What Does "Opt" Mean in a Text Message? ("Opt In" & "Opt Out")

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Everything you need to know about opting in and out of texts

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: June 17, 2025 Fact Checked

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"Opt" Meaning

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"Message & Data Rates May Apply" Meaning

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Ways to Opt In

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Ways to Opt Out

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Why Opting In Exists

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Should you opt in?

Have you ever been asked if you want to opt in or out of a text message, but you weren't quite sure what it meant? If so, you're not alone. Opting in and out of texts from a business simply means you're giving or taking away permission to get those texts sent to you. Keep reading to learn more.

What Opt Means in Text Messages

When a text asks you to "opt in," the sender is asking for permission to send you more texts. If you don't want to receive more texts, you can opt out. Businesses are required by law to ask for your permission before they text you, and they must stop texting you if you opt out.

Section 1 of 6:

What "Opt In" and "Opt Out" Mean

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"Opt In" and "Opt Out" are options for receiving texts from a business. "Opt," which is short for "option," means to make a choice. If you are asked to "opt in" in a text message from a business, you're being asked to allow them to send you texts.^{[1]
X
Research source} If you decide to opt in, you are telling the company that you give them permission to send you text messages, automated or not.
- On the other hand, once you've opted in, you can "opt out." This means you are rescinding your permission to get texts, and the business must stop sending you those messages immediately.

Section 2 of 6:

"Message & Data Rates May Apply" Meaning

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Opting in to texts may cost you money. "Messages & Data Rates May Apply" (or just "data rates apply") is sometimes included in "opt in" texts to warn users of potential costs from their cellular providers. Depending on your mobile plan, getting a text from a business could cost money if you have a limited amount of texts per month or if you're getting a high volume of marketing texts. If you have unlimited texts, you don't have to worry about "messages and data rates may apply" messages.
- If you're unsure if a text will cost you money, contact your cellular provider for clarification.

Section 3 of 6:

Ways You're Asked to Opt In

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Web forms When you buy something or sign up for a website, you may be asked for consent to get text messages. These could be promotional or marketing texts, appointment reminders, or customer service. This option is usually a checkbox at the bottom of the web form or at the end of your transaction before you finalize payment.
- Example: By checking this box, you agree to receive appointment reminder text messages. You also agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
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Contact pages If a business has a way to contact them via text, texting them first is considered opting in.
- Example: Text the word SALE to 555-555-5555 to get info on our latest sales, discounts, and coupons! Text STOP to unsubscribe at any time.
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Double opt in Many businesses will do what's called a "double opt in." This means that after you've opted in on a web form or by texting the business first, they will ask you one more time for permission to send you texts.
- Example: Hello! To confirm that you want to sign up for promotional SMS messages, text us YES. Text us STOP at any time to opt out.

Section 4 of 6:

How to Opt Out of Texts

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Use the keyword sent in the original opt in message. If you no longer have that message, try texting one of the following keywords:
- STOP
- STOPALL
- CANCEL
- UNSUBSCRIBE
- END
- QUIT
  - If none of these options work, you can try texting the keyword HELP for more information.
  - You can also contact the business's customer support for more help.

Section 5 of 6:

Why Opting In & Out Exists

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It's illegal for a business to text you without your permission. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was passed in 1991.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source

Federal Communications Commission
Independent U.S. government agency responsible for regulating radio, television, and satellite, and phone communications

Go to source} It was originally meant to protect against telemarketer calls, but has since been updated for newer technologies like text messaging.
- According to the TCPA, businesses cannot contact you without your express written consent. They also must stop texting you as soon as you decide to opt out.
By asking you for permission to send text messages, businesses hope to gain your trust by caring about your preferences. This is to hopefully create a lasting relationship with their customers to retain a strong customer base.^{[3]
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Research source}

Section 6 of 6:

Should you opt in?

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Opting in to text messages is a personal choice. There's no right or wrong answer to whether or not you should opt in, unless opting in to texts would be a financial burden. And remember—you can opt in or out of text messages at any time, so it's okay if you change your mind! Here are some reasons why you may or may not want to opt in to text messages:
- Reasons to opt in:
  - Opting in to text messages from a business or service means you will always be the first to know about new sales, updates, outages, notifications, and more.
  - Some businesses hold special giveaways or contests if you opt in to their text messages.
  - Stores will sometimes distribute special coupons through text messages that you wouldn't find anywhere else.
- Reasons not to opt in:
  - If you're opted in to texts from lots of businesses, you might get a lot of texts, which may become annoying.
  - Opting in to text messages might cost you money, depending on your phone plan.
  - By opting in, you are providing some data to a company. If you're concerned about privacy, you may not want to opt in.