Get your church's texting number approved
Before any church can text its people, US phone carriers ask it to register who it is and what it will send. It's a carrier rule, not an Aligned one. You fill in one short form and Aligned files it for you, so start early: the filing keeps moving while you set up everything else.
1/6 · Open Manage, then choose Messages from the page menu
Good to know
- Registering in the chat? Fill in the EIN and the contact phone even though the chat lets you skip them. The filing can't go ahead without either, so leaving one out puts it on hold.
- This is the same registration as a dedicated text-to-give number, so you only ever file once. When your number is live and you have a giving page, people can give by texting it.
- The pill next to Text messaging reads Submitted, then Pending carrier approval, then Live with your number.
If it’s not working
It says “A few things the filing can't go without are marked below.”
Each missing or mistyped item is named in red under its own field, like “The filing needs the church's EIN — nine digits.” or “Two letters, like TX.” Fix those, then press Submit for registration again.
It's been days and it still says Pending carrier approval
That's normal. The carriers' review is the slow part and nothing is missing on your side. Two weeks from start to finish isn't unusual. You're emailed the moment the number is live. If it seems stuck, press Help at the bottom of the left rail and someone can check which stage it's at.
The card says On hold, or that the carriers sent it back
The card names the one thing that needs fixing. Press Edit & resubmit, correct it, and submit again. Your other answers are kept.
It says “Ready to make this live?”
Registering a texting number waits until your church has finished setup. Press Setup at the top of the screen, finish it, then come back to Messages.
Next, you might want to
- Text your whole church or one groupSend a text from your church's own number to everyone, one list or one group, once your number is approved.
- Fix a texting registration that needs somethingWhen your texting registration is on hold or the carriers send it back, fix the one thing named and resubmit. Your other answers are saved.
- Handle STOP replies and texting consentWhat happens when someone texts STOP to your church's number, how they opt back in, and which part of consent stays your church's job.