MESSAGING IN UNITED STATES
🇺🇸 WhatsApp messaging rules in United States.
The rules that matter when you send WhatsApp marketing, sales and service messages to people in United States, in plain English, checked 28 September 2026.
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Illustrative example. Names and details are made up.
The laws.
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and FCC rules
- State telemarketing laws (“mini-TCPAs”) such as Florida, Oklahoma and Texas
- State privacy laws such as the CCPA/CPRA
THE RULES
What they mean for WhatsApp.
| Rule | What it means for WhatsApp |
|---|---|
| Marketing on WhatsApp | Meta currently doesn’t deliver marketing template messages to US phone numbers. Utility, authentication and service messages still work. |
| Does the TCPA apply? | It’s unsettled whether app-based messages like WhatsApp count as “calls”, and courts disagree on texts. The safe approach is to get clear written consent. |
| Opt-outs | Honour opt-outs made by any reasonable means within 10 business days under FCC rules. From 31 January 2027, an opt-out applies to all your messages, not just the type it replied to. We recommend honouring every opt-out immediately. |
| Quiet hours | Send between 8 am and 9 pm in the recipient’s time zone. Some states are stricter, for example 8 am to 8 pm in Oklahoma. |
| Frequency | Some states limit solicitations to three per 24 hours on the same subject. |
| Privacy | Under state privacy laws, ConvoHut acts as your service provider under the Data Processing Addendum. |
RISK
Enforcement.
TCPA damages are US$500 per violation, up to US$1,500 if wilful, and class actions are common.
META
Plus Meta’s rules, everywhere.
- Opt-in: people must agree to receive WhatsApp messages from your business, and the opt-in must name your business.
- Templates: messages you start outside a customer’s 24-hour window must use approved templates.
- Opt-outs: respect requests to stop, made on WhatsApp or anywhere else.
- A human: give people a way to reach a person.
- No sensitive data requests: never ask for full card numbers, bank account numbers or ID numbers in the chat.
IN THE PRODUCT
How ConvoHut helps.
HOW CONVOHUT HELPS
- A compliance review for each market before an automation or campaign goes live, covering consent, an unsubscribe option in the template and your sender details.
- Every contact has a consent status, visible in the inbox next to the conversation.
- Opt-outs stop journeys for that contact and exclude them from future marketing messages.
- Quiet hours by market, so messages aren’t sent in the middle of the night.
- A confirmation step before any campaign is sent, with the Meta cost shown first.
ConvoHut’s checks help you follow the rules. They don’t replace your own legal obligations, and you’re responsible for the consent you collect and the messages you send.
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