How KaiCalls Handles TCPA, Do Not Call, and A2P Compliance

KaiCalls checks consent and the Do Not Call list before every outbound call or text, honors STOP replies instantly, and registers KaiCalls numbers for A2P 10DLC texting before they go live — but none of that makes your business automatically compliant, and using these tools does not make KaiCalls responsible for your legal compliance. These are tools that reduce the chance of a mistake and log the record if anyone ever asks. The responsibility for who you contact, and why, is still yours.

Texting and cold-calling laws have real teeth. TCPA fines run $500 to $1,500 per message, and lawyers actively look for violations to sue over. A single bad batch of texts to numbers that never opted in, or sent from an unregistered number that a carrier flags, can wipe out a year of profit. Most business owners running an automated phone system never intended to break these rules — they just didn't know a Do Not Call check or a carrier registration was required before the first text went out.

This guide covers what KaiCalls actually checks and logs, what it can't decide for you, how to set up your DNC list, how A2P registration is handled, and where the responsibility line sits.

---

Table of Contents

1. What KaiCalls does automatically
2. What this can't do — read this part
3. Setting up your DNC list, step by step
4. How A2P 10DLC registration is handled
5. What it costs
6. FAQ

---

What KaiCalls does automatically

KaiCalls checks three things before it will let an outbound call or text leave your number:

• Consent. KaiCalls logs consent automatically whenever a lead comes in through your phone, your intake form, or an SMS opt-in — who gave it, how they gave it (inbound call, web form, or SMS opt-in), and whether they've since opted out. That timestamp is the record you'd point to if anyone ever challenges whether you had permission.
• The Do Not Call list. Before an outbound call or SMS goes out, KaiCalls scrubs the number against your DNC list for that channel and against the federal Do Not Call registry, and blocks the attempt if it's listed — even if you tell Kai to send it anyway. Checks are channel-aware: a number blocked for SMS only can still receive a call, and vice versa, unless it's blocked for both. DNC takes priority over consent, meaning a listed number stays blocked even with a consent record on file. If a customer says "please stop calling me," you can tell Kai "add this number to my do not call list" and it's handled on the call, or add it from Dashboard > Compliance > DNC List.
• STOP replies. If someone texts back STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, or another standard opt-out word, KaiCalls flags the number as opted out before the next message can leave the queue. They can opt back in by replying START.

Every outbound message, every DNC addition or removal, and every consent change gets logged with a timestamp, so if a customer ever claims you contacted them without permission, there's a record to pull up.

A2P 10DLC is the separate piece that governs whether your texts get delivered at all. Carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) require every business to register a brand and a campaign before they'll reliably deliver application-to-person texts — without it, even a legitimate appointment reminder can get filtered, throttled, or dropped, and an unregistered number can pick up a bad carrier reputation that takes weeks to clean up. If you use a KaiCalls number, KaiCalls adds it to its own approved campaign before the number goes live, so there is nothing for you to file. If you connect your own Twilio account, you register in the Twilio console and the dashboard tracks your status.

What this can't do — read this part

This is not legal advice, and KaiCalls does not make your business TCPA-compliant, DNC-compliant, or A2P-approved by itself. These are tools that check what KaiCalls can see and enforce what you tell it — they don't replace judgment about who you should be contacting in the first place.

A few specifics worth being direct about:

• The DNC list only governs outreach KaiCalls initiates. It does not block inbound calls or texts from the person — they can still call or text you, and Kai answers normally.
• DNC checks and consent logging cover calls and texts launched through KaiCalls. If you build a custom integration on top of the API, that integration is responsible for honoring consent on its own end.
• A DNC entry only works for the channel it's set for. An SMS-only block does not stop a call, and vice versa — if a number still gets contacted, check that the entry covers the right channel and was saved before the outreach ran.
• Carrier review timing is an estimate, not a fixed schedule. Brand review commonly takes 1-2 business days and campaign review 3-5 business days after that, but plan for the process to take up to two weeks end to end.
• If you're not sure whether you can legally contact someone, the tools won't decide that for you. When in doubt, wait for them to reach out first, and consider talking to an attorney about your specific situation.

Setting up your DNC list, step by step

1. Go to Dashboard > Compliance > DNC List.
2. Click Add to open the add-number dialog.
3. Enter the phone number.
4. Choose a reason — customer request, complaint, legal requirement, or a STOP keyword — and add notes if useful for future review.
5. Choose whether the entry blocks SMS, voice, or both.
6. Save. Enforcement applies to outreach from that point forward.

You can also import numbers in bulk when migrating from another system, or search existing entries by phone number when a customer asks about their status. Remove an entry only when you have a valid, documented reason to contact that person again.

How A2P 10DLC registration is handled

Registration has two parts that happen in order: a brand (who your business is) and a campaign (what you text people about and how they opt in). Who files them depends on where your number lives.

If you use a KaiCalls number — which is most businesses — you file nothing. KaiCalls holds an approved brand and a Customer Care campaign with the carriers. Your number is added to that campaign the moment it is provisioned, and it is not activated until that succeeds. Every night the whole number pool is re-checked and any number that dropped out is re-added. Open Dashboard > Compliance > A2P Setup and you should see "SMS Enabled via KaiCalls." The full mechanics are in How KaiCalls Handles A2P 10DLC Registration.

If you connect your own Twilio account, your numbers live in your account, so the carriers need your brand and your campaign. You file both in the Twilio console; the A2P Setup page shows your status and lists what to gather:

1. Your legal business name, EIN, and address — exactly as they appear on your IRS paperwork, not a DBA or trade name.
2. An authorized contact name, email, and phone number.
3. A campaign type (Customer Care, if your texts are replies and follow-ups) and a plain-English description of who you text and why — "marketing" alone will get rejected.
4. Two or more sample messages that match what customers will actually receive, with opt-out language ("Reply STOP to opt out") in at least one.
5. The STOP, START, and HELP keyword replies.
6. A description of how people consent — an inbound call, a web form with a consent checkbox, or an inbound text, not a purchased list — with live URLs the reviewer can check.

Submit the brand first; after it is approved, submit the campaign, then attach every number you text from to the messaging service tied to it. We wrote up the wording that gets approved (and the wording that does not) in How to Write an A2P 10DLC Campaign That Gets Approved.

What it costs

These compliance tools are included on every KaiCalls plan at no extra charge — consent logging, DNC checks, STOP handling, and A2P registration for KaiCalls numbers are all part of the phone system, not add-ons. Current plan pricing is on the pricing page. If you register your own brand and campaign in your own Twilio account, the carriers' registration fees are billed by Twilio, not KaiCalls.

FAQ

Does KaiCalls make my business TCPA-compliant? Not by itself. KaiCalls checks consent and the DNC list before every outbound call or text it sends and logs the record, but compliance depends on decisions only you can make — who you contact and why. This is not legal advice.

Do I need A2P 10DLC registration if I only send appointment reminders, not marketing texts? Yes. Carriers require registration for any application-to-person texting, including reminders, regardless of whether the content is promotional.

What happens if someone on my DNC list calls in? Nothing changes on their end — the DNC list only blocks outreach KaiCalls initiates. Kai still answers their inbound call or text normally.

How long does A2P registration take? Brand review commonly takes 1-2 business days and campaign review another 3-5 business days after that. Plan for up to two weeks end to end and don't schedule a text launch against the optimistic end of that range.

What if a customer says I texted them without permission? Every outbound message is logged with its consent status at the moment it was sent, so you can pull up the record. Whether that record satisfies a specific legal claim is a question for an attorney, not KaiCalls.

---

Set up your DNC list from the dashboard and check your A2P status under Compliance, or call the KaiCalls demo line at (417) 835-0402 to ask Kai how compliance works on your account, or visit kaicalls.com.