Guide
How STOP replies and SMS opt-outs work
Somebody texts STOP, and what you do next decides whether that's the end of it or the start of a complaint. Most of the work is in the follow-through: honouring it straight away, and making sure the number never creeps back onto a list.
What should a business do when someone replies STOP?
Stop texting them marketing and keep their number on a suppression list so it never gets texted again by mistake. The UK GDPR gives people the right to object to direct marketing at any time. In CaptiFi Connect, STOP and the other opt-out words add the number to your opt-out list automatically, cancel pending texts and refuse later sends.
What does STOP mean in a text message?
STOP is the convention for 'no more texts from you, please'. Ofcom's advice to the public is to reply STOP to marketing texts from senders they recognise (and it says they shouldn't be charged for doing so), but not to reply to unknown senders, because a reply confirms the number is active. So a STOP from a customer usually means they know exactly who you are and have had enough.
PECR requires a simple way to refuse marketing in every message, and for texts the ICO's own example is telling people to send a stop message to a code number. Once someone uses it, the ICO treats it as an objection to direct marketing, and you must stop.
Ofcom also tells people they can forward unwanted texts to 7726 for free, and that marketing texts which carry on after they've asked the sender to stop can be reported to the ICO. So a STOP that gets ignored has an obvious next step for the person who sent it, and it isn't one you want them to take.
Which words count as an opt-out?
No law lists the keywords, so each provider recognises its own set. CaptiFi Connect treats these as opt-outs when they are the whole message, in any case, with punctuation ignored:
- STOP
- STOPALL
- STOP ALL
- UNSUBSCRIBE
- CANCEL
- END
- QUIT
- OPTOUT
- OPT OUT
What about replies that aren't a keyword?
START or UNSTOP takes the number off the list again. A sentence, such as 'please stop texting me', isn't matched automatically, because a sentence needs a person to read it. It lands in your inbox like any other reply.
It is still an objection, though, and you should treat it as one. Add the number on the Opt-outs page with a note of what they said. The same goes for opt-outs that arrive another way, by phone or email or in person at the counter. It's still someone telling you to stop, and the safe course is to treat it exactly like a STOP.
How do you make opting out easy?
A few habits make opting out easy for the customer and easy for you to honour:
- Put the opt-out on every marketing text. 'Reply STOP to opt out' is 21 characters, and CaptiFi Connect adds it to campaigns for you.
- Tell people how to opt out when you collect their number, too. The soft opt-in needs an opt-out at that point as well as in every later message.
- If you send from a sender name, use an opt-out that doesn't depend on replying, such as a link to an unsubscribe page with no login.
- Act on opt-outs however they arrive, whether that is a keyword, a sentence or a phone call.
What does UK law expect after an opt-out?
The marketing stops. Article 21 of the UK GDPR gives people the right to object at any time to their data being used for direct marketing, and once they object, the data 'shall no longer be processed for such purposes'. The ICO adds that there are no grounds you can use to refuse an objection to direct marketing.
On timing, the ICO's guidance says that when someone withdraws consent you should stop 'immediately or as soon as possible'. A confirmation message is allowed, but it can't ask the person to do anything to confirm the opt-out.
Opt-outs can be specific to one channel. The ICO notes that someone who unsubscribes from texts may still get your emails, and that's allowed. If a customer's STOP sounds like they want nothing more from you at all, though, stopping everywhere is kinder, and it's safer too.
Should you delete someone who opts out?
No. Keep them on a suppression list. The ICO's guidance is to keep the minimum needed to respect their wishes, marked so it isn't used for marketing, and it explains the risk of deleting with an example: a company deleted a number, later bought a list that contained it, and contacted the person again, breaching PECR.
Because a suppression list exists to respect an objection, the ICO says people don't automatically have a right to be removed from it. It's also different from a screening list, the people you leave out of one campaign because it doesn't suit them, which the ICO counts as processing for direct marketing.
What happens in CaptiFi Connect when someone texts STOP?
When someone replies STOP to one of your texts, the number goes on your account's opt-out list the moment the reply arrives, and the list is checked on every send, whatever the source. Sends from the dashboard, the API and campaigns all go through the same check, so an opted-out number that comes back in an import still isn't texted.
The list covers every text from your account, reminders included. If someone texts STOP to a promotion but still wants appointment reminders, they'll need to text START, and you'll need to keep them off your marketing lists yourself.
How do you keep your other lists clean?
The opt-out list in CaptiFi Connect protects sends from CaptiFi Connect. Your CRM or spreadsheet still has the number, and if anyone texts from somewhere else, or loads an old file into another tool, the opt-out won't follow unless you pass it along.
- Subscribe a webhook to opt_out.created and mark the contact in your own system when it fires.
- If you don't use the API, check the Opt-outs page now and then and update your records by hand.
- Record opt-outs that arrive another way, a phone call or an email, say, by adding the number on the Opt-outs page with a note.
- When you move providers, bring the opt-out list with you and load it before the first send. A contacts export on its own may not include it.
What about texts from a sender name?
Nobody can reply to a text from an alphanumeric sender name, so STOP can't work there. If you send marketing under a name, the opt-out has to be something else that's simple and free (the ICO says people mustn't have to create an account or log in to unsubscribe), and requests that come in that way go onto the opt-out list by hand or through POST /api/v1/opt-outs.
What happens after a STOP in CaptiFi Connect
- 1
The reply arrives
It is matched against the opt-out words as a whole message.
- 2
The number goes on your list
It's added to your account's opt-out list, and an opt_out.created webhook fires if you've set one up.
- 3
Pending texts are cancelled
Anything scheduled or queued for that number is cancelled and the credits are refunded.
- 4
Later sends are refused
Any send that includes the number refuses it before charging, from the dashboard, a campaign or the API.
- 5
Nothing is sent back
CaptiFi Connect doesn't send an automatic confirmation, so the STOP is the last message in the thread.
Opt-out situations and what to do
| What happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| They text STOP or another opt-out word | Nothing in CaptiFi Connect: the number is added and pending texts cancelled. Update your other systems. |
| They text a sentence asking you to stop | Treat it as an opt-out and add the number on the Opt-outs page. |
| They ask by phone, by email or in person | Add the number on the Opt-outs page, with a note of how they asked. |
| They text START or UNSTOP | They come off the list automatically. Only market to them again if you have consent or the soft opt-in applies. |
| They opted out of offers but want reminders | They need to text START, and you keep them off your marketing lists yourself. |
Questions people ask
Is STOP case sensitive?
No. stop, Stop and STOP all count, and punctuation is ignored, as long as the word is the whole message.
Do I have to confirm an opt-out?
No. The ICO says you can send a confirmation if you like, as long as it doesn't ask the person to do anything. CaptiFi Connect doesn't send one, and it refuses later sends to the number.
Can I text someone again after they reply STOP?
Only if they opt back in. Texting START or UNSTOP takes them off your CaptiFi Connect opt-out list, but for marketing you still need consent or the soft opt-in.
Does replying STOP cost the customer anything?
Ofcom tells people they shouldn't be charged for replying STOP to opt out. The ICO's rule is that an opt-out must be free of charge apart from the cost of sending the message.
Should I remove opted-out numbers from my contacts?
Keep them, flagged as opted out. The ICO's guidance is to hold the minimum needed on a suppression list, because a deleted number can come back in a later import or bought list.
Why didn't 'please stop texting me' opt someone out automatically?
Only whole-message keywords are matched automatically. A sentence lands in your inbox. It is still an objection, so add the number to your opt-out list yourself.
What does STOPALL do?
In CaptiFi Connect, the same as STOP: the number goes on your account's opt-out list. Each business keeps its own list, so it doesn't opt the person out of other businesses' texts.
Sources
- ICO: Respect people's preferences
- ICO: How do we comply with the PECR electronic mail marketing rules?
- The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, regulation 22 (legislation.gov.uk)
- UK GDPR, Article 21: right to object (legislation.gov.uk)
- Ofcom: Unwanted calls, texts and emails
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