Calls, SMS and AI voice agents

In the US, sales calls are limited to set local hours, marketing texts and artificial-voice calls need prior consent, and business texting needs carrier registration. TCPA calling hours by state gives the federal window and the stricter states. Are AI voice calls legal under the TCPA explains the consent each call type needs since AI voices were classed as artificial voices. SMS marketing for small business covers consent and timing for texts, and the Do Not Call Registry for business covers the 31-day scrub, fees and exemptions for sales calls. The table below summarises the numbers from each guide.

To text customers from software in the US, a standard 10-digit number must be registered for A2P 10DLC, and a toll-free number must pass toll-free verification; unregistered traffic is filtered or blocked. A2P 10DLC registration cost lists the brand, campaign and monthly fees and which tier fits which business. Toll-free verification covers the required fields, review times and common rejection codes. Register before you launch missed-call text-back or SMS campaigns, not after.

A small business phone setup needs a local or toll-free number, routing to whoever is available, a voicemail that sets expectations, and an instant reply when a call is missed. Business phone numbers for small business covers numbers, routing and voicemail. Missed-call text-back gives setup steps and templates, and an AI receptionist can answer common questions out of hours. If outbound calls go unanswered, check whether your calls show as Spam Likely and how to fix it.

Cold calling works for a small business when it follows a short script, a fixed daily routine and a clear voicemail and follow-up plan. Cold calling for small business covers the script, voicemail and routine. Call only inside the legal calling hours for each state, and keep your numbers healthy so calls don't show as Spam Likely. Log every call in your CRM so follow-ups don't depend on memory.

AI voice agents can answer and make calls, handle common questions, qualify leads and book appointments, and should hand over to a person for anything sensitive or unusual. AI receptionists for small business covers what to let one answer and when to transfer. AI voice agents for lead qualification covers outbound and inbound qualifying calls. Before any outbound AI calling, read the TCPA consent rules for AI calls.

AI voice agents are billed per minute of call time, and the real rate stacks the platform fee with speech, language-model and telephony costs. AI voice agent cost per minute breaks those layers down. Platform guides: Bland AI pricing and plan caps and Retell AI per-minute costs. Head-to-heads: Retell AI vs Vapi and Bland AI vs Retell AI. To compare every option at once, see Vapi alternatives.

Use text and WhatsApp for short, timely follow-ups to people who have agreed to hear from you, and keep longer selling for calls and email. SMS marketing for small business covers consent, send times and copy. WhatsApp for sales covers its messaging rules, templates and follow-up. Missed-call text-back is often the first text automation worth setting up, because it reaches people who have just tried to call you.