Get a Business Number and Register for Texting

Buy a business phone number in Communications, then register it for texting. Phone carriers require businesses to register before texts to customers go through, and approval usually takes a few weeks.

Buy a business number

Buy the number first, because Communications shows only the setup screen until one is active.

1. Open Communications.
2. In Area code, type three digits. Results load once the third digit is typed.
   • Leave Area code blank, then click Search to see numbers from any area.
   • Users without full access to phone and texting see no search fields. See Roles and permissions.
3. Click the number you want in the list.
4. Click the Get button that appears with your selected number.

The setup screen closes, and Set up texting opens next for users with full access.

Register for texting

Communications opens the form for users with full access once your number is active and texting needs setup or changes.

Enter your business details

These details verify your business with phone carriers. JobWise Pro sends your tax ID to the texting provider and never stores it.

1. Enter the Legal business name exactly as it appears on your tax or registration documents.
2. Enter the 9-digit Federal tax ID (EIN) from the IRS letter you received when you registered your business.
   • A Social Security number is not accepted, and Continue does not advance.
3. Choose Business type and Industry from the lists.
4. Enter your domain in Business website, such as example.com. When you submit, the page completes the web address.
5. Click Continue. If a field has a problem, the step stays open.

Enter the business address

The page asks for the physical address registered to your business.

1. In Street address, start typing your address, then select it. The page fills in City, State, and ZIP.
2. Add Suite / unit if your business has one.
3. Click Continue.

Add the contact person

Carriers reach this person if they have a question. The fields start with your name, your email, and the business phone on file.

1. Check the First name field.
2. Check the Last name field.
3. Check the Email field.
4. Enter the Mobile number with its country code, such as +1 for the US.
5. Change Role at the business or Job title if either is wrong. They start as CEO and Owner.
6. Click Continue.

Describe your texts

Carriers review your answers and example texts, and each written answer needs at least 20 characters.

1. Answer What will you text customers about? with a short description of your messages.
2. Answer How do customers say yes to texts? by describing how they opt in.
3. Edit the two texts under Two example texts to match your messages.
   • The preview fills in Name, Company, and Link with sample values. Submitted texts keep the placeholders.
4. Set the link box and the phone box to match your texts. The link box starts checked, and the phone box starts unchecked.
5. Click Continue.

Review and submit

Submitting sends your details to the phone carriers, so check each group first.

1. Check each group in the summary. Click Edit on a group to change it.
2. Read the statements under Terms.
3. Check I confirm the statements above.
4. Click Submit. It stays disabled until every answer is complete and the terms are checked.
   • If the submission comes back failed or suspended, the page shows an error screen. Click Try again to return to Review. The tax ID is cleared, so enter it again in Business before you submit.
   • If the request fails for another reason, the error screen keeps your answers. Click Try again to return to Review, then submit again.

After a successful submission, the confirmation screen lists Details submitted, Carrier review, and Texting turned on. Carrier review is marked as the current step.

Check the number in Phone & Texting

The Phone & Texting page shows the business number once one is active. Phone and texting settings covers the texting controls.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Phone & Texting. It appears only when your plan includes communications and you can view phone and texting.
3. Find the number under Business number.

What each status means

While your number is active and texting is not approved, a banner appears at the top of Communications.

• Set up texting to message customers: texting is not registered yet. Users with full access see a Set up texting button that opens the form.
• Texting setup in review: phone carriers are reviewing your registration. The banner names the current stage and refreshes on its own while the registration is pending.
• Your texting setup needs changes: the last submission failed. Users with full access see Review and resubmit, which opens the form.
• Texting paused: phone carriers paused your registration. Contact support to restore texting.

Once texting is approved, the banner is gone, and the registration form is no longer available. Text customers covers sending texts.

What each step requires

• Full access: you need it to search for numbers, buy one, and open or submit the form.
• Active number: the form opens only after a business number is active.
• One number: while a business number is active, another purchase is rejected.
• One registration: a new submission is rejected unless the last one failed or none was started.