Per the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), you must have consent from the recipient before sending them a text--even for texts that are purely informational. Recipients provide this consent by opting-in to receiving text messages from your camp. If a parent/staff member has not opted in, you will not be able to send them text messages via CampSite.
There are several different methods available for prompting parents/staff to opt-in to text messages:
When Creating Their Account
Parents can select to opt-in to text messages when they first create their account for the Parent Dashboard (via the Request for Information or New Family Enrollment Form). Upon selecting to opt-in and submitting the form, the parent will be sent a text message asking them to join text messaging with your camp. In order to complete the opt-in process, they must reply YES to this text message.
To add a text messaging opt-in prompt to your Request for Info and New Family Enrollment forms, visit Step 1 of the camper Setup Wizard and set "Present text messaging opt-in?" to Yes.
From the Dashboard
After logging into the Parent Dashboard, parents can access the “My Account” page to opt in to text message notifications.
To opt-in from here, parents need to select the 'opt in to text message notifications' for their account, click 'save changes' at the bottom of the page, and then respond YES to the text message they receive asking them to confirm if they'd like to opt-in to text messages from your camp.
Staff can find their opt in setting in the Messaging preferences tab of the My Account page of their dashboard.
After selecting the 'opt in to text message notifications' and clicking 'save changes' at the bottom of the page, they then must respond YES to the text message they receive asking them to confirm if they'd like to opt-in to text messages from your camp.
Via Individual Text
Admin users can send an opt-in request via text message to an individual parent by navigating to the family's profile page and locating the cellphone icon next to the parent's cellphone number.
When this icon is greyed out, it indicates that the parent is not opted into text messaging.
Double click the cellphone icon to text the parent an opt-in request.
Click "OK" to confirm that you wish to send the request.
The parent will then receive a text message asking them to join text messaging with your camp.
The must reply Yes to confirm. After replying Yes, they'll receive a confirmation message.
Once opted in, the cellphone icon next to the parent's phone number will no longer be greyed out.
Via E-mail
Admin users can also merge an opt-in link into an email message to the family.
When parents click the link, it'll trigger an automated text to their phone, to which they must reply Yes in order to opt in.
To merge an opt-in link into the body of your email:
- Click + Add merge field
- Select the Family Info tab
- Scroll down to the Text Messaging Opt-In URLs section
- Click the relevant field*
*Each parent (primary or divorced) has a unique URL they need to click, so make sure to select the appropriate opt-in URL depending on which parent(s) you're emailing. If a parent clicks a link that's not meant for them (e.g. P1 clicks the opt-in link for P2), the opt-in will not be successful.
Example email
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