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Chapter 4 · Article 4.5

Texting Rules: Consent & Opt-Out

Who you may text, what happens when a customer says STOP, and the hours texts can go out

Updated Oct 17, 20266 min read

tcpaconsentopt-outstopstarthelpquiet hourssmscompliance

On this page

1. Check Who You May Text
2. Recognize an Opt-Out
3. Respect an Opt-Out
4. Know the Sending Hours
5. Check Consent Before Turning On Business-Started Texts
Reference: Keywords
Reference: Automatic Replies
Troubleshooting
Quick Checklist

Purpose. Know who IntakeNexus may text for your business, what happens when a customer opts out, and what you must never do. The app enforces these rules on every text it sends.

Who can do this

Everyone on your team should read it

Plan

All plans and the free trial

Time

5 minutes to read

Where

Inbox

WARNING

Texting without consent breaks the law

The US Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) bans business texts to people who did not agree to them. Fines run from $500 to $1,500 per text. Never text or call anyone who has not agreed. Never text or call a customer who opted out, from any phone.

1. Check Who You May Text

Consent (the customer’s permission to receive texts) depends on how the customer reached you. The app checks it before every text and blocks any text that is not allowed.

How the customer reached you	Texts that can go out	Texts that are held
Texted or called your business	Replies about their request	Marketing texts
Filled in your web form or booking page with a phone number	Texts about that request: the booking confirmation, its reminders, deposit links, and change notices	Follow-ups your business starts: workflow follow-ups, surveys, service reminders, missed-appointment texts, and smart-link or deposit nudges. These are blocked until the customer texts or calls you.
Gave written marketing consent	Marketing texts, such as review requests	—
Opted out	Nothing	Everything. Texting START turns texts back on.
Never contacted you	Nothing	Everything

NOTE

There is no screen in the app to record a customer’s consent yourself.

2. Recognize an Opt-Out

A customer opts out by sending an opt-out word such as STOP. A clear request such as stop texting me or do not text me counts too, and so do Spanish words such as PARAR. The full list is in Reference: Keywords.

Where the customer says it	What the app does
By text	Stops all texts, WhatsApp messages, and calls from your business to that number. Sends one confirmation text. The opt-out message does not appear in Inbox.
By WhatsApp	Same as by text, except no confirmation is sent.
On a call with the AI	The AI records the request. All texts and calls to that number stop.
By email, web chat, or voicemail	A clear opt-out stops texts and calls to the phone numbers on file for that customer. The message itself is handled as usual.

NOTE

Unclear messages

A message that only might mean stop, such as cancel my appointment and text me a new time, is not treated as an opt-out. Read it and act on what the customer meant.

3. Respect an Opt-Out

Read the red X

In Inbox, look at the icon after the time on your reply.

Result: A red X means the text was not delivered. A customer opt-out is one cause.

Stop contacting the customer

Do not resend the text. Do not text or call the customer from a personal phone instead.

Result: The customer gets nothing more from your business.

Let the customer restart

If the customer calls you and wants texts again, tell them to text START to your business number.

Result: Texts to that number work again. START does not turn calls back on.

4. Know the Sending Hours

Hours use the customer’s local time, worked out from their phone number. A text that falls outside its hours is held until the next allowed time, then checked again before it goes out. You do not need to do anything.

Kind of text	When it can go out
Replies in a conversation the customer started	Any time
Follow-ups, surveys, and reminders your business starts	8 AM to 9 PM
Marketing texts and service reminders	8 AM to 9 PM, and inside narrower state hours. Examples: not after 8 PM in Florida, not on Sundays in Pennsylvania. Not after 8 PM in states not yet reviewed, or when the state cannot be told.

These switches send texts your business starts. Each one is off until you turn it on.

WARNING

Only customers who agreed

Turn these on only if your customers agreed to receive them. The app blocks customers with no consent on record, but the duty to have consent is yours.

Review service reminders

Go to AI Receptionist › Scripts and select the Texts tab. Read the Service reminders card before you turn on Send service reminders, then select Save Changes.

Result: Reminders go only to customers with a phone number on file who have not opted out.

Review review-request texts

Review-request texts are available only if IntakeNexus has turned on reviews for your account. If it has, go to Insights › Reviews › Review platforms. Read the help text under Text customers a review link after a completed job before you turn it on.

Result: Review links go only to customers who agreed to receive marketing texts.

Review missed-call text-back

Go to AI Receptionist › Scripts and select the Texts tab. Read the Missed Call Text-Back card before you turn on Enable Missed Call Text-Back, then select Save Changes. Details are in Text Replies & Handoff Rules.

Result: Callers whose call you missed get a text. Until your texting registration is approved, no text-back is sent. Missed calls from before approval never get one.

Reference: Keywords

Customer wants to	English	Spanish
Opt out	STOP, STOP ALL, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, OPT OUT, OPT-OUT, OPTOUT, REMOVE, REVOKE	PARAR, PARA, DETENER, CANCELAR, TERMINAR, SALIR, BASTA, NO MAS, QUITAR, DESUSCRIBIR
Opt back in	START, START ALL, STARTALL, UNSTOP, SUBSCRIBE, RESUME	INICIAR, EMPEZAR, REANUDAR, SUSCRIBIR, CONTINUAR
Get help	HELP, INFO, SUPPORT	AYUDA, INFORMACION, SOPORTE

Upper and lower case do not matter. By email, web chat, or voicemail, a bare CANCEL, END, QUIT, or REMOVE is read as being about the appointment, not as an opt-out. STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, OPT OUT, and clear requests such as stop texting me still count there.

Reference: Automatic Replies

Customer texts	They receive
An opt-out word	One confirmation. For STOP and the other standard words, the phone network’s standard confirmation. For other opt-outs, such as stop texting me or a Spanish word: (Your business): You’re opted out and will get no more texts from this number. Reply START to opt back in.
HELP	(Your business) via IntakeNexus. For help call (the phone number you gave at sign-up). Reply STOP to opt out. Msg & data rates may apply.

IntakeNexus sends these replies only after your texting registration is approved. See Connecting SMS & Email.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Your reply shows a red X	The customer opted out, texting is not approved yet, or your plan’s message allowance is used up	Check the A2P 10DLC badge in Settings › Channels. If it reads Approved, the customer most likely opted out. Do not resend, and check your usage in Billing.
A reminder or follow-up never arrived	The customer’s only consent came from a web form, or they opted out	Nothing to fix. Later follow-ups can go out once the customer texts or calls you.
A text arrived later than expected	It fell outside the sending hours	Nothing to fix. It went out at the next allowed time.
A customer who texted START still gets no calls	START turns texts back on only	Do not call them. Calls stay stopped.