Skipio for Aflac

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Awesome choice! By using Skipio, you’re taking a powerful step toward simplifying your lead nurturing and filling your calendar with qualified leads. We’re confident Skipio will help you automate your follow-up process to turn more leads into sales.

Quick note: All mobile carriers require brand registration for business texting (it’s standard). But Skipio makes it super easy — unlike other tools! Read Here for what you need to know. Or we can just  tell you in the next steps!

To get started:

1. Confirm you aren’t part of the following industries: Lean More
   • High-Risk Financial Services *Including Loan Advertising
   • Third-Party Lead Generation Services and Marketing
   • Debt Collection/Forgiveness
   • “Get Rich Quick” Schemes
   • Illegal Substances/Articles
   • Prescription Drugs
   • S.H.A.F.T. Use Cases and Electronic Smoking Devices
   • Gambling
2. Provide a valid EIN. Mobile carriers require an EIN to identify your business. If you don’t have an EIN, we can help you navigate the process to get one. Learn More.
3. Comply with SMS laws and TCPA requirements for opt-in consent. Carriers require proof of how you get permission from recipients before you send messages. Without carrier approval, we cannot offer you our services. Learn More.

Carrier Fees Explained

To provide businesses with a faster, more reliable way of sending text messages and protect consumers from spam communication, mobile carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile created new business text messaging standards known as 10DLC (10-digit long code).

With this program, any business using a 10-digit number to send text messages through Skipio is required to register their number with The Campaign Registry.

These programs were created to help businesses safely and effectively communicate with customers through text messaging. Learn more about the benefits and importance of registering.

Associated costs

In July 2021, mobile carriers introduced a set of fees for businesses to register and send text messages. While Skipio covers a portion of these fees, below you will find a breakdown of the costs you are responsible for.

Campaign carrier fee for general accounts

$15/month flat fee*

A “campaign” is essentially a use case. It’s the reason you’re sending text messages. Common use cases include:

• marketing and promotional
• two-factor authentication
• account notifications
• customer care
• fraud alert
• transactional, related to sales and collections

Currently have or plan to have multiple Skipio numbers? Multiple numbers from the same business can be associated with a single use case as long as your business is not a sole proprietorship.

*Accounts created by signing up at mk.skipio.com through our Mary Kay portal are subject to a $5/month campaign carrier fee.

Vetting fee (optional)

$40, a one-time fee

All standard businesses (any business that is not a sole proprietorship) has the option to go through an additional vetting process from the carriers. Through vetting, your business becomes eligible for higher daily sending rates and faster sending speeds.

FAQ

What is 10DLC?

10DLC is the new industry standard that US mobile carriers have created to help businesses safely and effectively communicate with customers through text messaging.

Carriers want to help businesses send legitimate messages and prevent spam communication. Business text messaging has gone through major modifications just over the past few years as a result.

The introduction of 10DLC represents the latest effort to improve business communication and protect consumers because businesses must be verified with the carriers.

What is The Campaign Registry?

The Campaign Registry is the group formed by the mobile network carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) to track and monitor the businesses using those networks and what they’re using them for.

Do I have to register my business?

In short, yes. Any business that wishes to send text messages to customers using Skipio must register.

Registering legitimizes your business with the carriers and allows you to send messages faster and at a higher volume. It’s a more secure way of messaging people because your number has been verified by the carriers.

How does brand registration work?

After choosing a Skipio plan, the brand registration and campaign registration forms appear.

1. Carefully fill out your company’s information

Doing so incorrectly will affect your sending speed, delivery rates, and message volume. Providing falsified or inaccurate business information may result in fines/fees from the mobile carriers.

You’ll need to provide business information like the following:

• Company name as it appears on tax returns
• Country of registration
• Company EIN
• Full business address
• Text-enabled mobile number
• Website
• Stock symbol (for publicly-traded companies)

Not all of this information is required of every business type. If you are a sole proprietor, you won’t have a company EIN, so make sure you select the Sole Proprietor option when registering your brand.

2. Complete mobile verification

The phone number you provide when signing up for Skipio and completing the brand registration must be a text-enabled mobile number.

You will receive a text message that you must reply “YES” to in order to complete verification. Failure to complete registration means you won’t be able to send text messages using Skipio.

3. Complete the use case registration

You’ll be asked to provide examples of the types of text messages you plan to send for business purposes.

All brand and use case information is then submitted to the mobile carriers. As set by the mobile carriers, verification may take 5-10 business days. During this time, the mobile carriers do not allow you to send text messages.

4. Set up your Skipio account and build automations

While the mobile carriers prevent you from sending text messages immediately, you gain access to Skipio and can still do things like:

• Customize your account settings
• Upload and sort contacts
• Install integrations
• Build drip messaging sequences

We will provide updates on the progress of your verification status and notify you when the mobile carriers approve your chosen Skipio phone number for sending text messages.

What are the campaign types?

The 10DLC messaging use cases are referred to as “campaigns.” It’s the reason you’re sending text messages.

Common use cases include but are not limited to:

• marketing and promotional
• two-factor authentication
• account notifications
• customer care
• fraud alert
• transactional, related to sales and collections

Register your number with only the use case(s) applicable to your business and nothing extra to minimize fees.