Important note: This Help Center article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Text In Church does not provide legal guidance or guarantee compliance with any laws or mobile carrier requirements. Every church’s situation is unique, and we strongly recommend consulting with a qualified legal professional when creating or updating your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Text In Church assumes no liability for policies created using the suggestions below.
Why is this required?
As we share in our A2P 10DLC registration article, these requirements are part of the mobile carriers’ approval process and aren’t specific to Text In Church.
Major carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T regulate how organizations send text messages through software platforms. Due to an increase in spam and scams, they now require additional verification to confirm that organizations:
Collect and use personal data responsibly
Only send messages to people who have clearly opted in
Protect subscriber information and respect opt-out rights
As part of this verification process, carriers review your church website to confirm that these practices are clearly documented. This is why they require publicly accessible links to a Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, even if your website is not where text opt-ins are collected.
What do carriers require on my website?
Carriers require public, easy-to-find links to:
A Privacy Policy
A Terms of Use (also called Terms & Conditions)
These links are usually placed in your website footer.
What must the Privacy Policy explain?
Your Privacy Policy should clearly tell visitors:
How personal data is collected, used, stored, and protected
What people are agreeing to when they opt in to messages
How they can opt out of messages
The carriers are specifically looking for verbiage in your Privacy Policy that confirms that mobile phone numbers and opt-in data are not shared or sold to third parties for marketing purposes.
What if we don’t collect text opt-ins on our website?
Even if your church collects opt-ins in person with paper forms or verbal consent and doesn’t connect your website directly to Text In Church, the carriers still require these policies to be linked on your website and publicly accessible as part of their verification process.
How can my church create these quickly?
If you don’t already have these documents, common options include:
Using an online policy generator, like Termly (no affiliation with Text In Church, but has many good reviews)
Customizing a privacy policy or terms template
Working with a legal professional
You are responsible for ensuring these documents accurately reflect your church’s practices.
Final notes
We understand that navigating these requirements can feel confusing or frustrating. The request for a Privacy Policy and Terms of Use is simply part of the broader approval process used by mobile carriers for mass text messaging. While we can’t provide legal guidance on the content of these documents, we’re here to walk alongside you and help make sure everything is set up smoothly so your messages can reliably reach your people.