I paid the invoice. Why can I still not send?

Payment is the last step on your side, but it is not the last step. We still have to connect your approved campaign to your number and lift the sending block on your account, and we email you when that is done. If you have paid and heard nothing, email support and we will finish it.

Can I receive texts before all this is finished?

Yes. Incoming texts work as soon as you pick your number. It is outgoing texts that wait for registration.

Why am I paying the carriers at all? I thought this was included.

The work is included. The fees are not ours to waive. US carriers charge every business that texts from a US number, through every provider, and we pass those charges through at cost rather than marking them up. What we do not charge you for is the filing itself.

Does the monthly fee mean I am on a subscription now?

No. The monthly campaign fee is the carriers keeping your number registered. Texts are still prepaid credits that you buy when you want them, and we have no monthly plan.

How long does the whole thing take?

The carrier review is the long part, at 2 to 10 business days. Everything else moves quickly. Filing on the day you sign up is the single thing that gets you sending sooner.

Is there a limit on what I can send at first?

New accounts start with a daily sending limit. It protects your number from being flagged for a sudden spike in its first weeks, which is the fastest way to lose the deliverability you just registered for. The limit is raised by us, not automatically, so if you have a send coming that will not fit inside it, email support before the send rather than during it.

What if the carriers reject my registration?

We tell you what they objected to and what to change, your registration form reopens, and the corrected version goes back to the carriers. The most common causes are a business name that does not match the EIN, and sample messages that do not show how people opted in.

Getting started

From signing up to your first text

Before a business can text from a US number, the phone carriers have to register it. We do that filing for you. Here is every step, who does it, and what it costs.

The seven steps

Of the seven, four are yours, two are ours, and one belongs to the carriers.

1

Create your account and pick a number
You , Minutes

Sign up, confirm your mobile number, and choose the local or toll-free number your texts will come from. The number is yours from that moment.
2

Fill in the registration form
You , About 5 minutes

One form in the dashboard: your business details, your EIN, and a sample of the texts you plan to send. This is the information the phone carriers require before any business can text from a US number.
3

We file it with the carriers
Pony Express

We file your brand and campaign registration with the carriers for you, and answer them on your behalf if they come back with questions. There is nothing for you to file yourself.
4

The carriers review it
Phone carriers , 2 to 10 business days

The carriers, not us, decide. If they reject it, we tell you what they objected to and what to change, and the form reopens so it can go back in.
5

Pay the carrier fees
You , Minutes

Once the carriers approve, we email you their invoice: a one-time vetting fee and the monthly campaign fee. These go to the carriers, not to us. Paying is the last step on your side.
6

We connect your number and switch sending on
Pony Express , After payment

We link your approved campaign to your number and lift the sending block on your account. You get an email the moment it is done. This step is ours, not yours, so if you have paid and a business day has passed without word from us, chase us.
7

Send
You

Your account starts with 100 free credits. Start with a small test group before your first real send.

What you pay, and to whom

Only the credits are ours. Every other line here is a carrier charge that we pass through at what it costs us.

One-time vetting fee $49: Charged once, by the carriers, to verify your business. It is $44 vetting plus $5 brand registration. A toll-free number is $55 instead. Nonprofits do not pay this one; see below.
Monthly campaign fee $4.50 to $12 a month: The carriers charge this for as long as your number stays registered. The exact amount depends on your use case, and your invoice names yours. A toll-free number is $3.50 a month.
Credits for your texts From $13: You buy credits when you want them. One credit sends one 160-character text segment, and a picture message uses 2 credits. There is no subscription and no monthly minimum. Every package is on the pricing page.
If a registration is rejected $20: Charged by the carriers only if they reject your campaign and it has to be filed again.
Nonprofits and government $50: Nonprofits and government entities register as Standard Brands instead, which the carriers charge $50 once, in place of the $49 vetting fee rather than on top of it. The carriers put Standard Brands through more vetting, and in return may charge lower fees or allow higher sending throughput. Registered nonprofits also get 1,000 free credits from us.

Every credit package and the per-text rate are on the pricing page. How credits are used and topped up is in the credits guide.

What we handle for you

Included in your account, at no extra charge.

Filing your brand and campaign registration with the carriers
Answering the carriers on your behalf, and telling you what to change if they reject it
Connecting the approved campaign to your number
Your dedicated number, with no monthly charge from us
Two-way texting, keywords, auto-replies, groups and campaigns
Opt-out handling and the compliance record that goes with it

Questions we get at this stage

I paid the invoice. Why can I still not send?: Payment is the last step on your side, but it is not the last step. We still have to connect your approved campaign to your number and lift the sending block on your account, and we email you when that is done. If you have paid and heard nothing, email support and we will finish it.
Can I receive texts before all this is finished?: Yes. Incoming texts work as soon as you pick your number. It is outgoing texts that wait for registration.
Why am I paying the carriers at all? I thought this was included.: The work is included. The fees are not ours to waive. US carriers charge every business that texts from a US number, through every provider, and we pass those charges through at cost rather than marking them up. What we do not charge you for is the filing itself.
Does the monthly fee mean I am on a subscription now?: No. The monthly campaign fee is the carriers keeping your number registered. Texts are still prepaid credits that you buy when you want them, and we have no monthly plan.
How long does the whole thing take?: The carrier review is the long part, at 2 to 10 business days. Everything else moves quickly. Filing on the day you sign up is the single thing that gets you sending sooner.
Is there a limit on what I can send at first?: New accounts start with a daily sending limit. It protects your number from being flagged for a sudden spike in its first weeks, which is the fastest way to lose the deliverability you just registered for. The limit is raised by us, not automatically, so if you have a send coming that will not fit inside it, email support before the send rather than during it.
What if the carriers reject my registration?: We tell you what they objected to and what to change, your registration form reopens, and the corrected version goes back to the carriers. The most common causes are a business name that does not match the EIN, and sample messages that do not show how people opted in.

Still stuck

Email support@ponyexpresshq.com with the number you registered and a person will tell you exactly which step you are on. The compliance guide covers what your messages themselves have to say, and the FAQ covers the rest.

Start the clock

The carrier review is the only slow part, so the sooner the form is in, the sooner you send. 100 free credits, your own number, no subscription.

Start free

From signing up to your first text

The seven steps

Create your account and pick a number

Fill in the registration form

We file it with the carriers

The carriers review it

Pay the carrier fees

We connect your number and switch sending on

Send

What you pay, and to whom

What we handle for you

Questions we get at this stage

Still stuck