What is an audit notice?

An audit notice is a report sent to noncompliant short code programs that outlines violations and necessary steps to make the program compliant. These reports are issued by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), which regularly checks SMS programs across the US to make sure they’re up to standard.

If a program doesn’t meet the guidelines, the sender will receive an audit notice that contains the following:

The individual violations are determined based on the standards outlined in the CTIA compliance handbook.

Audit notice severity levels and penalties

All audit notices are assigned a severity level, determined by the potential harm it may bring to the consumers:

  • Level 0: This level is reserved for the most severe offenses, which include blatant noncompliance with the regulations and an intent to cause extreme consumer harm. It results in an immediate suspension of a short code. Examples of these offenses include using language that promotes S.H.A.F.T., messaging without prior consent, and not complying with opt-out requests.
  • Level 1: These are the offenses that may cause serious consumer harm. The CTIA sanctions Level 1 offenses by sending a notice to carriers detailing the violation, allowing them to determine the appropriate penalty. Examples include intellectual property violations, improper use of the term “free,” and not displaying the STOP keyword.
  • Level 2: These refer to actions that may result in moderate harm to the consumer. The same procedure used to sanction Level 1 offenses is applied to Level 2 violations. Offenses of this kind include failing to mention that data rates may apply and failure to reply to the “HELP” keyword.

Failing to pass the audit will lead to penalties, from temporary suspension to monetary fines. If your short code gets suspended, it usually takes at least 30 days to reactivate it, as it has to go through the setup process again. The exact time can vary based on the severity of the violation and how quickly the issue gets resolved.

Want to avoid audits and run successful SMS and MMS campaigns via short codes? With Klaviyo, a marketing automation platform, you can streamline the short code application process, write compliant messages with Klaviyo AI, and set up your flows to run on autopilot while you focus on other tasks.

Sign up for Klaviyo today and boost your SMS marketing strategy with short codes. 

Additional resources