Verifying your toll-free US and Canada numbers reduces the risk of carrier filtering on your SMS traffic. This industry-wide process is managed jointly by CallHippo and its suppliers and carriers, and it applies to every toll-free number regardless of your messaging volume or use case.
Why verification matters
Verification reduces the risk of message filtering on toll-free traffic toward all major U.S. networks and many major Canadian networks. Keep the following in mind:
- If a toll-free number is not verified, or if its verification documentation is rejected, outgoing SMS traffic may be blocked for that number.
- While verification is pending, outbound SMS traffic stays open.
- This process does not affect inbound SMS traffic or voice services.
Unlike A2P 10DLC — which sets requirements based on volume and use case — toll-free verification is required for all toll-free US/Canada numbers. If you have already registered numbers for A2P 10DLC, you must still submit new, separate information for your toll-free numbers.
Limits for unverified numbers
Unverified toll-free outbound SMS activity toward U.S. numbers is limited to:
- Daily limit: 2,000 segments
- Weekly limit: 12,000 segments
- Monthly limit: 25,000 segments
Above these limits, every additional outbound message is filtered by the provider (inbound is not affected). Unverified toll-free outbound SMS toward Canadian numbers is blocked entirely.
What is a “segment”?
CallHippo, along with the wider telecom industry, counts messages in “segments.” Segments come from the SMS standard implemented in the 1990s and still in use today. One segment is 160 characters (using a specific range of characters). Longer messages are combined to appear as a single message even if they contain several segments, up to 1,600 characters. To check how many segments a message uses, you can find a segment calculator online.
How to verify your toll-free numbers
You will be asked to provide the following information for your toll-free US/Canada numbers:
- Business name
- Company website
- Business address
- Compliance contact — someone who can respond to compliance questions if they arise
- Expected monthly message volume
- Toll-free numbers to be verified
- Use case / description of the use case
- Production message content — samples reflecting the messages you will send
- Opt-in description — how recipients consent to receive messages
- Opt-in details — a link to, image of, or scanned copy of the opt-in page or process
Example use cases
Your use case might include any of the following:
- 2FA, app notifications, appointments, and booking confirmations
- Billing, bank transfers, and financial or insurance services
- Fraud alerts, system alerts, and emergency alerts
- Order and delivery notifications, courier services, and waitlist alerts
- Healthcare alerts, appointment reminders, and public works updates
- General marketing, surveys, rewards programs, and event or webinar reminders
- Real estate, legal, HR/staffing, and career training messages
Still need help? Reach us at [email protected].