Where the line is
Carriers split texting into two kinds. Person-to-person (P2P) is a human typing a reply to another human. Application-to-person (A2P) is a business sending messages, usually through software, often to many people. P2P from your own phone needs no registration. A2P needs 10DLC registration, or toll-free or short code approval.
What's fine from your own phone
- A customer texts you a question and you text back
- Confirming a time with one customer you're already talking to
- Sending a photo of the finished job to the customer who asked for it
Where it becomes business texting
- Sending the same reminder to everyone on tomorrow's schedule
- Pasting a promo into a group text or a broadcast list
- Using an app or automation to send texts from your number
- Texting people who never texted you first and never agreed to hear from you
None of this has to be big. Ten identical reminders a day is still a business texting program.
Why it goes wrong
- Carrier spam filters watch for the same message going from one line to many numbers. Your texts get filtered, and the line can get restricted.
- Personal phone plans are built for personal use. Bulk business texting can run against your plan's terms.
- You have no record of who agreed to get texts. If a customer complains, you have nothing to show.
- Customer conversations live on one person's phone. When that person leaves, the history leaves too.
A texting app still needs registration
Moving to an app with a second business number fixes the record-keeping. It doesn't fix registration. If the app sends from a local number, that is A2P, and most apps now require you to register before you can text. The app may file it for you, but your business details still have to be right.
What to do instead
Keep your personal phone for real one-on-one replies. Put reminders, updates, and anything you send to more than one person on a registered business number. Registering is less work than it sounds: who you are, what you send, how customers agree, and a few sample messages. Clear builds the whole package and checks it before you submit.
Common questions
Is it illegal to text customers from my personal phone?
Replying to a customer is normal. Trouble starts with marketing texts to people who never agreed to them, which can break consumer protection law no matter what phone you use. For anything beyond one-on-one replies, get clear consent and use a registered number. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Do group texts to customers count as business texting?
Yes. Sending the same message to several customers at once is A2P, even if you type it by hand. Group texts also show every customer's number to everyone else in the thread.
Can I use iMessage to text customers?
iMessage runs over Apple's network, not carrier SMS, so 10DLC doesn't apply to blue-bubble messages. Customers without an iPhone get a regular SMS, though, and you still have no consent records. It works for replies, not for a reminder program.
Will my number get blocked for texting customers?
Normal one-on-one texting won't. Sending the same text to many numbers can trip carrier spam filters, which can filter your messages or restrict the line.