messaging
SMS opt-in is a customer's recorded consent to receive text messages from a business. It's usually gathered through a checkbox, a reply keyword or a signed form. It protects the business if a carrier or regulator questions why a number is texting someone.
Consent can be collected several ways. That includes a checkbox at checkout, a customer texting "START" or "YES" to a number, or a verbal confirmation logged during a call. Whatever the method, the record should show what the customer agreed to, when, and how.
US carriers expect opt-in language and evidence as part of A2P 10DLC registration, and will suspend a campaign that generates spam complaints. UK rules under PECR similarly require clear consent for marketing texts, with lighter requirements for purely transactional messages like a booking confirmation.
Every opt-in flow should include an easy opt-out, typically replying "STOP". Businesses are expected to honor that immediately, and confirm it happened.
Worked example
A 4-person salon adds a checkbox at online booking: "Text me appointment reminders", logged with a timestamp per client.
When a client later disputes receiving texts, the salon shows the exact consent record instead of guessing.
Why it matters to a small team
Without recorded opt-in, a small business risks its number being suspended by carriers for spam complaints. In some jurisdictions, it also faces fines for unsolicited marketing texts. A simple checkbox and timestamp is cheap insurance against both.
Requirements are lighter for transactional messages like appointment reminders than for marketing texts, but most providers still expect some form of consent, such as a client providing their number and agreeing to reminders during booking.
The business should immediately stop texting that number and most messaging platforms enforce this automatically. Continuing to text after a STOP request is a common source of carrier complaints and, in some jurisdictions, regulatory penalties.
Yes, a verbal agreement during a call is valid consent if it is recorded or logged with a date, what was agreed, and by whom. A note in the customer record is usually enough for small-business purposes.
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