Tradesly · Guide
Turn on texting for your business
The one-time carrier registration that lets your business text legally — explained in plain words.
You've had a spam text and wondered “how did they get my number?” To stop exactly that, the phone carriers run a registration program: every business in the U.S. has to sign up and prove who it is before it can send texts. A business that skips it doesn't get warnings — its texts are simply blocked and never arrive.
This is an industry requirement for every business that texts, not a Tradesly quirk. You do it once, and then you never think about it again. Until it's approved, your business's texting waits — incoming texts from customers still arrive, but nothing goes out.
1 What to have ready
The registration happens on the SMS Registration screen in your Settings. Only an owner or admin can do it, because it asks for the owner's real details. Have these in reach so you can finish in one sitting:
- The owner's full legal name — the carriers require a real, named person behind every business that texts.
- A cell phone the owner can check right now — a short code gets texted to it.
- Your business address and a contact email.
- Your EIN, if you're a registered company (an LLC or corporation). A one-person business without an EIN doesn't need it — there's an “It's just me” option instead.
The screen walks four steps: Business details → Verify by text → Carrier review → Go live.
2 The steps
Fill in the short form.
Pick your business type: It's just me for a one-person business with no EIN, or the registered-business option, which asks for your EIN and legal business name. Add the owner's legal details and your address, then press Start registration.
Confirm it's really you.
A short code is texted to the owner's cell — type it into Verification code and press Verify. If it never lands, resend it. With an EIN this step reads Confirming your business instead and no code is sent, so nothing arriving is normal.
Let the carriers review it.
The badge reads In carrier review, and this is the waiting part — out of everyone's hands. It can take a few days, though it's often much faster. Close the screen and go back to work; Tradesly checks on it for you.
Watch for SMS Ready.
When you're approved the badge flips to SMS Ready and the screen reads “SMS Ready — your business can send text messages.” That's the finish line — your AI can now text customers.
The badge always tells you where things stand: Not registered, Setting up, Enter your code, Confirming business, In carrier review, Almost ready, SMS Ready, Confirming, Being corrected, or Needs attention. Only Needs attention is yours to act on — the message beside it says exactly what to fix, and Try again resubmits. Every other badge is a stage in progress, which is why it has no button: there's nothing for you to do but wait.
3 Good to know
- It's a real, paid registration with the carriers — a small one-time fee plus a small monthly fee. That's the standard cost every texting business in the U.S. pays, not a Tradesly charge.
- Do it in your first week. Because approval can take days, the worst time to start is the day you need to text someone. Register early and texting is simply ready when your first lead lands — see Speed to lead for why that matters.
- You never repeat it. One registration per business, for as long as you're texting.