Opt-Out
Any reasonable revocation counts, not just STOP. Suppress within 10 business days (instantly in practice) and never text past it.
Opt-out handling is where compliant programs prove themselves. The FCC's codified revocation rule (effective 2025) establishes that consumers may revoke consent through any reasonable method: STOP and its variants, other plain-language requests in replies, or even verbal requests — and senders cannot funnel revocation into one exclusive channel.
Mechanics that must work: reply keywords (STOP, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT) trigger immediate suppression and a single confirmation message; the confirmation may not contain marketing. The revocation must propagate to a suppression list within 10 business days, though immediate processing is the standard platforms implement.
Texting after revocation is the cleanest TCPA claim a plaintiff can bring: timestamped STOP reply versus timestamped later message.
Frequently asked questions
Related glossary terms
Under TCPA, consumers can revoke SMS consent at any time by any reasonable means. Senders must honor the revocation — typically by adding the number to a suppression list — within 10 business days.
Industry-standard SMS keywords that consumers reply with to opt out (STOP) or request information (HELP). All A2P senders must process them automatically.
A suppression list is the registry of phone numbers that have revoked consent. Senders must check this list before every outbound send to remain TCPA-compliant.