MC1134740 - Streamlining SMS campaign approvals in Teams admin center

Message Center ID: MC1134740

What is changing

Microsoft is updating the Microsoft Teams Calling Plans SMS campaign workflow in the Teams Admin Center. Key changes:

• Self-service rejection handling: rejected campaigns are no longer routed to Microsoft support by default. Admins can view reasons and resubmit directly in the portal up to four times. A new campaign status, Customer Update Pending, signals required admin action. The brand main contact receives email notifications for all status changes.
• Submission attempt logic: an attempt counts only after Microsoft validates and forwards the campaign to the SMS aggregator. After four valid attempts a campaign becomes Denied and cannot be resubmitted.
• Microsoft Validation layer: a proactive screening step now runs before submission to downstream partners to catch issues earlier and speed approvals.

Who is affected

Organizations using Microsoft Teams Calling Plans SMS in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. This excludes GCCH and sovereign clouds. Existing campaigns currently handled by Microsoft support will continue to be processed; remaining campaigns will be handed over to customers soon.

Why this matters for admins

• Faster feedback and fewer support escalations because rejections can be handled directly in the admin center.
• Greater transparency through the new Customer Update Pending status and direct visibility of rejection reasons.
• Clear limits: understand the four resubmission allowance and when a campaign becomes Denied.
• Proactive validation reduces downstream rejections and can shorten time to approval.

Action items

• Review the updated documentation: Create a Campaign for SMS in Microsoft Teams.
• If you are the brand contact, watch for Customer Update Pending emails and review rejection reasons before resubmitting.
• Validate campaign content against Microsoft guidance to avoid hitting the Denied state.

Note: these changes apply only to campaign management. Brand registration and phone number activation processes are unchanged.