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Text to Landline FAQs

General Information

  1. What is Text to Landline?

    Verizon Wireless' Text to Landline* service enables subscribers to send text messages converted to voice messages to most White Pages listed phone numbers in the United States. Note: Text to Landline attempts to phone numbers outside the United States will not be delivered.

    *A landline is a phone number that is serviced by a local telephone company such as Verizon Communications. It is a fixed connection that uses wires.

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  2. How do I send a text message to a Landline?

    To send a Text to Landline message from your handset, enter the recipient’s 10-digit landline phone number in the "To" field, as you would with a regular text message, then type your message and press "Send."

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  3. Can I address a text message to multiple Landline numbers?

    Yes, to address a text message to multiple landline numbers, simply enter the recipients’ phone numbers in the TO field. Each phone number will be delivered and billed as a separate message. An opt-in will be solicited for any recipient that you have not previously opted-in to receive Text to Landline messages.

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  4. Do I need to sign up for Text to Landline?

    No, Text to Landline is automatically available to all Verizon Wireless text messaging customers without an additional subscription or monthly subscription fees. When you send a text message to an eligible landline destination you will receive a FREE opt-in text message informing you that your message is destined for a landline phone and asking whether you wish to have it delivered as a Text to Landline message for a delivery fee. To accept, simply reply with "Y" in the content field. The opt-in message and your reply are not billable. When Verizon Wireless receives your agreement to opt-in, your Text to Landline message will be converted to a recorded voice message. The message will be checked against delivery filters and sent to the addressed landline recipient.

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  5. How does Text to Landline work?

    After the recipient’s address is checked for delivery eligibility, your text message will be recorded* in a female voice. A standard call will be placed to the landline number after which the recipient's phone will ring. If the phone is answered, a recorded message will ask whether the listener wishes to accept a message that has been sent from a wireless subscriber [sender’s phone number] at no charge. If the listener accepts, the recording of your text message will be played. If the call is received by an answering machine or voice mail, the recording will be delivered to the device or service as a voice mail and the message will be deemed as successfully delivered.

    *Common abbreviations are recorded as full words; unintelligible abbreviations or words are spoken as is or are read letter by letter.

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  6. Can the recipient reply to my Text to Landline message?

    Recipients who receive the message live will be offered the opportunity to reply to the text message with a voice recording (this offer will not be made if the call is picked up via an answering machine). You will be able to retrieve the recipient’s voice mail at a number provided to you in a text message announcing that the recipient has replied to your Text to Landline. To listen to the recipient’s voice mail, all you need to do is CALL BACK the phone number on the text message. Your Calling Plan rates will apply for this call.

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  7. Will I be informed that the Landline recipient received my Text to Landline message?

    After successful delivery of your Text to Landline message, Verizon Wireless will send you a text message informing you that your message was successfully delivered. If the recipient responds to your message, you will be sent a text message indicating that the recipient’s voice mail is available for you to hear.

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  8. How do I retrieve any reply sent from the Landline recipient of my Text to Landline message?

    On your mobile phone you will receive a text message stating "Landline number XXX-XXX-XXXX has sent a reply to your Text to Landline message."

    There are two ways to retrieve the reply.

    • Press the Call button while you’re reading the reply text message.

    • The reply text message will also include a phone number (not the recipient’s landline number). By calling this phone number from your mobile phone, you can retrieve the message sent by the landline recipient.*

    *Your Text Messaging price plan charges will apply to this notification. A call to the reply phone number retrieves the voice mail and is charged according to your plan.

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  9. What is the cost to send a Text to Landline message?

    Your account will be charged a premium charge of $0.25 per message for successfully delivered Text to Landline messages. Your account will not be charged the premium amount if the recorded Text to Landline message is not successfully delivered to a person or if it is not successfully delivered to an answering machine. Unless otherwise indicated in the message header, all other text messages (except the initial opt-in message and your reply to the opt-in message) are billed per your Calling Plan or Text Messaging subscription.

    Notes:

    • A message is considered delivered even if a live recipient declines to listen to it, therefore, if the recipient declines to listen to the message the subscriber is still charged $0.25 for a successful delivery.
    • Administrative messages connected with the service (opt-in, opt-out, and failure messages) are at no charge to the subscriber

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  10. I subscribe to a Text Messaging plan. Will Text to Landline messages be deducted from my text messaging monthly allowance?

    The initial text message sent from your handset, and the notification that your Text to Landline message was successfully sent, applies to the messaging bundles and charges according to your Text Messaging plan. Text messages sent to your handset notifying you that the landline recipient has left you a voice reply will also be applied to your messaging bundle and will be charged accordingly.

    Additionally, each Text to Landline message delivered to a landline location will be billed $0.25 as a premium service separately from any other text messages. These charges will appear on your Verizon Wireless bill under "Your Data Products and Services."

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  11. What charges, if any, apply to Landline recipients of Text to Landline messages?

    No charges apply to recipients of Text to Landline messages.

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  12. Do I need a special Verizon Wireless phone to send a Text to Landline message?

    No. Text to Landline works with all text messaging capable handsets that have not "blocked" messaging services from Verizon Wireless.

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  13. How much does it cost to retrieve and listen to replies from the Landline recipient of my Text to Landline message?

    Calls to retrieve voice messages sent to you in response to your Text to Landline messages are "billed per your Calling Plan." You may incur Long Distance charges if you subscribe to a Calling Plan that doesn’t include domestic long distance or to a local plan.

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  14. Can I send Text to Landline messages to landline phones outside of the United States?

    No, Text to Landline messages cannot be sent to landline phones outside of the United States at this time.

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  15. Will I always be required to "opt-in" to send text messages to Landline numbers?

    You will only be asked to "opt-in" to send a Text to Landline on the first instance of sending a message to a particular number. Once you "opt in" by sending the "Y" in response to the text message requesting your permission to deliver the message, you will not be asked to "opt-in" for that particular number again.

    You will only need to "opt in" for each new number you send Text to Landline messages to.

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  16. If I allow a Text to Landline message to be sent but the intended recipient does not receive it, what happens?

    When a text message is sent to a landline number, a number of conditions may preclude delivery: The landline number may be protected from receiving pre-recorded messages or the number is not "White Pages, publicly listed." If this is the case, you should receive a message stating "Sorry, your message to XXX-XXX-XXXX could not be delivered as this number does not accept Text to Landline messages. Please check the number and try again."

     In all cases, when Verizon Wireless is unable to send the message to a landline location, we will send you a no charge text message indicating the reason the Text to Landline message was unsuccessful.

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  17. If I gave permission to send a Text to Landline message but I do not remember receiving a status message (failure or confirmation of delivery), what should I do?

    If you have questions concerning a Text to Landline message experience, call Verizon Wireless’ Customer Service at 1-800-922-0204.

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  18. Can I send a Text to Landline message to a mobile phone?

    No, text messages sent to mobile numbers are sent as regular text messages. Text to Landline does not send voice messages to mobile phones.

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  19. I permitted the delivery of a Text to Landline message to a landline number but I received a status message saying that the message could not be delivered. Why?

    Text to Landline messages can only be delivered to White Pages listed landline numbers. Messages will not be delivered to:

    • Convalescent centers
    • Emergency operators
    • Medical facilities
    • Facsimile machines
    • Unlisted numbers
    • Numbers outside the 50 United States
    • Other prohibited destinations

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  20. How long will Verizon Wireless attempt to deliver my Text to Landline message to the landline phone?

    After an initial attempt to deliver your Text to Landline message, Verizon Wireless will attempt to deliver the Text to Landline two additional times. The first redial occurs 5 minutes after the initial attempt. If there is no answer during the first redial attempt, the second redial occurs 15 minutes after the first attempt.

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  21. What happens if delivery is unsuccessful after the second delivery attempt of my Text to Landline message?

    After the second redial attempt, the Text to Landline recording is deleted from the system and you will receive a free text message stating that the message could not be delivered.

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  22. Is there a limitation on the duration of a voice reply in response to my Text to Landline message?

    There is no limitation on the length of the voice reply.

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  23. Will my mobile phone number always be presented to the recipient of my Text to Landline message?

    Yes, your mobile phone number will be announced to the landline recipient as a recorded portion of the recorded message introduction.

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  24. Where am I calling when I retrieve a landline recipient’s voice reply to my Text to Landline message?

    The callback numbers will vary but you will always be calling a Massachusetts number. Normal voice calling plan charges apply.

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  25. How long will the recipient’s voice reply to my Text to Landline message be available for retrieval?

    The voice reply will be stored for retrieval for 120 hours from the time of its recording. After 120 hours, it will be irrecoverably discarded.

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  26. Can I use acronyms and emoticons in Text to Landline messages?

    Yes, Text to Landline will translate many acronyms and standard emoticons into words so that the recipient can understand them. For instance, "LOL" will be read "laughing out loud," and ":-)>" will be translated as "happy." A complete list of abbreviations and their Text to Landline translations may be found at www.vtext.com.

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  27. I don’t want to send Text to Landline messages to a specific landline number anymore. How do I opt-out?

    You can always stop sending Text to Landline messages to specific destinations. Alternatively, you can text "OPT OUT xxx-xxx-xxxx," to the "short code" number 1150, where xxx-xxx-xxxx is the landline number.

    If you attempt to send another Text to Landline to that number, you will receive another opt-in message asking you if you wish to send Text to Landline messages to that landline number.

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  28. Can landline recipients refuse to receive Text to Landline messages?

    Yes. Should landline recipients desire not to receive additional messages from a particular handset, they may "opt-out" by following the instructions in the Text to Landline process.

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  29. If I "opt out" once, how do I allow my landline phone number to receive Text to Landline messages again?

    To resume receiving Text to Landline calls from Verizon Wireless customers, please contact Verizon Wireless Customer Service at 1-800-922-0204. Our service contractor will be notified and your ability to receive Text to Landline services will be restored. This may require up to 72 hours.

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