iMessage isn’t email or SMS. Apple and the carrier make the rules — not us. Here’s exactly what that means for you.
Cheapest providerNot the fastestNo refunds — all final
LIMIT 01
It’s hardware, not software.
Tuco isn’t an app you flip on. Every line runs on a real iPhone with a real eSIM in our data center. That eSIM has to be activated by the carrier before it can send a single message — and that takes 48 hours, minimum. Sometimes longer, depending on the carrier’s queue.
48h+
to activate a new line
Real
iPhone + eSIM, not a server
Why — it’s not usThe carrier (AT&T) provisions and activates the SIM on their own clock. We can’t rush it, skip it, or fake it — nobody can. Software companies flip a switch; we ship real hardware.
Plan for itBudget 48+ hours from order to your first message. If you need to be live tomorrow, iMessage isn’t the tool.
LIMIT 02
Your first message has rules.
The very first time you message someone, Apple limits what lands:
Links won’t be clickable until your lead replies — every time, on the first-ever message.
You can’t send a voice note, image, or PDF as that first-ever message.
You can send a plain text first, wait 2–3 minutes, then send the attachment. Once they reply, everything works — links included.
Why — AppleApple blocks rich content and live links from unknown senders to fight spam. It’s a platform rule baked into iMessage, not a Tuco setting.
Do thisOpen with a short, human text. The moment they reply, send the link, the image, the voice note — whatever you need.
LIMIT 03
It doesn’t blast.
This is the one people get wrong because they did SMS or email on GoHighLevel. iMessage does not blast. A single line has hard ceilings on first-ever-messaged-contacts — the people you’re messaging for the very first time:
7 / hr
first-ever-messaged-contacts
50 / day
first-ever-messaged-contacts
150 / day
total outbound (replies + follow-ups)
Use it forWebsite form fills · Facebook & Instagram ad opt-ins · webinar & event registrations · hot inbound. Tuco is a speed-to-lead tool — you reach people the moment they raise their hand.
Don’tDig up a 3-year-old list, call it “opted in,” and start first-ever-messaging 500 people. That’s how numbers die. Need more volume? Add lines — each one adds another 50 first-ever-messaged-contacts a day.
LIMIT 04
Spam is a switch, not a score.
With email or SMS, spam is graded on a rate — a percentage. iMessage isn’t graded at all. You could first-ever-message 150 opted-in people, have 3 of them tap “Report Junk,” and Apple can block your number. Done. Permanently.
3 reports
can kill a line — no matter the %
Why — AppleApple protects iMessage aggressively. It’s not looking at your spam rate; a small, absolute number of reports is enough to ban a sender for good.
Protect your lineOnly message people who genuinely asked to hear from you. Keep it personal and conversational — the way a human texts. Fewer reports = a line that stays alive.
LIMIT 05
Bans, replacements & refunds.
If a line gets banned, here’s exactly what happens — no surprises, no fine print:
1st banFree replacement number
2nd & 3rd ban$50 one-time replacement fee
4th banNo more service
And this is finalNo refunds. Ever. Setup fees and subscription payments don’t come back once paid. That’s the whole reason we make you read these limits and book a demo first — so you know exactly what you’re buying before a dollar changes hands.
LIMIT 06
You can’t bring your old number.
We can’t port in your existing number, and if a line gets banned we can’t get that number back. We can always get you a new number — never your old one.
So don’tPrint an iMessage number on a billboard, a truck wrap, or your business cards. Treat every line as a working sender that could one day need replacing — not a forever number.
LIMIT 07
Texting Android? You need A2P.
iPhone leads see your iMessage number. Android leads get a normal SMS from an A2P-registered number. Since Dec 2024, US carriers block unregistered business texts outright — so to reach Android at all, that number has to be A2P 10DLC approved.
You bring the A2P number. Registration has two parts: brand (your business + EIN) and campaign (use case, sample messages, opt-in proof).
You need a real LLC or C-Corp, an EIN at least 15 days old, and live, carrier-verified opt-in URLs.
We’re A2P compliant — we don’t run illegal P2P SMS the way some tools do.
Rather skip all of it? Send to iPhone only and you never touch A2P.
1–3 days
brand approval
10–15 days
campaign review (2026 backlog)
~$10/mo
carrier campaign fee (TCR)
How do we know who’s on iPhone? Tuco runs an iMessage availability check on each number — iPhone leads route to your iMessage line, Android leads to your A2P number. That check is capped at 70 per day per line, so it’s for routing, not for scanning a big list.
Bulk pre-checkSorting a big list into iPhone vs Android before import? Do it outside Tuco with a third-party checker like numberchecker.ai’s iMessage checker(not affiliated with Tuco), then feed the results in.
Heads-upA2P approval isn’t part of the $149 and it isn’t instant — plan for up to two weeks. We’ll walk you through it or introduce a partner who gets you approved fast, but bringing the number is on you.
📋 What A2P registration actually needs (sample)
Business info
CompanyTRP
RepMatheus Maia
Address2122 NW 2nd Ave
City / StateMiami, FL 33127
Websitetherenderpros.com
LegalEIN + LLC / C-Corp name
Also required
Proof of address (recent utility bill) · government-issued ID or passport (or company registration certificate) · your selected use case(s).
Opt-in proof (pick your path)
Digital: customers opt in via a live link. Paper: customers sign a form (hosted image). Verbal: a verbal opt-in script. Inbound: subscribers text your number first.
Keywords
START, YES · STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE · HELP
Auto-responses (templates)
“[Brand]: Thanks for subscribing to [use case]! Reply HELP for help. Msg frequency may vary. Msg & data rates may apply. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Reply STOP to opt out.” · “[Brand]: You are unsubscribed and will receive no further messages.” · “[Brand]: Reach us at [website/email/phone] for help.”
Compliance links
Privacy policy stating “your mobile information will not be sold or shared with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes,” terms & conditions, and a sample of a link you’ll send — plus full business name, physical address, and an authorized rep phone number.
LIMIT 08
Custom area codes = your ZIP.
Want a local-looking number — say a (415) for San Francisco? You can, but the area code has to match the ZIP code on your registered C-Corp / LLC address. You can’t pick a random city’s area code you have no presence in.
Custom area code → requires a real C-Corp / LLC and an address whose ZIP matches the area code you want.
No registered business, or don’t care about the area code? You get a default number and skip all of this.
Same C-Corp requirement powers A2P — one legal entity unlocks both.
Why — carrier rulesCarriers tie a custom local number to a verified business location. The ZIP on your entity’s address is the proof — so the area code and the ZIP have to line up.
LIMIT 09
One line = one identity.
Two sales reps can share a line for outbound calls. But a single line can only ever be one identity:
Incoming calls forward to one number — not per rep.
The contact card and profile photo stay fixed — we can’t swap them on the fly per rep or per call.
Shared outbound calling works fine. Dynamic per-rep routing and identity switching does not.
LIMIT 10
No FaceTime audio — yet.
FaceTime audio is on the roadmap, not live today. For now you can call out on the same number — you’re not stuck, you just don’t get FaceTime audio yet.
LIMIT 11
Integrations, extension & API.
This one’s a plus, not a limit — so you know exactly what you’re getting:
Native integrations: HubSpot and GoHighLevel.
A Chrome extension for sending straight from your browser, plus Zapier, n8n, and Make.com.
Full API + MCP support at docs.tuco.ai — build anything on top.
Whitelabel-ready: agencies pay setup once per device. Swap a churned client onto that same iPhone and you don’t pay setup again.
LIMIT 12
Onboarding is one call.
You get one onboarding call that covers technical setup — CRM wiring, triggers, the works. That’s it.
We don’t write your copy. That’s not a $149/mo service, and most people try to abuse onboarding for free marketing copy.
We’ll happily introduce you to partners for fast A2P approval, GoHighLevel, or copywriters (~$70/mo).
LIMIT 13
No HIPAA. Apple won’t sign a BAA.
Apple will not sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for iMessage — and never will. That means Tuco can’t be HIPAA compliant, ever. There’s no plan, no tier, and no workaround that changes it.
Never send protected health information (PHI) — diagnoses, records, test results, anything medical.
Medspas & clinics can use it for booking, reminders, and “are you still coming in?” — just not medical detail.
Why — AppleA BAA is the contract HIPAA requires from any vendor that touches PHI. Apple doesn’t offer one for iMessage, so no service built on top of it — Tuco included — can be HIPAA compliant.
Still want in? Good.
We’re the cheapest. We’re not the fastest. And there are no refunds. Book the demo — come in with your eyes open.