Set up text reminders (SMS)

GRIT’s texting runs on your practice’s own local phone number with two-way messaging and automatic appointment reminders. Before any of that can work, US carriers require your business to be registered with The Campaign Registry (TCR) — a one-time process GRIT walks you through in three steps. The forms take a few minutes; the approvals take longer, and the waiting is normal.

Before you start

• Your legal business name exactly as it appears on your IRS EIN filing — a mismatch here is the #1 cause of rejection.
• Your EIN. (Sole proprietor without an EIN? There’s a checkbox for that.)
• Your practice website address.

Step 1 — Business verification

1. Go to Settings → SMS.
2. Fill in your legal business name, entity type, EIN, and website. If you already entered your EIN in practice settings, it’s pre-filled.
3. Click Submit to TCR.

GRIT then shows a waiting screen while TCR verifies your business. This usually clears within minutes to a couple of business days, and GRIT re-checks automatically — you don’t need to sit on the page.

Step 2 — Message campaign

Once your business is verified, TCR wants to know what you’ll send:

1. Write a short, plain description — for example: “We send SMS appointment reminders and two-way messages to patients who opted in through our patient portal.”
2. Pick your primary opt-in method (portal checkbox, paper intake, verbal, or text keyword).
3. Click Submit Campaign.

GRIT registers you as Low Volume Mixed — the right choice for almost every solo practice: cheaper, faster to approve, with a 2,000-messages/day ceiling you’ll never hit. Campaign review typically takes a few business days, occasionally up to two weeks. Again: GRIT polls the status for you.

Step 3 — Pick your number

When the campaign is approved, search available local numbers by area code and claim one. That number is yours — patients see it on every text and can reply to it.

Turn on reminders

With your number active, the SMS settings page unlocks:

• SMS enabled — the master switch for the practice.
• Short name — how your practice signs its texts (e.g. “ABC Chiro”).
• Appointment reminders — toggle them on and pick when they send: 24 hours, 48 hours, and/or 1 week before the visit. Reminders are created and sent automatically; if an appointment is rescheduled or cancelled, its reminders follow.

Patient consent

Texting is consent-based, and GRIT enforces it:

• A patient only receives texts after consent is recorded on their chart — open the patient’s Text tab to opt them in (portal, paper, or verbal consent).
• STOP, HELP, and START keywords are handled automatically, including the required confirmation messages. A STOP is honored instantly, no staff action needed.
• Every consent and opt-out is stored with how and when it happened — your audit trail if a carrier or patient ever asks.

Troubleshooting

• My business verification was rejected. Nine times out of ten the legal name doesn’t exactly match the IRS filing tied to your EIN. Fix the name (or the EIN) and resubmit — the form reopens with your previous answers.
• It’s been a week and my campaign is still pending. Annoying, but within normal range for carrier review. If it goes past two weeks, contact support and we’ll chase it.
• A patient says they never get reminders. Check their Text tab: they need a recorded opt-in, and their reminder is only scheduled if the appointment was created while reminders were enabled.