Text to Landline FAQs

Text to Landline is a service that lets you send text messages to a phone that has a fixed wire connection (e.g., a home phone) rather than a mobile phone or tablet. The message is converted from a text message to a voice message. The service is available for use with most White Pages listed phone numbers in the US.

Note: Text to Landline can't deliver messages to phone numbers outside of the US.

Text to Landline works with any mobile device that can send text messages.

When you send a message to a landline, the recipient's address is first checked to make sure it's eligible for the Text to Landline service. Then your text message is recorded in a female voice, and the service calls the recipient's phone.

• If the phone is answered, a recorded message will ask whether the listener wishes to accept a message that's 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 voicemail, the recording will be delivered to the device or service as a voicemail.

Note: Common abbreviations are recorded as full words. Unintelligible abbreviations or words are spoken as is or are read letter by letter.

You'll be billed $0.25 for each successfully delivered Text to Landline message. You won't be charged if the message isn't successfully delivered to a person, answering machine or voicemail.

Note: A message is considered successfully delivered even if a live recipient declines to listen to it, and the $0.25 charge will apply.

All of the following administrative messages connected with the service are free of charge:

• The initial text message you receive asking you to accept the Text to Landline delivery fee
• Your reply message to accept the fee
• Failure messages

All other text messages you send or receive related to your Text to Landline message (including the notice of a reply to your message) are billed according to your messaging plan, unless otherwise indicated in the message header.

There's no charge to receive a Text to Landline message.

You'll only be asked to accept the fees the first time you send a Text to Landline message to a phone number. Once you accept and give permission to deliver the message, you won't be asked to accept fees for that particular number again.

You only need to accept the fees once for each new number you send Text to Landline messages to.

You can send a text message to a landline the same way you'd send a message to a mobile number. From the text messaging screen of your mobile device, enter the recipient's 10-digit phone number in the To field, as you would with a regular text message. Then create your message and send it.

Yes, you can send a message to more than one landline number by entering each phone number in the To field on your text messaging screen.

The message will be billed as a separate message to each phone number. You'll be asked to accept a Text to Landline fee for messages to any recipients you haven't previously sent Text to Landline messages to.

No, Text to Landline is automatically available as part of your wireless service, without an additional subscription or monthly fees.

When you send a text message to an eligible landline number, you'll receive a free text message informing you that your message is being sent to a landline phone. It will ask whether you wish to have it delivered as a Text to Landline message for a delivery fee. To accept, simply reply with Y. This message and your reply aren't billable.

When we receive your acceptance, we'll proceed with validating the number and sending the message.

Yes, if the recipient answers the call and hears the message live, they can reply to the text message with a voice recording. This option isn't available if the message is delivered to an answering machine.

You'll be sent a text message stating that the recipient has replied to your Text to Landline message. The text will include a phone number that you can call to hear the voicemail the recipient left for you.

Calling rates apply according to your plan.

Yes, you'll receive a text message letting you know that your Text to Landline message was successfully delivered.

If the recipient responds to your message, you'll be sent a text message indicating that the recipient's voicemail is available for you to hear.

If someone replies to a Text to Landline message you sent, you'll be notified by a text message on your mobile phone. The message will say "Landline number XXX-XXX-XXXX has sent a reply to your Text to Landline message." It will also include a second phone number (not the recipient's landline number) that you can call to hear the reply.

Your messaging plan charges will apply to this notification. A call to the reply phone number retrieves the voicemail and is charged according to your plan.

Yes, the initial text message you send from your phone will be charged according to your messaging plan. All other messages you send or receive related to your Text to Landline message will also be billed according to your messaging plan, including the notification that it was successfully sent.

Only the following administrative messages connected with the service are free of charge:

• The initial text message you receive asking you to accept the Text to Landline delivery fee
• Your reply message to accept the fee
• Failure messages

Additionally, each Text to Landline message delivered 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.

Calls to retrieve voice messages sent to you in response to your Text to Landline messages are billed as a standard call according to your calling plan.

Yes, if your Text to Landline message can't be delivered for any reason, you'll receive a free text message stating why the delivery was unsuccessful.

Example: "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."

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

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

If the initial attempt to deliver your Text to Landline message is unsuccessful, we'll try two more times:

• 5 minutes after the first attempt
• 15 minutes after the first attempt

After the last attempt to deliver the message, the Text to Landline recording is deleted from the system. You'll then receive a free text message stating that your Text to Landline message couldn't be delivered.

No, there's no limit on the length of the voice reply.

Yes, your mobile number will be announced to the landline recipient as an introduction to the recorded message.

The voice reply will be stored for 120 hours from the time it's recorded. After 120 hours, it will be permanently deleted.

Yes, Text to Landline will translate many acronyms and standard emoticons into words, so the recipient can understand them.

For example:

• LOL will be read as "laughing out loud"
• :-) will be read as "happy"

You can always stop sending Text to Landline messages to specific destinations. You can also send a text to the short code number 1150 that says "OPT OUT" and lists the 10-digit phone number you want to stop texting in the message (e.g., OPT OUT 555-555-1234).

If you attempt to send another Text to Landline message to that number after opting out, you'll receive another message asking if you want to accept delivery fees. It will ask if you wish to send Text to Landline messages to that landline number.

Yes, if you don't want to receive additional messages from a particular mobile number, you can opt out. The next time you're called and asked to accept a Text to Landline message, follow the instructions on the recording for opting out.