Customer Communication and SMS Consent

Is it legal to text customers invoices and reminders?

Generally yes with proper consent — U.S. law under the TCPA requires businesses to have appropriate consent before sending automated texts, so capturing consent at customer intake is important before texting invoices or reminders.

Texting invoices and payment reminders is common and generally permissible, but it's governed by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which restricts certain automated or marketing texts sent without proper consent. Key practical points:

• Transactional messages (like an invoice for work already agreed to) are generally treated differently from marketing messages, but consent practices still matter
• Capturing and documenting consent at customer intake is a best practice regardless of message type
• Rules and enforcement interpretations can evolve, and specific requirements can vary by message content and use case

Because TCPA compliance carries real legal risk and interpretation nuance, consult a licensed attorney about your specific texting practices rather than relying on general guidance.

BCTM captures customer SMS consent at intake before sending text messages, but does not provide legal interpretation of TCPA compliance for your specific business.

What is TCPA consent and do I need it to text customers?

TCPA consent is a customer's documented permission to receive certain automated or marketing text messages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and you generally need it before sending these types of texts, though requirements can vary by message type.

The TCPA regulates automated calls and texts, requiring prior consent for certain categories of messages, particularly marketing communications. For a contracting business, this typically means:

• Getting a customer's explicit agreement to receive texts, documented at the time of intake
• Being clear about what kind of messages they'll receive (invoices, reminders, scheduling updates)
• Honoring opt-out requests immediately if a customer asks to stop receiving texts

Because TCPA rules involve legal nuance around message types and consent standards, and interpretation can evolve, consult a licensed attorney about what consent standard applies to your specific texting use case.

BCTM captures SMS consent at customer intake as part of setting up a customer record, giving you a documented record of when and how consent was given.

How do I get customer consent to send SMS updates?

Ask for explicit permission when you first collect the customer's phone number, clearly stating what kind of texts they'll receive, and keep a record of when and how that consent was given.

A practical consent-capture process at customer intake:

1. 1.When entering a new customer's phone number, present a clear opt-in statement (e.g., "By providing your number, you agree to receive invoice and appointment texts from [business name]")
2. 2.Record the date and method of consent
3. 3.Make opting out simple and immediate if the customer later asks to stop
4. 4.Keep this consent record on file in case it's ever needed to demonstrate compliance

Documenting consent at the moment it's given is far more defensible than trying to reconstruct it later if a compliance question comes up.

BCTM captures SMS consent directly during customer intake and keeps a record of it tied to the customer profile.

Can customers reply to invoice texts with questions?

Yes, if your invoicing platform supports two-way SMS, customers can reply directly to an invoice text with a question and you'll receive it back through the same messaging thread.

Two-way texting turns an invoice message from a one-directional notification into an actual conversation channel. This is useful when a customer has a quick question about a line item or wants to confirm a payment went through, without having to call or find a separate email thread.

For this to work well, replies need to route back to you (or your team) clearly tied to that specific customer and invoice, not lost in a generic inbox.

BCTM supports two-way SMS messaging, so customer replies to an invoice text come back to you tied to that customer's record.