You will learn
Learn about toll-free number verification, including what it means to be verified and how this works in Klaviyo.
Verified vs. unverified
Verified
A business can have 1 verified toll-free number associated with their brand.
To be verified, a toll-free number must undergo an application process to be approved by wireless carriers. If approved:
- The number will associate to that specific brand or business
- A “verified” tag will add to the number
We don't recommend sending if your number hasn't been verified. During the verification process, start collecting SMS consent from your customers. You can also set up your flows, although we suggest waiting to turn them live until your number is verified.
We recommend sending within a month of your toll-free number being verified.
Verification is not allowlisting. For email, allowlisting means that any messages from an approved sender will never be sent to spam. However, there’s no allowlisting for SMS.
Even if a toll-free number is verified, messages from this number may still be blocked by individual carriers. However, as long as your Klaviyo account information is up to date and accurate and you are following best practices, we can work with carriers to unblock your messages.
- Fewer false-positive blocks (i.e., messages will be filtered less)
- Higher visibility to wireless carriers
- Faster resolution for issues with the number’s deliverability
- Better protection for your brand
Carriers expect SMS programs to be active and consistently messaging subscribers once their toll-free number is verified. If there's a long pause (multiple weeks) between when a number is verified and you first send a message, carriers may change the status back to unverified, not inform Klaviyo, and then heavily filter your message.
Unverified
Unverified numbers are any number that is:
- Verifying, meaning it is currently going through the verification process
- Not verified, meaning it was rejected for verification
Not all organizations qualify for toll-free verification, or can send with Klaviyo. For instance, if your business model falls under any of the prohibited content categories, you will not be able to send using Klaviyo. If your business requires age-gating, we may be able to accommodate you in the future but can't currently.
Your website must be live in order for your toll-free number to be verified.
As of October 1, 2022, wireless carriers enacted new rules to prevent unverified toll-free numbers from sending on their networks.
If a number has been rejected for verification, it will not be able to send any messages
With a toll-free number, you may be able to send a small number of messages (consent opt-ins), but all messages to Canadian recipients will be blocked until your number is fully verified.
Verification with Klaviyo
As soon as you turn on SMS (and if you plan to send to the US or Canada), you will be asked for information so that Klaviyo can submit your number for verification.
This information is required, and you will not receive a toll-free number if you do not provide it:
- The business owner's first and last name
- Business's address (street, city, country, etc.)
- Business phone number
After filling out this information, click Next to submit your number for verification.
Verification takes around 7–10 business days to complete.
Please note that your website must be live in order to be approved for verification. A key part of verification is checking that the business is active and not a scam. If you haven't already, make sure to set your website live.
What to do when your number awaits verification
While your number awaits verification, do not send from the unverified number. Instead, we recommend getting your account ready so that you can hit the ground running:
Note that while you can start collecting SMS consent, you should not turn your flows live until your number is verified.