Chirp Digital says it has increased its SMS messaging volume by 2,300% over the past three years, despite operating in the tightly monitored financial services sector.
The Austin-based fintech provides software that lets lenders and rental agencies use bank transaction data to verify applicants. Its platform connects clients to bank account information across North America through an open API, giving a broader view of an applicant's finances than a credit score alone, according to the company.
Messaging has become central to that service, as clients use text messages to communicate with consumers during financial applications and related checks. In financial services, however, mobile carriers apply strict rules to text traffic because of the risk of scams and predatory lending.
That created problems with Chirp's previous messaging setup. Messages sent through its client portal were often throttled or flagged by carriers, even when the company believed it had met compliance requirements.
Those issues had commercial consequences. Carriers charge for messages whether or not they reach recipients, and failed deliveries risked undermining trust among clients that rely on prompt contact with applicants.
Carrier pressure
Jason Williamson, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Chirp Digital, said the company had to manage those problems with limited internal resources.
"We are a bootstrap fintech company, and we don't have a large, in-house IT team," Williamson said. "So having help from TrueDialogue in navigating compliance as well as carrier applications and questionnaires was huge."
Chirp later moved to SMS provider TrueDialogue, replacing its previous API connections, registering a short code, and addressing compliance and carrier application processes. Since the change, clients have had full message delivery and no service shutdowns, according to the company.
The business argues that reliable texting is not just a technical issue but part of its customers' service model. Lenders and rental agencies often want direct contact with applicants as they move through financial checks and application steps.
Williamson said clients place clear commercial value on that reliability.
"Many of our clients prefer to maintain a human touch with their customers, and rely substantially on SMS to support their customers in completing financial applications and other processes," he said. "These clients have told us that our SMS deliverability is one of the core reasons that they're using Chirp."
Alternative data
Chirp's wider business centers on using bank transaction data as an additional measure in applicant assessment. The approach can help businesses judge financial risk using information beyond conventional credit scores, the company says.
Williamson said that gives consumers another way to demonstrate their financial standing. "Credit scores can be damaged quickly but often take much longer to rebuild," he said. "By incorporating bank transaction data as an additional input for Chirp partners, consumers gain a meaningful opportunity to accelerate the recovery of their creditworthiness."
The increase in texting volume has come without the message failures and account restrictions that affected Chirp's previous arrangement. The company also said the more consistent service has reduced support issues from clients chasing undelivered texts.
For a fintech working with regulated communications, that may matter as much as traffic growth itself. Financial services is one of the most heavily scrutinized sectors for SMS because carriers closely monitor campaigns for signs of fraud, misleading marketing, and poor consent practices.
Williamson said TrueDialogue's ability to scale alongside Chirp without disruption stood out.
"Of all the services that we use, TrueDialogue scaled the quietest," he said. "As we grew, it just kept working. And if someone noticed we were buying credits excessively, they'd reach out to let us know how we could upgrade our plan to take advantage of volume discounts and be more cost-effective. To have a partner that's also looking out for your company's financial feasibility, in addition to service reliability, is incredible."
He added that Chirp now sees message delivery as part of its competitive position with clients.
"Since we partnered with TrueDialogue, who helped us get the short code, we've had 100% delivery and no shutdowns, which is a big thing to do. Our customers have told us that our SMS deliverability is one of the reasons they chose us. TrueDialogue is more than a vendor - they are a true partner in our success."
In a separate comment, Williamson added: "I just want to extend a thank you to TrueDialogue for helping us to grow so easily and rapidly with something as important as SMS."