Stackably offers two types of text messaging. This article explains what's included with your account, what's available as an add-on, and what's required to get set up.

Every Stackably account includes free one-way text alerts. These are system-generated messages sent automatically when something happens in your account — for example:

These messages are sent from Stackably's phone number using templates that Stackably has reviewed and approved. Because all customers share this sending infrastructure, we can't allow custom or free-form content on these alerts — spam complaints against one business would affect message delivery for everyone. If you need an alert type that doesn't exist yet, contact support and we'll consider adding it as an approved template.

You can turn these notifications on or off in your notification settings, for both your clients and your employees.

There is nothing to register or apply for. One-way alerts work out of the box.

Two-way texting lets you send and receive text messages with your customers from your own dedicated business number — real conversations, marketing texts, and custom messages written by you.

The texting plan is $29 per month, which includes your dedicated business number. Texts you send beyond what the plan includes are 2¢ each, so you are never cut off mid-campaign. Stackably covers the carrier brand and campaign registration fees on your behalf. Contact our support team to get started, and we'll walk you through setup.

Before you can send messages on your own number, U.S. carriers require your business to complete A2P registration. This is the part that takes some work on your end, so here's what to expect.

A2P ("Application-to-Person") is a registration system required by U.S. mobile carriers for any business sending text messages from a standard 10-digit phone number. It exists to fight spam: carriers verify who is sending messages, what they're sending, and that recipients agreed to receive them. Unregistered business messaging is blocked or filtered by carriers, so this step is not optional — every platform that offers business texting has to comply with it.

Registration has two parts:

Stackably submits and manages the registration for you, but the applications are built from information you provide, and approval depends on your business details checking out. This is where most delays and rejections happen, so getting it right the first time matters.

1. Accurate business information. Your legal business name, EIN (federal tax ID), and address must exactly match your IRS/state registration records. The single most common cause of brand rejection is a mismatch — for example, using your DBA where your legal name is required, or an address that differs from your tax filings.

2. A live, working website on your own domain. Carriers verify your business online by loading your website and screenshotting it. Your site must be publicly accessible (not under construction, not password-protected, not a parked or for-sale domain), and it must clearly match your legal business name. It has to be your own domain — a Facebook or Instagram page, a Linktree or other "link in bio" page, or a URL that redirects to another company's site will be rejected. If you don't have a website, talk to support about your options before applying.

3. A compliant privacy policy and terms of service on your website. This is one of the most common rejection reasons. Your privacy policy must be publicly linked on your site and must state that mobile phone numbers and texting consent will not be shared with or sold to third parties for marketing purposes. If your current privacy policy says you may share customer data with partners, your application will be rejected until that language is fixed for mobile/SMS data. Your privacy policy also needs to state how often customers may receive messages (e.g. "up to 4 messages per month") and include the line "Message and data rates may apply." Both the privacy policy and your terms of service must be hosted on the same domain as your website (e.g. yoursite.com/privacy and yoursite.com/terms) and open without a login or download — a PDF behind a login or a policy hosted on a third-party site will be rejected.

4. A clear opt-in process. You must be able to show exactly how customers agree to receive your texts before you text them. Acceptable examples include a checkbox on your booking or signup form, a paper form signed in-store, or a customer texting a keyword to your number. The opt-in language should tell people what kind of messages they'll get, that message frequency varies, that message and data rates may apply, and that they can reply STOP to cancel. Pre-checked boxes and "we text everyone who gives us their number" do not qualify — consent must be explicit.

5. An honest description of what you'll send. Your campaign application describes your message types (appointment coordination, promotions, customer service, etc.) with sample messages. Vague descriptions like "we send reminders" get rejected, and sample messages that don't match the described use case get rejected. Support will help you write this, but it has to reflect what you'll actually send.

Note that some business categories (such as lending, debt relief, cannabis, and gambling) face carrier restrictions or are prohibited from certain message types regardless of registration.

Brand approval is usually quick — often within a few days when your business information matches official records. Campaign approval involves a manual vetting process by the carrier registry and typically takes several days to a few weeks. During this time your application shows as "in review."

We know the waiting is frustrating, and we want to be upfront: the review is performed by the carrier ecosystem, not by Stackably. Once your application is submitted, neither you nor Stackably can speed it up. An application sitting "in review" is normal and does not mean something is wrong. If your application is rejected, we'll tell you the reason and what needs to be fixed before resubmitting — most rejections (privacy policy, opt-in language, website issues) are fixable.

Contact our support team and we'll give you the current status of your registration: in review, approved, rejected (and why), or waiting on information from you. If we need something from you to move your application forward, we'll reach out directly.

Once your campaign is approved, your dedicated number is activated for two-way texting, and you can:

Do I need A2P registration for the free alerts?
No. Only two-way texting on your own number requires registration.

How much does texting cost?
One-way alerts are free. The two-way texting plan is $29 per month, and any texts beyond what the plan includes are 2¢ each. Stackably covers the brand and campaign registration fees.

Why was my application rejected?
The most common reasons: business name/EIN mismatch, an inaccessible or unfinished website, a social-media or link-in-bio page used instead of a real website, a privacy policy missing the "we don't share mobile data" language, or an unclear opt-in process. Support can tell you the specific reason for your application.

Can I send marketing texts?
Yes, with the two-way texting plan and an approved registration, via Marketing → Text.

Can my employees get text notifications?
Yes — employee text notifications are part of the free one-way alerts and can be enabled in your notification settings.