Getting Started With Phone and SMS Through Ivorey™

Whether you want to send text messages, make calls, or set up automated communication workflows, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about phone services via Ivorey™. We’ll cover how to purchase a phone number, enable SMS and voice, handle compliance, manage costs, and troubleshoot.

Why Use Phone Services?

Purchasing a dedicated phone number inside Ivorey™ lets you:

Send and receive SMS and voice calls directly within the platform
Use SMS and calls for follow-ups, appointment reminders, marketing, and support
Keep your business communications separate from your personal number
Automate messaging or calling through workflows
Track call history, recordings, and contact replies inside CRM

Important Information About Phone Services

Compliance is Required ❗

Some countries require legal documentation before a number can be activated. These are industry regulations and not something Ivorey controls, and are handled via third-party review.

For Australia, you'll need to purchase and submit a regulatory bundle that includes your business name, address, and identity documents. Learn more about this here.

For the USA, you'll need to purchase and complete A2P registration, which verifies your business as a legitimate sender for SMS. Learn more about this here.

If you have any questions regarding your region's compliance requirements, please reach out to Support.

Pay-As-You-Go and Wallet Balance

Each month, you receive $10 USD complimentary credit from Ivorey™ to use towards pay-as-you-go services inside of the platform such as email, SMS, phone calls, email authentication and more. You can learn more about Ivorey Billing and Inclusions here.

If you use this credit within the month, then the card that is attached to your Ivorey™ account, will be charged for any costs incurred above your monthly credit. It is also important to note here that your Wallet Balance can not be $0, so once your Wallet Balance reaches $0, it will automatically charge your bank account $10USD to recharge.

Character Limits for SMS

SMS is charged per 140-character segment, so the longer your message, the more segments you'll be billed for - even if it’s sent as a single message. For example, a 150-character message will count as 2 SMS segments. To avoid surprises, you can use a free tool like Word Counter to check your message length before sending. You can learn more about SMS charges over here.

Your Phone Number Location Matters

Phone numbers are country-specific. For example, an Australian number can only send messages to Australian contacts, and a US number can only send messages to US contacts. If your business operates in multiple countries, you’ll need to purchase a separate phone number for each location you plan to message or call.

Location Limitations

It's also important to note that you may face some limitations based on your location. For example, if you're in New Zealand, Ivorey does support phone numbers and calls - but it does not support SMS at this stage. Please feel free to contact Support with any questions or concerns you have around this if you'd like clarity on if there are any limitations for your geographic location.

Once you’ve read and understood the information above, you can follow the steps below to purchase your system phone number and activate phone or SMS features.

How to Purchase a Phone Number in Ivorey™

This guide applies to you whether you plan to use Ivorey™ for SMS, phone calls, or both.

Click for written instructions

Navigate to [Settings] > [Phone Numbers]
Click [+ Add Number] in the top-right corner
Choose the country where you operate
Use filters to select a number that suits you (e.g., based on area code or digits)
Click “Proceed to Buy” to complete the purchase

Once purchased, your number will appear under the [Phone Numbers] tab.

Sending and Receiving SMS

Once your number is ready and compliant, you can:

Send SMS via the Messaging tab in CRM
Text directly from a contact’s profile
Trigger messages through automated workflows
Use the mobile app (e.g. LeadConnector) for on‑the‑go messaging

Keep in mind: SMS messages are billed by segments, so each segment is up to a certain character limit. Longer messages = more segments = more cost. You can learn more about SMS charges over here.

Making & Receiving Phone Calls

With an active number, you can make or receive calls directly inside Ivorey™. Visit this article to learn all about how to make phone calls inside Ivorey. You can also:

Make calls using LeadConnector if you’ve purchased phone services and setup your compliance bundles.
Set up call forwarding (e.g. to your mobile) so you never miss a call, configurable via “Edit Configuration” under Phone Numbers.
Assign numbers to specific team members (so inbound calls go to the right person) via My Staff settings.
Use call‑routing features, voicemail, call recording, and call‑handling settings as needed.

This makes Ivorey™ not just a messaging tool, but your full communication hub. Keep in mind that you will be billed for phone calls, you can learn more about these charges here.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why isn’t my SMS sending?

1. If you're using a US number, check your A2P 10DLC registration status. Without approval, SMS may fail.

2. Remember that you can only SMS to numbers that match the country your phone number is registered in. If you're sending internationally, ensure that you're using a phone number registered in that country to send SMSs - otherwise they will fail.

Do I need a separate number for each team member?

Not necessarily. One number can serve multiple users if routed correctly, but for personalised outbound messaging and tracking, dedicated numbers per user are recommended.

Why did my number activation get delayed?

Some regions require compliance review (e.g. regulatory bundle verification). Approval may take several days.

Can I import a Twilio number I already own?

Yes, if you have existing Twilio numbers, you can connect them to Ivorey via the integration settings.

Why did my card get charged for SMS or voice calls?

If you have recently noticed a charge to your bank account outside of your monthly subscription with Ivorey™, please go to [Settings] > [Billing] > [Wallet & Transactions]. Inside your wallet you will see a summary of your transactions and where the credit/money has been used.

We gift you a $10 USD credit each month to use, but once you have used your monthly credit, you will automatically be charged $10USD, as your wallet can not be a total of $0. If you feel you have been charged incorrectly, please reach out to our support team so we can resolve this as soon as possible for you.

How can I make voice calls?

You can make calls using LeadConnector if you’ve purchased phone services and setup any compliance bundles.

Can I purchase multiple phone numbers for the same business?

Yes, you can purchase multiple numbers. This is helpful for managing different departments, services, or geographic regions within the same account.

Why was my Regulatory and/or Address Bundle rejected?

One or more of the supporting documents within the bundle may have been rejected, for one or more reasons, when going through the regulatory bundle process for phone services. Read this article to navigate your next steps.