How to fix SMS verification rejections

If SMS verification rejects your submission, a banner appears in your merchant portal explaining why. 

Use this guide to review common rejection reasons and fix them before you resubmit.

Before you resubmit

• Review the rejection reason shown in your banner or email.
• Make the required updates to your website or submission.
• Ensure your opt-in flow and business details are accurate and complete.

Rejection reasons and how to fix them

Your opt-in does not meet consent requirements for marketing messages

What this means: Your current opt-in flow doesn’t meet consent requirements for marketing SMS.

What to fix: Update your Shopify Checkout settings to add an unchecked checkbox with clear language stating customers agree to receive marketing SMS. Consent cannot be pre-selected or bundled with other terms.

The contact name provided is not a valid business representative

What this means: The contact name submitted appears to be generic or not tied to a real person.

What to fix: Replace generic names, such as “Admin” or “Support,” with the full first and last name of an authorized business representative.

Your website URL could not be accessed

What this means: The website you provided could not be reached.

What to fix: Check that the URL is correct, the site is live, and there are no typos or broken links.

Your website does not appear to be fully established

What this means: Your site may be incomplete or not ready for review.

What to fix: Ensure the site is live and publicly accessible, and that it includes clear business information. “Coming soon” or empty pages will not pass verification.

Your opt-in checkbox is pre-selected, which is not valid consent

What this means: Customers are automatically opted in without taking action.

What to fix: Remove the pre-selection. Customers must actively opt in, and the checkbox must be unchecked by default.

Your business name does not match official records or your website

What this means: The business name in your submission is inconsistent.

What to fix: Ensure your legal business name matches across your submission and your website.

The opt-in screenshot or example you provided is incomplete or unclear

What this means: Your submitted example does not clearly show your opt-in flow.

What to fix: Provide a full screenshot of your entire opt-in flow, including visible branding and readable text. Avoid cropped or blurry images.

Your website could not be reviewed because it requires a login

What this means: Reviewers cannot access your site.

What to fix: Make your site publicly accessible, or provide screenshots of the relevant pages in your submission.

Your opt-in language does not match how you plan to use SMS

What this means: Your opt-in messaging does not align with your intended SMS use, such as marketing or transactional messages.

What to fix: Update your opt-in copy to clearly describe the types of messages customers will receive. Consent and use case must match.

Your submission was flagged due to restricted content or business category

What this means: Your business or messaging may fall under a restricted category.

What to fix: Review whether your business involves restricted categories, such as alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or adult content. Ensure required disclaimers, age restrictions, and compliance elements are included. Contact the Recharge support team if you believe this was flagged in error, as these rejections cannot be resubmitted.

Other verification rejections

If your rejection reason isn’t listed above or you need more help, contact the Recharge support team with details of your submission and any updates you’ve made.