opt-In Verbiage
By booking, you authorize [Your Business Name] to send 4-6 text messages/emails with details regarding your reservation information and other offers. Message/data rates may apply. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Terms and conditions [T&C or Privacy Policy Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.