When SMS or MMS is used for business messaging, carriers need to know who is sending the messages and what type of messages are being sent. This is handled through Brand and Campaign registration.

A Brand identifies the business, organization, or legal entity sending the messages.

A Campaign identifies the specific messaging use case, such as appointment reminders, marketing promotions, customer support, order confirmations, delivery notifications, account alerts, or two-factor authentication.

Brand and Campaign registration is part of the A2P 10DLC messaging framework. A2P means Application-to-Person, which generally refers to messages sent by a business, software platform, PBX, CRM, contact centre, website, application, or automated system to an individual.

10DLC means 10-Digit Long Code, which refers to regular local-format telephone numbers used for SMS or MMS, such as standard Canada or U.S. local numbers.

The goal of Brand and Campaign registration is to help carriers identify legitimate message traffic, reduce spam and abuse, protect consumers, and improve deliverability for approved business messaging.

When Brand and Campaign Registration Is Required

Brand and Campaign registration requirements depend on the country of the telephone number, the destination of the messages, and whether the messaging is considered A2P or P2P.

U.S. Numbers

All U.S. telephone numbers that require SMS or MMS must have an approved Brand and Campaign.

This applies to U.S. 10DLC numbers used for business messaging, whether the messages are used for marketing, notifications, reminders, alerts, support, authentication, or any other business-related communication.

Canadian Numbers Used for A2P Messaging

All Canadian telephone numbers that engage in A2P messaging require a Brand and Campaign.

This applies when the messages are sent by or on behalf of a business, application, platform, PBX, CRM, automated workflow, or other non-consumer messaging system.

Examples of Canadian A2P messaging may include:

1. Appointment reminders
2. Delivery notifications
3. Order confirmations
4. Billing reminders
5. Customer service updates
6. Marketing or promotional messages
7. Two-factor authentication or verification codes
8. Messages generated from a CRM, PBX, website, or application

Canadian Numbers Sending Messages to U.S. Numbers

All Canadian telephone numbers that send SMS or MMS messages to U.S. numbers must have an approved Brand and Campaign.

This applies even if the sending number is Canadian. Once messages are sent into the U.S. carrier ecosystem, Brand and Campaign requirements apply.

Canadian P2P Messaging Within Canada

At this time, Canadian telephone numbers used for P2P messaging within Canada do not require Brand and Campaign registration.

P2P means Person-to-Person messaging. This generally refers to conversational messaging between individuals, where a person manually sends and receives messages directly, and the messaging is not generated by an application, campaign, automation platform, CRM, PBX, or bulk messaging system.

If the messaging later becomes automated, business-driven, campaign-based, or directed to U.S. recipients, Brand and Campaign registration may become required.

What Is a Brand?

A Brand is the business, organization, or legal entity responsible for sending the messages.

Each business entity must have its own Brand registration. If you are a reseller or service provider submitting messaging on behalf of your own customers, each end customer or business entity normally requires its own Brand.

For example:

1. A dental clinic sending appointment reminders requires its own Brand.
2. A real estate brokerage sending client updates requires its own Brand.
3. A restaurant sending reservation confirmations requires its own Brand.
4. A reseller’s customer using SMS under their own business name requires their own Brand.

A Brand should not be shared across unrelated businesses. The Brand must represent the actual organization responsible for the message content and recipient relationship.

Brand registration may require information such as:

1. Legal business name
2. Business address
3. Business type
4. Country of registration
5. Tax ID, EIN, BN, or other business registration number, where applicable
6. Website or online presence
7. Industry or business category
8. Contact information
9. Description of how the business uses SMS/MMS

The information submitted should match the business’s legal records as closely as possible. Incorrect or inconsistent information can delay approval or cause rejection.

What Is a Campaign?

A Campaign describes the specific type of messages being sent by a Brand.

Once a Brand is registered, one or more Campaigns can be created under that Brand. Each Campaign should represent a distinct messaging use case.

For example, a business may need separate Campaigns for:

1. Appointment reminders
2. Marketing promotions
3. Customer support conversations
4. Delivery notifications
5. Two-factor authentication
6. Billing or payment reminders
7. Emergency alerts
8. Review or feedback requests

A Campaign tells carriers what kind of messages will be sent, why recipients are receiving them, and how recipients gave permission to receive them.

Campaign registration may require information such as:

1. Campaign use case
2. Campaign description
3. Sample message content
4. Opt-in method
5. Opt-out instructions
6. Help instructions
7. Message frequency
8. Whether links are included
9. Whether phone numbers are included
10. Whether the messages include age-gated, financial, lending, political, charity, or other sensitive content
11. Confirmation that the sender has proper consent from recipients

The Campaign must accurately describe the actual messaging being sent. If the Campaign says it is for appointment reminders, it should not be used to send unrelated marketing blasts.

One Brand Can Have Multiple Campaigns

A single Brand may have more than one Campaign if the business sends different types of messages.

For example, a medical clinic may have:

1. One Campaign for appointment reminders
2. One Campaign for patient follow-up messages
3. One Campaign for billing notifications

A retailer may have:

1. One Campaign for order confirmations
2. One Campaign for delivery notifications
3. One Campaign for promotional offers

A Campaign should be specific enough that carriers can understand the message purpose. Combining unrelated use cases into one Campaign may result in rejection, filtering, or future compliance issues.

Why Registration Matters

Brand and Campaign registration is required because mobile carriers are actively working to reduce unwanted messaging, spam, fraud, phishing, and abusive traffic.

Registration helps carriers confirm:

1. Who is sending the messages
2. What type of messages are being sent
3. Whether recipients have consented
4. Whether the content matches the approved use case
5. Whether the sender has provided proper opt-out instructions
6. Whether the traffic should be allowed, filtered, limited, or blocked

Unregistered, incorrectly registered, or non-compliant messaging may be blocked, filtered, delayed, or rejected by carriers. In some cases, a carrier may suspend or block traffic from a specific Campaign, Brand, telephone number, or messaging provider.

If a Brand or Campaign is blocked or suspended, all telephone numbers associated with that Brand or Campaign may be affected.

Consent and Opt-In Requirements

Before sending SMS or MMS messages, the sender must have proper consent from the recipient.

The opt-in process must clearly explain what the recipient is agreeing to receive. For example, a customer may opt in through:

1. A website form
2. A paper form
3. A verbal agreement documented by the business
4. A checkbox during account creation
5. A text-to-join keyword
6. A signed service agreement
7. An application or customer portal

The opt-in process should clearly identify the business sending the messages and the type of messages the recipient will receive.

For marketing or promotional messages, stronger consent requirements may apply. Businesses should ensure their opt-in process meets all applicable laws, regulations, and carrier requirements.

Opt-Out and Help Requirements

SMS/MMS recipients must be able to opt out of receiving messages.

Common opt-out keywords include:

1. STOP
2. UNSUBSCRIBE
3. CANCEL
4. END
5. QUIT

Campaigns should also support a help response, such as when a recipient replies with HELP.

Opt-out requests must be honoured. Once a recipient opts out, they should not continue receiving messages from that Campaign unless they opt back in through an approved process.

Sample Messages

Campaign registration usually requires sample messages. These samples should be realistic and should match the actual messages being sent.

Good sample messages clearly identify the sender and the purpose of the message.

Examples:

Appointment Reminder:
“Hello from ABC Dental. This is a reminder of your appointment on June 12 at 2:00 PM. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Order Confirmation:
“ABC Store: Your order #12345 has been received and is being processed. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Customer Support:
“ABC Services: A support representative has replied to your request. Please log in to your account for details. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Verification Code:
“Your ABC verification code is 123456. Do not share this code with anyone.”

Sample messages should not be misleading. If the Campaign will include links, phone numbers, marketing language, or promotional offers, that should be reflected in the submitted examples.

Common Reasons a Brand or Campaign May Be Rejected

Brand or Campaign registration may be rejected or delayed for several reasons, including:

1. Business information does not match official records
2. Invalid or missing tax ID or business registration number
3. Website is missing, incomplete, or does not identify the business
4. Website does not include proper privacy or terms information
5. Opt-in process is unclear or missing
6. Sample messages do not match the selected use case
7. Campaign description is too vague
8. The use case is restricted or requires additional review
9. The Campaign appears to include prohibited content
10. The Brand is being used for multiple unrelated businesses
11. The submitted contact information is incomplete or inaccurate

To avoid delays, all information should be accurate, complete, and consistent before submission.

Important Compliance Notes

Brand and Campaign approval does not remove the sender’s responsibility to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and carrier rules.

The sender remains responsible for:

1. Obtaining proper recipient consent
2. Sending only messages that match the approved Campaign
3. Honouring opt-out requests
4. Avoiding prohibited or deceptive content
5. Keeping business and Campaign information accurate
6. Ensuring messages are not abusive, misleading, or unwanted
7. Updating registration details if the messaging use case changes

Approval of a Brand or Campaign does not guarantee that every message will be delivered. Carriers may still filter or block messages if they appear suspicious, unwanted, non-compliant, or inconsistent with the approved Campaign.

Examples of Campaign Use Cases

Common Campaign use cases include:

1. Appointment reminders
2. Order confirmations
3. Delivery notifications
4. Customer support
5. Account alerts
6. Billing reminders
7. Payment notifications
8. Two-factor authentication
9. Password resets
10. Review requests
11. Marketing promotions
12. Event notifications
13. Service updates
14. Emergency alerts

Each use case should be registered accurately and used only for the approved message type.

Summary

A Brand identifies the business or organization sending SMS/MMS messages.

A Campaign identifies the specific type of messages that Brand is sending.

All U.S. numbers requiring SMS/MMS must have an approved Brand and Campaign.

All Canadian numbers used for A2P messaging require an approved Brand and Campaign.

All Canadian numbers sending messages to U.S. numbers require an approved Brand and Campaign.

At this time, Canadian numbers used only for P2P messaging within Canada do not require Brand and Campaign registration.

Failure to register correctly may result in message blocking, filtering, delivery issues, Campaign suspension, or Brand-level impact across multiple telephone numbers.

For regulatory reference, customers may review applicable FCC/TCPA requirements regarding consent for automated calls and text messages in the United States.

In general, SMS-enabled IXICA telephone numbers should be able to receive inbound messages from regular SMS senders.

However, there are certain situations where an inbound SMS may not be delivered. This is most common with verification codes, banking codes, MFA messages, one-time passwords, short-code messages, and other security-related SMS traffic.

In these cases, the issue is often not with the IXICA number itself. The message may be blocked, filtered, or never sent by the original sender.

Why does this happen?

Traditionally, SMS was designed for mobile numbers. Over time, SMS support has expanded to include other number types, including landline-enabled and VoIP numbers.

An IXICA number may be SMS-enabled, but it is still not considered a true mobile number. Some banks, financial institutions, websites, applications, and MFA providers only allow verification messages to be sent to mobile numbers.

Before sending a verification code, the sender may check the number type. If their system identifies the number as landline, VoIP, virtual, fixed-line, or non-mobile, they may choose not to send the message.

This is a sender-side security decision and is outside IXICA’s control.

What types of messages are most commonly affected?

The most common messages affected are:

1. Bank verification codes
2. Multi-factor authentication codes
3. One-time passwords
4. Account recovery codes
5. Login verification codes
6. Payment authorization codes
7. Government or financial service verification messages
8. Messages sent from short codes
9. Messages from platforms that do not support VoIP or landline-enabled numbers

Regular person-to-person SMS messages are usually less affected, although delivery can still depend on the sender’s carrier, application, and routing provider.

Why do banks and MFA providers block non-mobile numbers?

Many banks, financial institutions, and online platforms use SMS as part of their fraud-prevention process. For security reasons, they may only send codes to numbers they classify as mobile.

This is because mobile numbers are often tied to a wireless subscriber account and SIM card. VoIP and landline-enabled numbers may not meet the sender’s internal security requirements.

As a result, even if your IXICA number can receive SMS, the sender may refuse to deliver verification messages to it.

Does this mean SMS is not working on my IXICA number?

Not necessarily.

Your IXICA number may be working correctly for SMS, even if you do not receive a specific verification code.

A good way to test this is to send a regular SMS from a mobile phone to your IXICA number. If that message is received, then inbound SMS is generally working.

If only certain verification codes are missing, the issue is most likely related to the sender’s restrictions, the sender’s SMS provider, short-code compatibility, or number-type validation.

Can IXICA force the sender to deliver the message?

No.

IXICA cannot force a bank, website, application, MFA provider, short-code provider, or third-party sender to deliver SMS messages to a number they classify as unsupported.

If the sender has chosen not to send messages to landline-enabled, VoIP, or non-mobile numbers, IXICA cannot override that policy.

Can IXICA confirm whether the sender blocked the message?

In many cases, no.

If the sender never sends the message into the SMS network, IXICA may not see any inbound message attempt at all.

This means there may be nothing for IXICA to trace on the receiving side. The message may have been stopped before it ever reached IXICA’s network or messaging partners.

What is the difference between regular SMS and verification-code SMS?

A regular SMS is usually sent from one person or system to a telephone number without strict number-type validation.

Verification-code SMS is often handled differently. The sender may apply additional checks before sending the message, including:

1. Whether the number is mobile
2. Whether the number is VoIP
3. Whether the number is landline-enabled
4. Whether the number is from an approved country
5. Whether the number has been used too many times
6. Whether the number is associated with suspicious activity
7. Whether the sender supports delivery to that type of number
8. Whether the message is being sent from a short code that can reach that number

Because of these extra checks, verification-code delivery is not guaranteed.

Are short-code messages supported?

Short-code delivery may vary.

Some services send verification codes from short codes instead of regular telephone numbers. Short codes are often country-specific and may have special routing requirements.

Some short-code senders do not support delivery to VoIP numbers, landline-enabled numbers, or numbers outside their intended carrier ecosystem.

If you are expecting a message from a short code and it does not arrive, the sender may not support delivery to your number type.

Can this affect WhatsApp, banks, Microsoft, Google, CRA, Amazon, or other platforms?

Yes.

Any platform that uses SMS for account verification, login security, payment authorization, or fraud prevention may restrict delivery to certain number types.

This can include banks, payment providers, social media platforms, email providers, government services, e-commerce platforms, and software applications.

Each sender controls its own verification policy. Some may allow SMS to landline-enabled or VoIP numbers, while others may not.

What can I do if I do not receive a verification code?

If you are not receiving a verification code, try the following:

1. Confirm that your IXICA number is SMS-enabled.
2. Test by sending a regular SMS from a mobile phone to your IXICA number.
3. Confirm that the sender supports SMS delivery to VoIP or landline-enabled numbers.
4. Try using a true mobile number if the sender requires one.
5. Check whether the sender offers another verification method, such as email, phone call, authenticator app, or hardware token.
6. Contact the sender and ask whether they support sending verification codes to VoIP or landline-enabled numbers.
7. Avoid repeated code requests, as some platforms temporarily block further attempts after multiple failed requests.

Should I use an IXICA number for MFA or banking verification?

We do not recommend relying on a landline-enabled or VoIP SMS number as your only method for critical MFA, banking, or account recovery.

For important accounts, it is better to use a method that is directly supported by the sender, such as:

1. A true mobile number
2. An authenticator application
3. Email verification
4. A hardware security key
5. Backup recovery codes
6. A voice-call verification option, if offered

SMS-enabled VoIP and landline numbers can be useful for many types of messaging, but they may not be accepted by every security-sensitive platform.

What should I include when opening a support ticket?

If you believe inbound SMS is not working, please provide:

1. Your IXICA telephone number
2. The sender’s telephone number or short code, if known
3. The date and time the message was expected
4. Whether the message was a regular SMS or a verification code
5. Whether other regular SMS messages are being received
6. Whether the sender is a bank, MFA provider, application, or website
7. A screenshot of any error shown by the sender, if available
8. Whether the sender confirms support for VoIP or landline-enabled numbers

This information helps determine whether the issue is with general inbound SMS delivery or with the sender’s restrictions.

Summary

Most regular inbound SMS messages should be received on an SMS-enabled IXICA number.

However, some senders, especially banks, MFA providers, short-code services, and security-sensitive platforms, may refuse to send messages to numbers they classify as landline-enabled, VoIP, virtual, or non-mobile.

This is controlled by the sender and is not something IXICA can override. If the sender requires a true mobile number, you may need to use a mobile number or another verification method provided by that service.

How are SMS and MMS generally counted in the mobile industry?

In the US and Canada, SMS and MMS are usually counted differently.

SMS is generally counted by segments.
MMS is generally counted as one multimedia message per recipient.

That means a message that looks like one text on a phone screen may actually be billed as multiple SMS segments if it is long enough or contains special characters.

Industry Standard: How Mobile Carriers Commonly Count Messages

What is an SMS segment?

An SMS segment is the standard billing unit for a text-only SMS message.

For most standard text:

• Up to 160 characters = 1 SMS segment
• Longer messages are split into multiple segments

For longer messages, the segment size becomes smaller because part of each segment is used for message reassembly.

What are the standard SMS character limits?

For messages using standard GSM characters:

• 160 characters = 1 segment
• 153 characters per segment for longer messages

For messages using Unicode characters:

• 70 characters = 1 segment
• 67 characters per segment for longer messages

Unicode is typically triggered by things like:

• emojis
• smart quotes
• accented letters
• non-Latin characters
• certain copied/pasted formatting characters

Why does one message sometimes count as more than one SMS?

Because SMS is billed by segment, not by conversation bubble.

If a message exceeds the single-segment limit, it is split into multiple segments before being delivered. On most phones, those segments are reassembled and displayed as one message, but they are still counted as multiple billable SMS units.

How is MMS different?

MMS is treated differently from SMS.

Once a message is sent as MMS, it is generally counted as:

• 1 MMS message per recipient

MMS is not usually rated using the 160-character SMS rules. Instead, it is treated as a multimedia message, whether it includes:

• an image
• a video
• audio
• a file attachment
• or a message submitted as MMS

Do all carriers behave exactly the same way?

Not always.

Carriers, devices, and messaging apps may handle long text, group messaging, and MMS conversion differently. However, the broad industry model is consistent:

• SMS = billed by segments
• MMS = billed by message

How IXICA Calculates Billing

How does IXICA bill SMS?

IXICA bills SMS per segment, per recipient.

That means billing is based on:

1. the message content
2. the encoding used
3. the number of segments created
4. the number of recipients

IXICA SMS segment rules

Standard GSM-7 SMS

• Up to 160 characters = 1 SMS segment
• More than 160 characters = charged at 153 characters per segment

Unicode SMS

• Up to 70 characters = 1 SMS segment
• More than 70 characters = charged at 67 characters per segment

If a message contains emoji or other non-standard characters, the message may be billed using Unicode segment rules.

How does IXICA bill MMS?

IXICA bills MMS per message, per recipient.

That means:

• 1 MMS sent to 1 recipient = 1 billable MMS
• 1 MMS sent to 50 recipients = 50 billable MMS messages

MMS is not billed using SMS segment rules.

Does IXICA bill per recipient?

Yes.

IXICA bills messaging per recipient.

If the same message is sent to multiple recipients, each recipient is rated separately.

Example

• A 2-segment SMS sent to 100 recipients = 200 billable SMS segments
• A single MMS sent to 100 recipients = 100 billable MMS messages

Does IXICA bill based on what appears on the phone?

No.

IXICA bills based on the message type submitted and the billable units created during processing, not on how the message looks on the recipient’s device.

For example:

• a long SMS may appear as one message bubble but still be billed as multiple SMS segments
• an MMS may appear differently across devices, but it is still billed as an MMS

What if a long text is turned into MMS somewhere in the delivery path?

IXICA bills based on the message type submitted through the IXICA platform, unless IXICA itself converts the message before delivery.

In general:

• if submitted as SMS, it is billed as SMS by segment
• if submitted as MMS, it is billed as MMS by message
• if IXICA converts it from SMS to MMS, it is billed as MMS

This keeps billing consistent and predictable.

Do emojis affect billing?

Yes.

Emojis usually cause the message to use Unicode encoding, which lowers the number of characters available per segment.

That means even one emoji can increase the number of billable SMS segments.

Can copied and pasted text affect billing?

Yes.

Text copied from websites, Word documents, email, or other systems may contain hidden or special characters such as:

• smart quotes
• long dashes
• ellipses
• Unicode spaces

These can cause a message to be billed as Unicode, which may increase the number of SMS segments.

Does IXICA charge MMS based on caption length?

No.

MMS is billed as one MMS per recipient, not by SMS character segmentation.

A caption or body can still be subject to supported limits, but it is not converted into multiple SMS billable units for rating purposes.

Are there size limits for MMS?

Yes.

MMS remains subject to media and carrier limitations, including supported file types, image sizes, and message payload size.

For best results, media should be kept optimized for broad mobile carrier compatibility.

When is a message considered billable?

A message is generally considered billable when it is accepted for processing and submitted into the downstream delivery flow as a billable SMS segment or MMS message.

Messages rejected before submission due to formatting, validation, or compliance controls are typically not billed.

Can I estimate charges before sending?

Yes.

A simple way to estimate expected usage is:

SMS

Billable SMS = recipients × segment count

MMS

Billable MMS = recipients × 1

Quick Examples

Example 1: Standard SMS

A 120-character plain-text SMS sent to 1 recipient = 1 SMS segment

Example 2: Long SMS

A 305-character GSM-7 SMS sent to 1 recipient = 2 SMS segments

Example 3: Unicode SMS

A message containing emoji may be billed using Unicode rules and may use more segments than expected

Example 4: MMS

One MMS sent to 50 recipients = 50 MMS messages

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Texting vs. Application-to-Person (A2P) Texting

Note: This FAQ provides general information and operational guidance only and is not legal advice. Rules and carrier policies can change, and your specific use case may require legal review.

What does “P2P texting” mean?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) texting is what most people think of as “normal texting”: a person manually sending messages from their own phone to another person (or a small group). In the U.S. and Canada, “P2P” generally refers to consumer-style messaging rather than business messaging through a platform.

What does “A2P texting” mean?

Application-to-person (A2P) texting is messaging sent from a business system or messaging platform to a person. Even if a human clicks “send,” if the message is being sent through an application/platform, carriers commonly treat it as A2P in the U.S. and Canada.

In plain terms for IXICA customers:
If you’re texting customers using an IXICA-supported business workflow (shared inbox, integrations, automation, campaigns, API, etc.), you should assume your traffic is treated as A2P and follow A2P compliance requirements.

Why does the difference matter?

Because different rules and carrier requirements apply depending on whether texting is treated as consumer/P2P or business/A2P. A2P programs are generally held to higher standards around:

• customer consent (opt-in)

• clear sender identification (who you are)

• respectful messaging frequency

• reliable opt-out handling

Compliance basics for business texting (A2P)

Do we need customer consent (opt-in) before texting?

In most business texting scenarios, yes. Requirements can differ based on message type (e.g., informational vs. marketing), but the safest operational approach is:

• get opt-in before texting

• keep a record of how/when opt-in was collected

• only send messages that match the consent you obtained (don’t send promotions if the user only agreed to reminders)

What should we include when collecting opt-in?

When you ask someone to subscribe, include:

• What they’ll receive (e.g., appointment reminders, account alerts, promotions)

• How often (or a reasonable expectation)

• that message/data rates may apply

• how to opt out (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”)

• how to get help (e.g., “Reply HELP for help”)

What about opt-out (STOP)?

Recipients must be able to stop messages easily, typically by replying STOP (or similar keywords). Your process should:

• treat opt-out requests as immediate

• prevent further texts unless the person re-subscribes

10DLC: what it is and why registration matters (U.S.)

What is 10DLC?

10DLC refers to using a standard 10-digit local number for registered business (A2P) messaging in the U.S. Carriers increasingly require businesses to register their brand and campaign use case to reduce spam and improve deliverability.

Do we have to register?

For most U.S. A2P use cases on long codes, registration is effectively required to avoid filtering and delivery problems.

“Can we just do P2P instead?” (and why it’s risky)

Some organizations try to classify messaging as P2P by having staff manually send texts one-by-one. Even when messages are manually sent, using business workflows at scale can still create problems:

• harder to prove and manage consent

• harder to guarantee opt-out compliance

• limited visibility for managers (weaker audit trail)

• higher risk of carrier filtering if traffic looks like business automation

IXICA recommendation: If you’re texting customers, treat it as A2P, follow consent + opt-out best practices, and use proper registration paths when applicable.

Quick cheat sheet

Likely P2P

• person texting friends/family from a personal phone

• truly manual 1:1 texting with no business platform involvement (still respect consent and opt-outs)

Likely A2P

• any texting powered by a business system/platform (shared inbox, integrations, automations, campaigns, APIs)

• business-to-consumer texting at scale (alerts, reminders, marketing, support queues)