What is Toll-Free Verification?
Toll-Free Verification (abbreviated as TF Verification) is a compliance review process established by US telecom carriers to ensure the safety and legitimacy of SMS communications. If you plan to use US toll-free numbers (starting with 800, 888, 877, etc.) to send order notifications, shipping updates, or marketing messages to customers, you must complete this verification.
For Chinese cross-border e-commerce sellers, completing TF verification not only significantly improves SMS delivery rates but also prevents numbers from being blocked or filtered by carriers.
Note: You don't need to contact US carriers directly. Through the Textr Team dashboard, we can assist you in submitting materials to the reviewers and provide professional compliance guidance to improve your approval rate.
Why Choose Toll-Free Over 10DLC (TCR)?
Many merchants confuse TF Verification with The Campaign Registry (TCR/10DLC). Simply put:
- TF Verification: Suitable for brand customer service, nationwide promotions, and marketing. It is more friendly to Chinese companies, has a faster review speed (usually 3-5 business days), and does not have complex monthly fees.
- 10DLC (TCR): Primarily for local numbers. The process is extremely cumbersome, the review for Chinese entities is very strict, and the costs are high.
To learn more about the differences between TF Verification and 10DLC, please read our comparison guide.
Pre-Verification Checklist
Before starting the submission, please ensure you have prepared the following materials. For detailed preparation guides, please refer to the subsequent articles:
| Item | Description | Reference Article |
|---|---|---|
| Business Documents | Business license, Brand Name (DBA), Corporate email. | Prepare Business Documents (China Guide) |
| Website Opt-In | Website must have a clear SMS consent checkbox (unchecked by default). | Opt-In Mechanism Setup Guidelines |
| Legal Policies | Privacy Policy and Terms of Service must contain specific compliance statements. | Privacy Policy & ToS Templates |
| Message Samples | Prepare 2-3 real SMS templates (e.g., order confirmation, abandoned cart). | Message Sample Writing Guide |
| Prohibited Content List | Identify prohibited content categories (CBD, crypto, phishing) | Prohibited Content List for Toll-Free |
| Submission Template & Examples | English-Chinese templates for Use Case Summary, Opt-In Description (Note: All submitted materials must be in English) | Toll-Free Verification Template & Examples |
How to Submit Verification via Textr Team?
We have simplified the complex application process. You only need to fill out a form in the Textr Team dashboard, and our compliance team will help you check the materials and submit them on your behalf.
- Go to Settings > Register SMS Campaign
- Enter the "Toll-Free Numbers" Tab and click Register New Campaign
- Upload materials and fill in information according to the page prompts.
Important Note: Please fill out all information in English.
After submission, you can view the review progress in real-time in the dashboard.
You must have a Toll-Free number and be the owner, then you can apply for the Toll-Free Verification. Not sure how to fill in specific fields? Please refer to the Submission Template & Examples.