You may have heard US mobile carriers have recently changed their policies and will now require that all Toll-Free Numbers (TFNs) complete a registration process.


What does this mean for you?

All text messages from US Toll-Free numbers will now need to be pre verified by all US carriers. Non-verified message traffic will be subject to filtering and message volume limits. In addition, messages to Canada will not be permitted without a pre verified US Toll-Free number or Canadian Long Code.

Currently, messaging traffic to the United States and Canadian mobile phones is supported with the use of dedicated virtual mobile numbers provided by Burst SMS. 

  • USA accounts are provided with a US Toll-Free number 
  • Canadian accounts are provided with Canadian Long Codes
  • For accounts in other regions sending messaged to the USA please contact us for support 


Message Volume Limits

Going forward, mobile carriers will also apply industry-wide thresholds for messaging sent over any unregistered Toll-Free Number:

  • Daily limit: 2,000 text messages
  • Weekly limit: 12,000 text messages
  • Monthly limit: 25,000 text messages


Canadian Longcode Limits

A Canadian Long Code number is a 10-digit phone number that is supported by all major carriers in Canada. These numbers do not require pre verification however are subject to volume limits of 2,000 messages in a day.

 If you would like to send more than 2,000 messages in a day, please Contact Us and we would be happy to take you through your options. 


Why are these changes being made?

These changes were introduced to protect customers from spam and other types of abuse. Certain message types will also result in your Toll-Free Number being blocked by carriers:

  • Financial services (Payday loans, Short term high-interest loans, Third-party auto loans, Third-party mortgage loans, Student loans, Cryptocurrency)
  • Get rich quick schemes (Work-from-home programs, Risk investment opportunities, Pyramid schemes)
  • Debt forgiveness (Third-party debt collection, Debt consolidation, Debt reduction, Credit repair programs)
  • Illegal substances or activities (Cannabis, CBD, Prescription drugs)
  • Gambling (Casino apps, Gambling websites)
  • Phishing, fraud or scams
  • Deceptive marketing (Third-party lead generation services)
  • Pornography
  • Profanity or hate speech
  • Firearms
  • Alcohol, Vaping and Tobacco (Tobacco traffic is prohibited on TFN. However, it is allowed on Short Code if proper age gating procedures are in place)


How to register your US Toll-Free number

Simply submit a Verification form to get your text message campaigns verified. Once completed, verification can take up to 4 weeks.

Online Verification Form


We’ll work with you

To make sure that these changes have minimal impact on your business, we’ve developed some tips to help.

  • Best practices for using shortened URLs - use of a shortened URL that does not identify your company brand (for example Bitly.com and TinyURL) will be filtered by US carriers   
  • Tracked Link feature on Burst SMS - enable unique shortened URLs to be generated with the ability to track clicks on each link you share. Read more
  • Maximise delivery when sending to the US and Canada Read more
  • Text messaging best practices in the US Read more

We’re committed to helping you comply with these changing carrier requirements, if you have any concerns please contact us.