SMS marketing compliance
The compliance you can’t see
Most TCPA settlements against small businesses are completely avoidable: but the rules sit in the kind of documentation that artists never read. Here’s the plain-English version, what goldenhour handles for you automatically, and the two or three things that ultimately stay your call.
Not legal advice
This page is a practical primer, not legal counsel. If you’re facing a specific situation: a client threatening to sue, a carrier deactivating your number, a state regulator letter: talk to an attorney. The cost of a 30-minute consult beats a $500-per-message judgment.
Who handles what
Responsibility split
Transactional vs marketing consent split
We handleBooking flow collects transactional consent at the contact step + a separate marketing opt-in checkbox. Marketing list never includes booking-only consenters.
STOP / UNSUBSCRIBE / END / CANCEL / QUIT handling
We handleEvery recognized STOP keyword auto-flips the client's marketingOptOut flag. All future automated marketing skips them. We also pass through carrier-level STOP so messaging is blocked even before our cron runs.
10DLC registration
We handleWe register your sender number with the 10DLC platform when you go live, and rotate as carriers update requirements. Bundled in every paid plan.
Quiet hours
ConfigurableToggle in Settings → Retention. Default off; turn on to skip automated marketing in your local-time window (e.g. 9pm to 8am).
Sender brand identification
ConfigurableEvery outbound includes 'Reply STOP to opt out' + your business name. Add a brand-name prefix in Settings → Messaging to make every message immediately recognizable.
Initial opt-in record-keeping
Your callIf you imported a client list from a previous platform, you're responsible for verifying those clients consented to marketing. Importing the consent flag from Vagaro/Booksy/Fresha exports is the cleanest path; if you're unsure, ask consent again before adding them to the marketing list.
Promotional message content
Your callThe text of your campaigns is your responsibility. We don't pre-approve content. Avoid discount claims you can't substantiate ('save 50%' when the actual discount is 10%); avoid health claims; avoid sensitive personal data.
STOP keywords goldenhour honors
Any of the following words sent by a client immediately blocks all future automated marketing to that number:
STOP · STOPALL · UNSUBSCRIBE · CANCEL · END · QUIT · NO
Case-insensitive. Carrier-level STOP enforcement runs in parallel: the carrier blocks before our cron does, so even an extreme edge case is covered.
FAQ
- What is TCPA and do I need to worry about it?
- The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is the US law governing automated calls and text messages. It requires prior express written consent before sending marketing SMS, and gives the recipient the right to opt out. Penalties are $500-$1,500 per unconsented message. Even small artists have been sued; the law doesn't distinguish by business size.
- Does a customer booking an appointment count as consent for marketing SMS?
- Transactional SMS (appointment confirmations, reminders, intake forms) are allowed under booking consent. Marketing SMS (promos, win-back offers, birthday discounts) require a separate explicit opt-in. Goldenhour separates these: the booking flow asks for transactional consent at booking and a separate marketing opt-in checkbox.
- What's 10DLC and do I need to register?
- 10DLC is the US carrier-mandated registration system for sending application-to-person SMS over standard 10-digit numbers. If you send marketing SMS at any volume, your sender phone number must be 10DLC-registered or carriers throttle/block it. Goldenhour handles 10DLC registration automatically for tenants on a paid plan.
- What happens when a client texts STOP?
- Carriers automatically block the sender from sending further messages to that number. We also flip the client's `marketingOptOut` flag in goldenhour so all future automated marketing (rebook nudges, birthdays, win-back) skips them. Transactional messages (appointment reminders for already-booked appointments) can still go through if the recipient hasn't replied STOP ALL.