What happens when you text a landline?

Text messages sent to a text-enabled landline

When a text is sent to a text-enabled landline via a business text messaging service, the message is delivered to an SMS inbox accessible through a website or mobile app.

1. Login to SMS Inbox: First, you'll need to login to the texting service to be able to see and respond to the texts sent to your landline.
2. Click & Respond: A new text message will have an unread indicator next to it. Click on it and type in your response.
3. Press Send to Send Your Text: Click or press the send button to send your text from your landline number.

Costs: For customers, sending a text to your text-enabled business landline number does not cost anything since most mobile phone subscribers have unlimited text messaging. Registering your business number to send and receive texts will start at $25 per month.

Note: Text messaging service is available for landline numbers as well as VoIP numbers in the United States & Canada.

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Text messages sent to a regular landline

When text messages are sent to a text-enabled landline, they are typically converted into a voice message. Here’s how the process generally works:

1. Eligibility Check: The service first checks if the recipient’s landline number is eligible for the Text to Landline service.
2. Message Conversion: Your text message is then recorded in a voice, and the service calls the recipient’s landline.
3. Message Delivery:
   • If the call is answered, a recorded message will ask the listener if they wish to accept a message from the sender at no charge. If accepted, the voice recording of the text message is played.
   • If the call goes to an answering machine or voicemail, the voice recording will be delivered as a voicemail.

Costs: Sending a text to a landline may incur a fee (e.g., Verizon charges $0.25 for each successfully delivered Text to Landline message), but receiving is typically free.

Note: This service is available for most White Pages listed phone numbers in the US, and common abbreviations in your text are recorded as full words. Unintelligible abbreviations or words are spoken as is or spelled out letter by letter. However, if the landline service does not support text-to-landline messaging, the text message will not be delivered and may simply disappear without any notification.