SMS Verification Requirements

Since 2023, mobile carriers in the United States have required all SMS numbers used by "businesses" to be verified - including non-profit organizations, like churches. eAdventist handles both the cost and process for verification.

Types of SMS Phone Numbers

There are 3 main types of phone numbers used for "business" SMS messaging in North America:

1) 10DLC (10-digit long code)

These phone numbers include your local area code and look like regular phone number (e.g. 360-123-4567). These numbers are cheaper to buy, but more expensive to verify.

2) Toll-free

These phone numbers have an 800- area code (e.g. 833-, 844-, 855-). They cost a little more to buy, but are cheaper to verify, provide faster delivery and better delivery rates.

3) Short code

The 5-digit phone number provide the fastest delivery and are easy to advertise. Unfortunately, they are very expensive ($1,000+ per month) and have a very involved registration process.

eAdventist provides Toll-free SMS numbers for churches in the United States and US territories. We provide 10DLC numbers for church in Canada - unless they have subscribers with US mobile numbers.

Toll-free Verification

The verification team primarily checks the church web site to ensure that the contact information on it is complete and consistent.

Website

• Is the site complete and accessible?
• Does the site clearly feature the church's name?
• Is the URL consistent with (or similar to) the church's name? Adventist Connect URLs always include the church's name. Private domains (e.g. https://sligo.org) need to match the church's current name.
• Does the site include a contact email (in the footer, About page or Contact Us page)?

Contact Email

• Does the Contact Email clearly reflect the name of the church? They look for a private domain (e.g. church@sligosda.org) or mailbox name (e.g. sligosda@gmail.com) that closely resembles the church's name.

Opt-in Process

• Your subscribers need to explicitly "opt in" before you send them any SMS messages. eAdventist currently provides 3 opt-in methods (a) text-to-join, (b) paper form and (c) web form.
• eAdventist automatically generates a web page that describes your church's opt-in process to the verification team. This is an example for a real church.

Tax ID

• As of Feb 1, 2026, the church's Tax ID (EIN) will be required for Toll-free verification.