Text messaging is a powerful way to communicate with your clients directly through 17hats — but before you can start, there are a few important steps to follow for compliance and setup.
1. Make Sure You Are Eligible
Before purchasing or setting up texting, confirm you meet these requirements:
You are located in the USA or Canada.
You have a valid EIN (Employer Identification Number).
Your website has updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy pages.
You understand there is a $10/month subscription fee for:
Leasing your dedicated phone number
100 text messages per month (additional messages may incur extra charges)
2. Purchase Texting
There is a one-time $30 fee to start texting.
This fee covers your brand and campaign submission with The Campaign Registry (TCR) and our texting partner, Bandwidth.
3. Submit Your Brand and Campaign for Registration
17hats has streamlined most of the work for you, but you will need to provide:
Your EIN
The address associated with your EIN
Your Privacy Policy link
Your Terms of Service link
This information is used for both brand approval (with The Campaign Registry) and campaign approval (with Bandwidth). It is important that this information is 100% accurate as it will be rejected if not.
4. Wait for Approval
The approval process happens in two steps:
Brand Approval — The Campaign Registry reviews your business details. This typically takes a day or two.
Campaign Approval — Bandwidth reviews your texting campaign details. This can take up to two weeks.
During this time:
You will have access to the Opt-In Question in your Lead Capture Form, Online Scheduling, and Questionnaires.
You can begin collecting opt-ins from your contacts.
Your contacts will not receive the opt-in confirmation message until your brand and campaign are approved and your phone number is assigned.
5. Select Your 10 Digit Local Phone Number
Once approved, you can search for and select a phone number:
Search by area code or location to find a number that best fits your business.
6. Start Texting
After your phone number is approved and assigned, you can officially start sending and receiving text messages through 17hats.
FAQ
Q: What if I get rejected?
A: If your brand or campaign is rejected, 17hats will notify you with the reason and steps to correct the issue. In some specific cases, we may handle the resubmission on your behalf.
Q: Can I use texting in multiple brands?
A: No — texting is tied to a single registered brand and phone number. If you have multiple brands, you will need separate registrations.