Marketers should clearly communicate to consumers how to opt-in or out of receiving mobile messages--and the costs of receiving alerts, ads, or subscription services, according to a set of best
practices guidelines released Tuesday by the Mobile Marketing Association. For premium services, which require the user to pay an extra fee in addition to their standard SMS rates, the guidelines
require the marketer to state the price, and ask users if they are sure they want the services. The guidelines also touch on unsolicited messages, saying that approval from the subscriber must be
explicitly obtained, and approval must be given for each specific program--information promoting other programs cannot be sent because a customer opted-in for a different program.
--Shankar
Gupta
