The terms must carry opt-out information
The requirementstatement
The SMS terms must state how to stop the messages — "Reply STOP to cancel" or a clear equivalent.
- Severityseverity
- BlockingBLOCKINGBreaking this rule gets the submission rejected. There is no partial credit.
- When it bitesphase
- Gates approvalapprovalGet this wrong and the brand or campaign is refused at registration.
- What is checkedobject
- SMS terms body
- Where it liveslayer
- Policy pagesPOLICY_PAGE
- How Ekas settles itdetectability
- DeterministicDETERMINISTIC
- Settled in code from the values you submitted. No model involved, no judgement call, same answer every time.
- What the fix involvesfailureClass
- Fix the policyTERMINAL_POLICY
- The fix lives in your privacy policy or SMS terms. Ekas can generate the missing clauses.
- Who requires itauthorities
- CTIAAWSBandwidthSinchTelnyxTCRInfobipT-Mobile
- When it appliesapplicabilityText
- Applies to every 10DLC registration.
Why this rule existsrationale
This is the one element every provider screens for mechanically, because it is the consumer's exit and the thing a complaint is measured against. Terms drafted as a legal document rather than as instructions often describe the right to withdraw consent without naming the keyword, which reads as compliant to the author and fails the string match.
How to fix itremediation
Add the keyword sentence to the terms in plain words. Done when the document contains the word STOP as an instruction rather than a description of a right.
A compliant exampleexample
To stop receiving messages, reply STOP to any message from us.
Common mistakespitfalls
- Naming STOP as the only route fails POL-117. Give the keyword and say other reasonable requests are honoured as well.
Provider rejection codescodes
The code you get back when this rule is what failed, and whether that provider lets you resubmit.
| Provider | Code | Resubmit |
|---|---|---|
| Twiliogen1 | 30908 | Yes |
Notesnotes
The catalog exempts single-message programmes and lets T-Mobile accept the opt-out in the advertisement instead of the terms for print CTAs. Neither exemption is expressible as a tag we hold, and both are narrower than the registrations this registry is aimed at, so the rule fires universally.
Rules you will hit next
6 other rules read SMS terms body. Fixing one field to satisfy a single rule is how a resubmission trades one rejection for another, so read these before you change anything.
POL-171The terms must describe the programmeBlockingBLOCKINGPOL-110A cart-reminder programme must be reflected in the termsHighHIGHPOL-151The SMS terms must be about the messaging programmeHighHIGHPOL-189The terms must distinguish transactional from promotional messagesHighHIGHPOL-191The terms must say the opt-in applies to this programme onlyHighHIGHPOL-192A sweepstakes campaign needs its sweepstakes terms in the T&CHighHIGH
POL-175 is one of 157 policy pages rules in the 915-rule 10DLC registry. Free to cite under CC BY 4.0.