Understanding Branded Calling (BETA)
Branded Calling is a paid caller ID enhancement that allows businesses to display their brand name directly on a mobile device’s incoming call screen, something traditional CNAM (Caller Name) struggles to consistently deliver on mobile devices.
Unlike CNAM, which was built for landlines and uses a limited 15-character name string retrieved from carrier-side databases, Branded Calling is carrier-integrated and mobile-focused, ensuring that your brand appears accurately and reliably on supported mobile networks.
How is Branded Calling Different from CNAM?
We recommend using both Branded Calling and CNAM to maximize your reach and improve answer rates. But while they may seem similar on the surface, they’re fundamentally different in terms of technology and their audience reach.
CNAM (Caller Name) is a decades-old feature of the U.S. landline network. It attempts to identify incoming callers by displaying a name, usually a business or personal name, associated with the phone number. This name is pulled by the receiving carrier (not the sender) from one of several decentralized databases at the time of the call. CNAM is commonly included with landline service, but on mobile devices, it’s typically a paid add-on, which most consumers skip. As a result, CNAM is displayed to less than 20% of mobile users in the U.S.
Branded Calling, in contrast, is a modern, mobile-optimized solution that allows the calling party to transmit their verified brand name directly, in real-time, to the recipient’s device (when supported by the carrier).
Branded Calling directly addresses the limitations of CNAM by:
- Delivering branding in real-time from the originating carrier to the terminating device.
- Giving you control over the name that appears. No more relying on third-party lookups or stale CNAM databases.
| Feature | CNAM | Branded Calling (Basic) |
|---|---|---|
| Available on | Primarily landlines | Mobile phones (and some landlines) |
| Character limit | 15 characters | Between 15 to 32 characters on supported carriers |
| Logo support | ❌ | Coming Soon |
| Call reason support | ❌ | Coming Soon |
| Delivery consistency | Inconsistent on mobile networks | Optimized for mobile networks |
| Carrier validation | None | Carrier vetted to protect your brand |
Supported Networks
Branded Calling currently supports the following mobile networks:
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
| United States | T-Mobile, Verizon |
Note: The AT&T network is not currently supported. This may change as carrier support expands.
Setting Up Branded Calling
To use Branded Calling, you must meet the following requirements:
- You have legal authority to use the Branded Calling display name. You can’t use Branded Calling to deceive or mislead consumers.
- You must have healthy call metrics. If you have received carrier complaints in the past or the carrier identifies a high number of blocked calls (SIP 608/603), you may not be eligible for Branded Calling. Learn more about Maintaining a Positive Caller Reputation.
- You have registered for Voice Integrity and have it approved. (Voice Integrity lets you register your phone numbers with analytic vendors to reduce spam labeling.)
Preparing for Registration
Before submitting your request for Branded Calling, please review:
Branded Calling guidelines
- A Branded Calling Instance is associated with one display name and one or more phone numbers.
- A phone number can be associated with only one Branded Calling instance.
- You must register a new Branded Calling instance for each display name you want to register.
Display name restrictions
- Maximum 15 characters for Verizon and 32 characters for T-Mobile
- Must be related to your business name
- Must not contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
- Must not contain web links
- Letters and numbers only
Submitting Your Request
Please contact our Support team with the following information:
- Please provide a valid brand contact for your Branded Calling registration. This contact may be asked to verify their identity and role with the business.
- First Name
- Last Name
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- The name your customers will see when they receive calls. The display name should match your official legal name, brand name, or doing business as, and legally registered in at least one US jurisdiction. Limit 15 characters.
- An optional longer display name for supported carriers. This should align with your primary display name. Limit 32 characters.
- Use case and consent details to share with Carriers.
- Describe your business and who you are typically calling.
- How is their contact information captured and how do they consent to receive your call?
- What is a typical reason for calling?
- Fill out a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to verify that our Carrier Partner is authorized as the entity to complete your Branded Calling registration.
Review Process
When you register your brand, our Carrier Partner reviews your submission to make sure it meets all requirements. The review process can take up to seven days. During this time, your brand contact listed may receive direct communication from our Carrier Partner or their designated partner agents to validate, vet, or verify your organization.
Billing
Since Branded Calling is a service provided by our Carrier Partner, all applicable Branded Calling fees will be included in your telephony usage bill each month.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to activate? It can take several weeks for full provisioning across carriers after submitting your branded calling registration.
What happens if the recipient’s carrier doesn’t support Branded Calling? The call will default to standard CNAM behavior, which may or may not show a name depending on the recipient’s carrier and device.
Will I be billed for calls to carriers that don’t support Branded Calling? No, you are only billed for calls that are successfully branded.