Getting started with text messaging

eCatholic Connect allows you to send messages to your members via email and SMS text. Here are some resources you can explore to learn more about texting with Connect:

Turn on text messaging - Learn how to a) activate Trial Mode or b) Bring-your-own Twilio account to send unlimited texts with Connect.
How to send a text message in Connect - Take a closer look at how texting works in Connect, from composing a message to the text that is delivered to your members.
What is A2P 10DLC messaging - Information on how to register for A2P 10DLC as well as what it is and how it will benefit your organization.

How to start texting in Connect

Note that texting is not available in the Connect Base plan.

Trial the texting features in Connect

Activating a trial of texting in eCatholic Connect is the easiest way to start exploring how texting works in Connect. The trial will effectively allow you to give it a test run at your organization.

When you start your texting trial, you will be allocated a fixed number of free text messages you can send in Connect.

To send unlimited text messages in Connect from a dedicated local phone number, here are the steps:

Once the steps above are complete, you can enter your Twilio account details in Connect to unlock unlimited texting.

Items needed for Twilio registration

Before you start the Twilio registration process, it is recommended that you prepare the following:

Photo ID - You will be prompted to upload a photo of a government-issued ID (e.g., driver's license or passport) to verify your identity.

See more: Why Twilio requires Photo ID

Credit card information - You will need to provide initial funding (at least $50) to your Twilio account to cover the one-time brand and campaign registration fees.
Your organization's EIN number - This will be required during the Twilio signup process. This is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns in the following format: XX-XXXXXXX.

Texting fees

All SMS billing is managed directly in your Twilio account.

There are three categories of fees associated with A2P 10DLC texting:

One-time Setup fees - These are applied when registering your US A2P Brand and your A2P Use Case the moment they are registered with the Campaign Registry.
Monthly fees - These include an A2P monthly campaign fee as well as the monthly phone number fee charged by Twilio.
Per-message fees - Are charged by carriers for messages sent to users on their networks as well as by Twilio for use of their technology for sending text messages. See Twilio's standard US Messaging pricing to confirm the latest pricing.