How it works
Opt-in answers a simple question: did this person agree to receive texts from you, and for what?
Common ways businesses collect it:
- The customer texts first. Someone texts your business number asking a question; replying to that conversation is generally treated differently from texting them out of the blue.
- A form or booking checkbox. “Text me appointment reminders and updates”, with clear wording about what they’ll receive.
- Keyword opt-in. “Text JOIN to (555) 201-4433 for seasonal offers”, followed by a confirmation message.
- Verbal or in-person consent, recorded with date and context.
US rules, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and carrier requirements, treat marketing texts more strictly than transactional or informational ones. Marketing generally requires express written consent. Carrier guidelines also expect clear opt-out instructions, and businesses must honor keywords such as STOP. State laws can add more requirements. Rules and their interpretation change, so check with your provider and counsel.
Example
A hair salon adds a checkbox to its online booking page: “Text me appointment confirmations and reminders. Msg and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.” Clients who check it get reminders.
Separately, the salon wants to text a monthly promotion. Its booking checkbox doesn’t cover marketing, so it creates a separate, unchecked opt-in for offers and only texts promotions to clients who chose it. When a client replies STOP, the salon’s system marks the contact as opted out and stops sending.
Opt-in vs. registration
10DLC registration tells carriers who your business is and what kind of messages you send. Opt-in is permission from each individual recipient. You need both; one doesn’t replace the other.
Why it matters for messaging teams
When texting moves from personal phones to a shared business number, consent becomes a team responsibility. Everyone who sends from that number needs to know who can receive what. Storing consent on the contact record, with a date and source, makes that visible.
Common mistakes
- Treating a customer’s phone number on an invoice as permission to send marketing.
- Burying consent language in terms of service.
- Not processing STOP and similar replies promptly.
- Losing track of where and when consent was given.
This is general information, not legal advice.