New Requirements for SMS Text Reminders
Why are the information requirements changing?
Cell phone carriers have increased their efforts to reduce spam, resulting in the filtering of SMS messages and new requirements that have been implemented. As a result, our SMS partner is now requiring us to collect additional information about your business. This information will validate your organization as a legitimate business and ensure your ability to continue to reliably deliver SMS text reminders to your clients.
What do I need to do to ensure my appointment reminders will not be interrupted?
You will need to update your Organization Profile with the information listed below to ensure our SMS partner registers your account correctly as a business.
Timing
Once your details have been updated in WebABA and submitted to our SMS partner, it can take from one day to several weeks for your information to be updated in our partner’s system.
What information will I need to provide?
Ensure the following information is entered in WebABA:
- Organization Legal Name
- Tax ID Type (SSN, EIN, etc.; this is a dropdown option)
- Tax ID
- Business Type (Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Partnership, etc.; this is a dropdown option)
- Company Type
- Stock Exchange (Required only if company type is Public)
- Stock Exchange Symbol (Required only if company type is Public)
- Mobile Phone Number of the Account Owner (if Business Type is Sole Proprietorship)
How can I ensure my information is correct?
- Ensure all information listed above is accurate without any typing errors.
- Ensure the Tax ID is the correct type and does not have any typing errors, extra spaces, etc. A social security number might have been used instead of an EIN (or vice versa).
- Your business type must match the business type you are legally registered for.
I have been notified that my SMS registration updates have failed. What steps should I take to resolve this?
If your business Tax ID is an EIN (Employer Identification Number), follow the instructions below:
- Ensure the Legal Name in your Organization Profile is entered and matches the legal entity name on your EIN letter from the IRS. We recommend using the Tax ID number exactly as it appears on your EIN letter. See EIN examples below.
- Ensure EIN is selected as your Tax ID Type (if you are a U.S.-based business)
- Ensure the Tax ID is entered, and matches the number on your EIN letter from the IRS
- Ensure Company Type is selected (if Public, enter Stock Exchange and Stock Symbol)
- Turn appointment reminders ON if they are currently OFF to resubmit your registration. If reminders are currently ON, updating the details under Settings will resubmit your corrected organization details.
If your business Tax ID is an SSN (Social Security Number), follow the instructions below:
- Ensure the Legal Name in your Organization Profile is entered
- Ensure SSN is selected as your Tax ID Type
- Ensure the Tax ID is entered
- Ensure Sole Proprietorship is selected as your Business Type
- Ensure Company Type is selected
- Next, within the staff profile of the Account Owner (Staff > Active Staff Members), ensure a Mobile Phone Number is entered and accurate. The Account Owner is the user who started your WebABA subscription and receives invoices.
Note: A mobile number is now required for Sole Proprietor business types in order for our SMS partner, Twilio, to validate your business as a verified entity to send SMS messages. The mobile number you provide in Step #6 above will receive a One Time Password (OTP) verification code via text message, and you must reply back with ‘YES’ within 24 hours to confirm registration. This converts your organization’s SMS messaging campaign to Verified status.
The text message will come from The Campaign Registry and look as follows:
What will happen if I don’t take any action to update my information?
Our SMS partner will be reviewing all currently registered accounts through August 31, 2023. Any customer who has not provided the additional required information by August 31, 2023 may be unregistered from SMS text reminder services. Please ensure you update your organization's profile with this additional information as soon as possible.
Will my phone number change?
No. Your numbers will not change.
Will this change bring on any new costs for my organization?
There will be no rate changes or additional costs associated with the registration update.
Can I continue to send the same volume of messages as I send today?
Yes! In fact, the updated registration will allow you to send up to 6,000 messages/day
Who can I contact with questions?
You can reach out to your WebABA team any time via chat or email (support@webaba-app.com) or by calling 800-867-7405
EIN Examples
It is important that the information you enter for your legal name and tax ID number exactly match the information displayed on your official IRS-issued documentation, such as your SS-4 confirmation letter or your Letter 147C (the record of how your entity is filed with the IRS).
The IRS may display business name, and/or owner name, and/or organization name, or other unexpected combinations of information in their records. It is a common naming convention for LLCs to include both the owner name and the business name.
For WebABA to verify this information:
- Business full name must be entered exactly as displayed on these forms, including upper/lower case, symbols, and punctuation placement.
- When in doubt, enter all information listed above the business address.
- If there are several lines above the address, enter all details on one line separated by single spaces.
SS-4 confirmation letter examples
Example 1
If your entity name looks like this on your SS-4 confirmation letter, you might need to enter the following as your legal entity name:ACME LLC THERESA LOPEZ-FITZGERALD SOLE MBR
Example 2
If your entity name looks like this on your SS-4 confirmation letter, you might only need to enter the following as your legal entity name:ACME INC
Letter 147C examples
Example 1
If your entity name looks like this on your Letter 147C, you might only need to enter the following as your legal entity name:ACME INC
Example 2
If your entity name looks like this on your Letter 147C, you might need to enter the following as your legal entity name:ACME LLC THERESA LOPEZ-FITZGERALD MBR % PILAR LOPEZ