SMS compliance regulations (US & Canada)

If you send SMS messages to customers in the United States or Canada, you must comply with specific regulations. Firepush helps you stay compliant, but it is your responsibility to ensure your store meets these requirements.

United States — TCPA

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is enforced by the FCC.

• Express written consent required before sending marketing messages
• Messages only allowed between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM in the recipient's local time
• Must include opt-out instructions (reply STOP to unsubscribe)
• Must honor opt-out requests immediately
• Consent cannot be a condition of purchase
• Age-restricted products are prohibited

Penalties: $500 per violation, up to $1,500 per willful violation, plus risk of class action lawsuits.

Canada — CASL

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) is enforced by the CRTC.

• Express consent required for marketing messages
• Must clearly identify yourself as the sender
• Must include an unsubscribe mechanism
• Double opt-in may be required for short code messaging
• 10DLC registration is not required for Canadian-to-Canadian messaging

Penalties: Up to $1 million for individuals, up to $10 million for businesses.

How Firepush helps

• Firepush automatically enforces quiet hours — messages are held and sent when allowed
• Every SMS includes an unsubscribe option automatically
• STOP, END, QUIT, CANCEL, and UNSUBSCRIBE keywords are processed automatically
• Customer consent status is synced from Shopify

Best practices

• Keep records of when and how consent was obtained
• Never purchase or rent subscriber lists
• Always include your store name in messages using the [shop] variable
• Review our TCPA compliance overview before enabling SMS