Before sending any message, ensure it complies with our Terms of Service and the restrictions below.
Prohibited Messaging Categories
High-risk financial services
Messaging related to high-risk or regulated financial products is not allowed. This includes:
Payday loans
Short-term high-interest loans
New loan solicitations
Student loans
Cryptocurrency
Stock trading and investment platforms
Third-party loans (e.g., auto, mortgage)
Third-party lead generation services
Companies, NGOs, or political campaigns that buy, sell, or share consumer information
Affiliate lending and marketing
Deceptive marketing practices
Debt collection, forgiveness, consolidation, reduction, or relief services
Credit/debt repair
Health insurance solicitation
Tax relief programs
Third-party debt collection*
📌 Note: A business can send messages about its own debt collection efforts if the recipient has opted in. However, third-party debt collectors cannot use SMS for debt collection.
“Get rich quick” schemes & MLM
Messages promoting high-risk financial opportunities or misleading job offers are not allowed, including:
Work-from-home programs
Risky investment opportunities
Pyramid schemes
Mystery shopping programs
Multi-level marketing (MLM) recruitment
Illegal substances & restricted products
Messages about the sale, promotion, or distribution of regulated substances are prohibited, including:
Cannabis and CBD (Prohibited in both the US and Canada, regardless of legality in specific states)
Fireworks
Kratom
Vapes & E-cigarettes
Paraphernalia products
📌 Note: Cannabis, CBD, Kratom, or drug paraphernalia businesses cannot use SMS/MMS messaging on Beside in the US or Canada - regardless of message content or purpose (even for two-factor authentication (2FA))
Prescription drugs
Messaging related to the sale or promotion of any prescription-only medication is not allowed.
This applies to all drugs that cannot be sold over the counter in the US or Canada.
Gambling & betting
Messaging related to gambling, betting, and related activities is not permitted, including:
Casino apps
Gambling websites
Sweepstakes
50/50 raffles
Betting and sports picks
📌 Note: Gambling-related traffic is prohibited in the US and Canada on all number types (Toll-Free, Local Numbers).
S.H.A.F.T. categories
The following content is restricted under industry-wide S.H.A.F.T. rules:
Sexually explicit content, including the promotion of or engagement in sexual services (e.g. prostitution, escort services, etc.)
Hate speech or discriminatory content
Alcohol*
Firearms
Tobacco, vapes, or e-cigarettes
📌 Note - Alcohol exception: Alcohol-related messaging is only allowed on Toll-Free, Short Code, and Long Code numbers in the US if proper age verification procedures are in place.
Fraud, spam & phishing
Messages intended to deceive, defraud, or manipulate recipients are strictly prohibited, including:
Phishing attempts (impersonating legitimate brands or institutions to steal information)
Spam (unsolicited bulk messaging)
Any content designed to defraud recipients
Enforcement & consequences
Beside takes compliance seriously to ensure a safe and lawful messaging environment. If your messages violate our prohibited messaging policies, the following actions may be taken:
⚠️ First Violation: you will receive a warning explaining the issue.
🚫 Repeated or Severe Violations: your account may be permanently banned.
We encourage all users to review these policies carefully to avoid any disruptions.