SMS Setup Guide for Your Business

For US businesses. To send appointment confirmations and reminders via text message, US carriers require your business to complete an A2P 10DLC registration. Canadian businesses don't need this. This is a one-time process. Follow the steps below to get everything set up correctly and avoid delays or rejections.

⚠️ Important: All information submitted must exactly match your official business registration documents (e.g. your IRS EIN Confirmation Letter). Mismatches are the #1 cause of registration rejections.

📋 What You Need to Gather First

Have the following ready before you start:

Legal business name — exactly as shown on your EIN Confirmation Letter
EIN (Employer Identification Number) — your 9-digit federal tax ID
Business website URL — must be live and publicly accessible
Business street address — physical location of your salon/clinic
Authorized representative — the person legally authorized to register the business (first name, last name, job title)
Company type — LLC, Corporation, Non-Profit, etc.
Business industry — e.g. Consumer, Healthcare, Retail

🌐 Required Pages on Your Website

Carriers verify your website during the A2P review. Your website must have the following two pages. The URLs must use your own domain (e.g. yourbusiness.com/privacy) — links to a third-party domain will cause rejection.

1 Privacy Policy Page yourdomain.com/privacy

Must include all three of the following statements. Copy and paste this section into your privacy policy page:

Copy-paste into your Privacy Policy page

SMS & Text Messaging We may send you appointment confirmations, reminders, and service updates via SMS text message. Message frequency varies based on your appointment activity — you will receive up to 3 messages per booking (a confirmation, a reminder, and any change notification). Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier plan. To opt out of SMS messages at any time, reply STOP to any message you receive from us. To resubscribe, reply START. For help, reply HELP or contact us directly. No mobile phone numbers or SMS consent information will ever be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

2 SMS Policy Page yourdomain.com/sms-policy Required

Create a new page on your website with the following content. Replace [BUSINESS NAME] and [PHONE NUMBER] with your details:

Copy-paste as your SMS Policy page content

SMS Messaging Policy — [BUSINESS NAME] Program Description [BUSINESS NAME] sends automated SMS appointment confirmations, reminders, and service updates to clients who have opted in to receive such messages. How to Opt In Clients opt in verbally when booking an appointment over the phone. Our AI receptionist will ask: "Would you like to receive a text confirmation for this appointment?" SMS messages are only sent if you say yes. How to Opt Out (STOP) Reply STOP to any message to unsubscribe immediately. You will receive one final confirmation and no further messages will be sent. How to Resubscribe (START) Reply START to any message to resubscribe and resume receiving appointment notifications. Help Reply HELP to any message or contact us at [PHONE NUMBER] for assistance. Message Frequency Up to 3 messages per booking (confirmation, reminder, and change notifications). Rates Message and data rates may apply depending on your carrier plan. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Privacy Your mobile number will never be shared with third parties for marketing purposes. See our full Privacy Policy at [LINK TO YOUR PRIVACY PAGE].

💡 No website? If your business does not have a website, contact us at support@moonlightai.ca and we will host these pages on your behalf.

✅ Website Checklist Before Submitting

Privacy policy page is live and accessible at your domain
Privacy policy includes the SMS non-sharing statement
Privacy policy includes message frequency and "msg & data rates may apply"
SMS policy page is live at your domain
SMS policy includes STOP, HELP, and START instructions
Your business name, address, and phone number on the website match your EIN documents
Website is publicly accessible — no login required

📱 What Happens After You Sign Up

Once you complete the Moonlight AI signup, we automatically start the registration process on your behalf. Here is what to expect:

Day 1 Signup complete. Your phone number is provisioned. Compliance profile submitted to Twilio for review. Day 1–2 Twilio approves your compliance profile. We automatically submit your A2P Brand Registration to The Campaign Registry (TCR). Day 2–5 TCR reviews and approves your brand. We automatically create your SMS campaign registration. Day 5–8 Carriers approve the campaign. SMS is fully active. Your clients start receiving appointment confirmations.

⚠️ SMS is not instant. The full A2P registration takes 5–8 business days after signup. Voice calls work immediately — SMS confirmations will begin once the registration is approved.

💬 What Your Clients Will Receive

Once approved, your clients will receive the following messages from your business phone number:

Booking Confirmation

Hi [Name], your [Service] appt with [Stylist] at [Time] on [Date] is confirmed. – [Your Business]. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.

Appointment Reminder (day before)

Hi [Name], reminder: [Service] with [Stylist] at [Time] tomorrow. Call [Your Phone] to make changes. – [Your Business]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Cancellation Confirmation

Hi [Name], your [Service] appt with [Stylist] on [Date] has been cancelled. Call us to rebook anytime. – [Your Business]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Reschedule Confirmation

Hi [Name], your appt has been updated. New booking: [Service] with [Stylist] at [Time]. – [Your Business]. Reply STOP to opt out.

🔒 How Client Consent Works

Our AI receptionist handles consent automatically during every booking call. When a client books an appointment, the AI will ask:

"Would you like to receive a text confirmation for this appointment and a reminder the day before? You'll receive up to 3 messages per booking. Message and data rates may apply. You can reply STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for assistance. Would you like to opt in — yes or no?"

Client says Yes → SMS confirmation sent immediately, consent recorded in your client records
Client says No → No SMS sent, preference saved
Client replies STOP later → Automatically unsubscribed, your records updated
Client replies START → Resubscribed, your records updated

❓ Common Rejection Reasons & How to Avoid Them

❌ Website URL does not match brand

The privacy policy and SMS policy pages must be on your own domain, not a third-party URL. Do not link to another business's website.

❌ Business name mismatch

The legal business name in your registration must match your EIN Confirmation Letter exactly — including punctuation and capitalization.

❌ Privacy policy missing required statements

Your privacy policy must explicitly state that mobile numbers are not shared with third parties, include message frequency, and include the "msg & data rates may apply" disclosure.

❌ SMS policy missing START or carrier liability language

Your SMS policy must include: (1) how clients can resubscribe after opting out — "Reply START to resubscribe"; (2) the carrier liability disclaimer — "Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages." Both are required by TCR and are included in the copy-paste template above.

❌ Website not publicly accessible

Reviewers must be able to visit your website without logging in. Ensure your site is live and accessible from any browser.

📧 Need Help?

If your registration is rejected or you need help setting up your website pages, contact us at support@moonlightai.ca. Include your business name and we will assist you within one business day.

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