Yotpo SMS & Email powers thousands of leading eCommerce brands across the globe to create unbeatable mobile experiences for shoppers. With billions of messages sent yearly through the platform, we provide our brands with the tools they need to keep customers engaged and coming back to purchase time and time again — and do so compliantly.
Our Carrier Relations Team and in-house legal counsel take a rigorous approach to compliance to protect you, your customers, and your program, so you can see the most success over time without facing any unnecessary challenges or penalties. And now, we are taking our dedication a step further…
We are proud to announce that Yotpo is now an official partner of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) to further our commitment to SMS compliance and to our valued customers who depend on us worldwide.
What is the CTIA?
The CTIA is a non-profit organization representing wireless carriers, manufacturers, and providers of wireless products and services.
Apart from overseeing and regulating SMS short codes (a leading phone number option for brands using SMS marketing), the CTIA acts as “the voice” of the entire wireless industry in the United States, helping consumers lead connected lives by advocating for mobile policies, fostering innovation, and increasing investments in the American wireless industry’s growth.
Together with their valued members and partners, the CTIA regularly tackles mobile challenges, institutes best practices, and leads new initiatives for the benefit of all.
What does this mean?
Yotpo is an expert in the SMS space, especially when it comes to compliance. This partnership is further proof of our effort to protect our customers (and their customers) who participate in mobile commerce and mobile marketing.
As an official partner of the CTIA, we now have a seat at the table where the future of wireless communication policy is shaped. We will have more opportunities to meet with other industry leaders and experts to discuss the most pressing licensing issues, policy decisions, and regulatory matters in today’s mobile environment.
As a result, we will also be better equipped to stay informed about rapidly changing policies, so that we can give every one of our brands peace of mind when it comes to maintaining compliance at every stage of their marketing.
Why is compliance critical to SMS marketing?
Compliance is critical to SMS marketing. Following industry best practices and CTIA guidelines ensures your customers have the best possible mobile experience, and that you can sustain (and continue to grow) a healthy subscriber list that drives optimal engagement and overall revenue for your business.
What’s the risk of not complying? Non-compliant SMS behavior can result in fines of up to $1,500 per each non-compliant message sent. Not only will this be detrimental to your revenue stream, it will also discourage your customers from engaging with you on their mobile devices moving forward (and that’s how modern consumers prefer to communicate).
That’s why it’s imperative to partner with an SMS provider (like Yotpo SMS & Email) that is prepared to help you maintain CTIA compliance, as well as meet the requirements of regulatory and legislative bodies globally.
What are the benefits of our CTIA partnership?
As an official partner of the CTIA, Yotpo can:
- Stay ahead of (and easily adapt to) industry changes: As a partner of the CTIA, Yotpo will know about changes to industry guidelines and trends before they occur, so we can quickly adapt and set you up for success with updated best practices.
- Offer 360-degree compliance to customers: Compliance is an integral part of our operations at Yotpo, beginning internally and reaching far beyond. Our dedicated legal team, which includes an in-house Data Privacy Officer and Carrier Relations Specialist, stays up-to-date on regulations and guidelines, while ensuring all product updates follow compliance practices to take the weight off of your shoulders. Externally, Yotpo has also built deep carrier relationships and partnerships with internationally recognized regulatory bodies. By partnering with the CTIA, we bring our commitment to global compliance full circle.
- Maintain a competitive edge: Having close ties to an organization as prestigious as the CTIA underscores our reputable status on the global SMS stage. Very few other SMS marketing providers are CTIA partners, meaning that Yotpo can have industry-altering compliance conversations that some competitors cannot. With insider knowledge of changing policies and regulations, Yotpo and our brands can stay competitive in the U.S. and abroad.
- Underscore our SMS expertise: This partnership helps underscore our serious commitment to remaining SMS marketing experts. We care deeply about the brands we work with and always seek to give you as great of an experience as you give your own customers.
What is Yotpo currently doing to help eCommerce brands maintain SMS compliance?
Yotpo SMS & Email was built with a compliance-first approach to ensure every part of your SMS marketing program is compliant — from subscriber collection to customer engagement strategies. Our current product functionalities include:
- Subscriber audit trail: Our comprehensive audit trail continuously tracks your SMS subscribers, including their consent, source of consent, and communications with your brand.
- Compliant sign-up units: Easily create sign-up units that are pre-built with explicit legal language and linked privacy policy terms to collect subscribers compliantly.
- Simple opt-out management: All opt-in tools are built for compliance with explicit legal language and linked privacy policy terms. Subscribers who opt out are automatically removed and migrated to an opt-out list.
- Smart unsubscribe safeguard: Smart logic removes subscribers that try to unsubscribe from SMS using variations of “Stop” and “Unsubscribe” (i.e., “STPO”).
- Litigator checks: Automatically remove bad actors with litigator control.
Plus, brands benefit from our compliance-first support system:
- Compliance-focused onboarding: Take advantage of our compliance-focused onboarding process, plus helpful resources to set up and maintain compliance.
- Client Strategy Team: Our expert strategists are here for you every step of the way, from launching your SMS marketing strategy to optimizing and scaling your program.
- Customer Success Team: Dedicated to your success, our team always stays informed of compliance best practices. Whether it’s crafting opt-in language, navigating quiet hours, or setting terms and conditions, we have you covered.
We help our brands to easily get started with SMS marketing and maintain compliance at every step. We look at your brand as a whole to ensure our recommendations drive your goals forward and every aspect of your SMS marketing strategy is up-to-date with compliance regulations. — Saurabh Vaish, Manager, Customer Success at Yotpo
For global compliance expertise, turn to Yotpo.
Here at Yotpo, we are committed to being the leaders in global compliance and SMS deliverability — and we are committed to you.
Our partnership with the CTIA further demonstrates our continuous effort to protect and guide brands on your mobile commerce journey, so you can communicate seamlessly via SMS to drive more mobile engagement and lasting results.
Learn more about how to stay CTIA compliant, and why we’re the SMS provider you can rely on.
