SMS Marketing via WiFi Capture: Setup & Compliance Guide

Key Takeaways: SMS campaigns sent to WiFi-captured phone numbers achieve 98% open rates and 36% click-through rates — 5x higher than email. But SMS compliance is stricter: TCPA violations carry penalties of $500–$1,500 per unsolicited message. The captive portal must include explicit SMS opt-in language with clear disclosure. MyWiFi's SMS automation (via Twilio) supports triggers, delays, and segmentation. SMS campaigns cost $0.05/message but deliver $4–$8 per message in attributed revenue for local businesses (Attentive Mobile Commerce Report, 2025).

SMS is the channel your clients wish they could use but don't know how to start. The open rate speaks for itself: 98% of text messages are read within 3 minutes (Gartner, 2024). Compare that to email's 21% average open rate and you understand why every restaurant owner, gym manager, and retail store director wants to "do texts."

The problem has always been list building. You can't buy SMS lists (illegal under TCPA). You can't import phone numbers from email lists without separate SMS consent (also illegal). You need explicit, documented opt-in specifically for text message marketing.

WiFi captive portals solve this cleanly. The guest enters their phone number on the portal, checks the SMS opt-in box, and connects. Consent documented. Phone number captured. Automation triggered. All in the 8 seconds it takes to get online.

The Compliance Landscape (Non-Negotiable)

Before a single text goes out, you need to understand the regulatory framework. SMS compliance isn't optional — it's existential. A single TCPA class action can generate seven-figure settlements.

TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) — United States

The TCPA requires:

1. •Prior express written consent for marketing SMS messages
2. •Clear disclosure of what the recipient is signing up for
3. •Opt-out mechanism in every message (reply STOP)
4. •Message frequency disclosure (e.g., "Up to 4 msgs/month")
5. •Standard rate disclosure ("Msg & data rates may apply")
6. •Identification of the sender in or accompanying the message

Penalties: $500 per unsolicited message, $1,500 per willful violation. Class action lawsuits are common.

CASL (Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation)

Similar to TCPA but with implied consent provisions. Express consent is required for marketing messages. Penalties up to $10M CAD per violation.

GDPR (EU/UK)

SMS marketing requires explicit consent under a lawful basis. Right to erasure applies. Data processing agreements required. Penalties up to 4% of global revenue.

10DLC Registration (US-Specific, 2024+)

Since 2024, all US business SMS campaigns sent via standard 10-digit phone numbers must be registered through The Campaign Registry (TCR). This affects how you configure Twilio for WiFi SMS:

• •Register your brand with TCR
• •Register each campaign type (marketing, transactional)
• •Await approval (3–15 business days)
• •Failure to register results in message filtering or blocking by carriers

MyWiFi's Twilio integration handles message delivery, but 10DLC registration is the reseller's (or client's) responsibility. Factor this into your onboarding timeline.

Captive Portal SMS Opt-In Configuration

The portal is your consent mechanism. Get it right.

Required Portal Elements

Phone number field: Required input field with country code selector. Use phone number validation to reject obviously fake numbers (555-xxxx, single digits, etc.).

SMS consent checkbox: Separate from the general marketing consent. Must be unchecked by default (opt-in, not opt-out). Language example:

☐ I agree to receive promotional text messages from [Venue Name] at the number provided. Up to 4 msgs/month. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to cancel. [Terms] [Privacy Policy]

Consent record: MyWiFi logs the consent with timestamp, IP address, portal version, and exact consent language displayed. This record is your defense in a TCPA dispute.

Configuration in MyWiFi

1. •Splash page editor: Add phone number field (required or optional)
2. •Add SMS consent checkbox with compliant language
3. •Configure Twilio integration (Account SID + Auth Token)
4. •Set up 10DLC registration for the sending phone number
5. •Test the flow: Submit portal → verify phone capture → verify consent logged → send test SMS

Phone Number Verification

Optional but recommended: send an OTP (one-time password) to the phone number during portal login. This verifies the number is real and active before it enters your SMS list. MyWiFi supports SMS OTP verification via Twilio.

The tradeoff: OTP adds ~10 seconds to the portal flow and drops completion by 5–8%. For high-value SMS campaigns, the verified-number quality justifies the conversion hit.

Building SMS Campaigns

Campaign Types That Work

Message Structure

SMS has a 160-character limit (before splitting into multi-part). Every character counts.

Anatomy of a high-converting SMS:

[Venue Name]: [Offer/hook]. [Expiration]. [CTA or link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Example:

Joe's Grill: Free appetizer with any entrée this week. Expires Sun. Show this text to redeem. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

That's 134 characters. Under the limit, clear offer, urgency, CTA, and required opt-out.

Frequency Guidelines

The fastest way to kill an SMS list is over-messaging. Benchmarks:

Source: Attentive 2025 SMS Marketing Benchmark Report.

Recommendation: cap at 4 messages per month (1/week) for marketing campaigns. Transactional messages (order confirmations, appointment reminders) don't count toward this cap.

Automation Workflows in MyWiFi

Welcome SMS Flow

• •Trigger: First WiFi connection + SMS consent = true
• •Delay: 1 hour
• •Action: Send SMS via Twilio with welcome offer
• •Tag: "sms-welcome-sent"
• •Frequency cap: Once per guest, ever

Birthday SMS Flow

• •Trigger: Birthday field matches current date
• •Delay: 9:00 AM on birthday
• •Action: Send SMS with birthday offer
• •Tag: "sms-birthday-[year]"
• •Frequency cap: Once per year

Win-Back SMS Flow

• •Trigger: No WiFi connection in 28 days + visit count ≥ 2
• •Delay: Immediate
• •Action: Send SMS with win-back offer
• •Tag: "sms-winback-sent"
• •Frequency cap: Once per 90 days

Broadcast (Flash Sale) SMS

• •Type: Manual broadcast to segment
• •Segment: All SMS-opted-in guests within 10km radius (or tagged with specific location)
• •Timing: Send during business hours only (TCPA quiet hours: before 8 AM and after 9 PM in recipient's time zone)

Cost Analysis for Resellers

SMS isn't free. Here's the unit economics:

Effective cost per message (including carrier fees, Twilio markup, and opt-out handling): approximately $0.03–$0.05 per message.

For a client sending 500 messages/month: $15–$25 in variable costs.

Pricing the SMS Service to Clients

Your margin on the Starter tier: ~$74/month per client (after $25 in message costs). Scale that across 30 clients and SMS adds $2,220/month to your MRR.

Income Disclaimer: Revenue figures are illustrative examples. Actual results depend on client count, message volume, pricing strategy, and market conditions. MyWiFi Networks does not guarantee specific revenue outcomes.

SMS + Email: The Multi-Channel Play

Don't position SMS as a replacement for email. Position it as a complementary channel:

• •Email for content-rich campaigns: newsletters, event announcements, loyalty program updates, detailed offers
• •SMS for time-sensitive, high-urgency messages: flash sales, same-day offers, appointment reminders, review requests

The combo outperforms either channel alone. Omnisend's 2025 Marketing Automation Report found that campaigns using both SMS and email achieve 47.7% higher conversion rates than email-only campaigns.

Configure your MyWiFi automations to use the right channel for each campaign type. The automation engine supports multi-channel workflows within a single flow — e.g., send email on day 1, follow up with SMS on day 3 if email wasn't opened.

Handling Opt-Outs and List Hygiene

STOP Handling

Every SMS must include opt-out instructions. Twilio automatically handles STOP keyword responses and removes the number from your active list. But you also need to:

1. •Update the guest's profile in MyWiFi (tag as "sms-opted-out")
2. •Ensure opted-out guests don't receive SMS from any automation flow
3. •Never re-opt-in a guest who has texted STOP — they must re-consent through the portal

List Cleaning

Monthly, review your SMS list for:

• •Undeliverable numbers (carrier rejected) — remove after 2 consecutive failures
• •Landline numbers — can't receive SMS; remove them
• •Duplicate numbers — merge guest profiles
• •Inactive numbers — no engagement in 6+ months; move to suppression list

A clean list improves deliverability rates and reduces costs. Twilio charges for attempted delivery even if the message fails.

Common Compliance Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using a generic marketing consent checkbox for SMS. SMS requires separate, specific consent language mentioning text messages, frequency, and data rates. A checkbox that says "I agree to receive marketing communications" is NOT sufficient for TCPA compliance.

Mistake 2: Texting outside quiet hours. TCPA restricts marketing texts to 8 AM – 9 PM in the recipient's time zone. Configure your automation engine to respect time zones. MyWiFi's scheduling includes time-zone-aware delivery.

Mistake 3: Not disclosing the sender. Every marketing SMS must identify who's sending it. "[Venue Name]:" at the beginning of the message satisfies this requirement.

Mistake 4: Re-messaging opted-out subscribers. If a guest texts STOP and then reconnects to WiFi later, do NOT re-add them to the SMS list. The opt-out persists regardless of subsequent portal interactions.

Mistake 5: Skipping 10DLC registration. Unregistered campaigns face aggressive carrier filtering. Messages simply don't get delivered. Register before launching any campaign.

FAQ

What plans include SMS capability?

SMS campaigns via Twilio are available on the Pro plan ($199/month) and above. You'll need your own Twilio account — MyWiFi connects to it via API. SMS message costs are billed directly by Twilio, not by MyWiFi.

Can I use the same phone number for multiple client locations?

Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Each location should have its own phone number for proper 10DLC campaign registration and to avoid confusion when guests reply. At $1.15/month per number, the cost is trivial.

How do I handle SMS for Canadian clients (CASL)?

CASL requires express consent similar to TCPA. The portal consent language should reference Canadian regulations. Key difference: CASL recognizes implied consent for existing business relationships (6 months from purchase, 24 months from inquiry), but express consent is always safer.

What's the best time to send promotional SMS?

Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 AM – 1 PM (lunch consideration) or 4 PM – 6 PM (dinner consideration) for restaurants. For retail, Fridays at 11 AM and Saturdays at 10 AM drive highest engagement. Never send before 9 AM or after 8 PM (keep a 1-hour buffer on TCPA quiet hours).

Can I send MMS (picture messages) through WiFi automation?

Yes, MyWiFi's Twilio integration supports MMS. MMS messages cost approximately $0.02–$0.03 per message (higher than SMS). Use MMS for visual offers — a photo of the dish, the event flyer, or a coupon graphic. MMS achieves 15% higher engagement than text-only SMS (SimpleTexting, 2025).

How do I prove SMS compliance in a TCPA dispute?

MyWiFi logs the consent record: timestamp, IP address, portal version, exact consent language, and the guest's action (checkbox ticked + phone number submitted). Export this record as evidence. This documented consent trail is your primary defense.