SMS campaign was approved but can't enable SMS on additional phone numbers

Question

I have had my campaign and branding approved a couple months ago and was able to enable SMS for 16 phone numbers to users who have the Teams Phone with Calling Plan licenses assigned to them. This was done at the end of 2025. Two weeks later, I was able to enable SMS for another number. We have been sending and receiving texts since then.

2 weeks ago, I went to enable SMS for another phone number and the only option I am given is to Cancel:

I also get a similar pop up if I try to disable SMS for a phone number that currently has SMS enabled:

During troubleshooting with Microsoft support, I found that our Know Your Customer had not been filled out (it was not available when we set up the Brand and Campaign back in July 2025). That was completed and approved last week on 3/25. I have tried enabling SMS for multiple numbers that have the "Not Activated" status since then. I have tried using the "Set-CsPhoneNumberSmsActivation -TelephoneNumber <Phone Number>" PowerShell command and have not had any success with enabling a new number.

What am I missing and why isn't it affecting the usage of SMS on the other 17 phone numbers?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Dear Rick Vargas Rico

Thank you for providing the detailed screenshots and outlining the troubleshooting steps you’ve already taken.

From your description, I understand that although your SMS Brand and Campaign were approved in 2025 and 17 numbers are functioning correctly, you are currently unable to enable SMS for any additional phone numbers. Despite your Know Your Customer (KYC) being approved on March 25th, the Teams Admin Center (TAC) only presents a "Cancel" button when attempting activation, and PowerShell commands (Set-CsPhoneNumberSmsActivation) are not triggering the process.

This behavior is typically related to eligibility or configuration requirements that are not yet fully satisfied for enabling additional SMS numbers.

Billing / Communication Credits:

A common cause is that billing is either not configured or not fully recognized by the system. Even when a campaign is approved, enabling SMS for additional numbers may require active Communication Credits or a valid billing profile. If this is not in place (or not properly linked, especially in CSP scenarios), the system may block new activations.

Eligibility Check at Service Level:

The fact that both TAC and PowerShell are unable to enable SMS suggests that this is not a UI issue. Instead, the request is being evaluated by the backend service, which is currently determining that the tenant is not eligible to activate additional numbers.

KYC / Campaign Propagation:

Although your KYC was approved on March 25th, in some cases there may still be a short delay before all services fully reflect the updated status. However, since existing numbers are already working, this is more likely a secondary factor rather than the primary cause.

Policy or Limit Considerations:

In some scenarios, there may be limits or policy constraints affecting how many numbers can be enabled for SMS, depending on the tenant configuration or recent compliance updates.

For more information, please visit: Enable and manage SMS in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

As a forum moderator, I do not have visibility into backend status or the ability to trigger provisioning changes. However, based on the above, you may consider the following steps:

1/ Verify Billing Configuration (Communication Credits / Payment Method): Please confirm that your tenant has an active billing setup:

Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center as Global Admin account

Navigate to Billing > Your products or Payment methods

Check:

• Whether a valid payment method (credit card/invoice) is added
• Whether Communication Credits are enabled and funded

2/ If Using a CSP (Cloud Solution Provider)

If your subscription is managed by a partner (e.g., Pax8, CDW, etc.), please contact your CSP provider directly and ask them to confirm the following:

• Communication Credits are provisioned and assigned to your tenant
• Billing is active and not in a suspended state
• If applicable, request them to re-sync or reapply the billing configuration

Note: In CSP scenarios, even if billing appears configured on your side, it may still require provisioning on the partner’s backend.

3/ Allow Time for KYC / Campaign Propagation

Since your KYC was approved on March 25th, there may still be some propagation delay:

Please allow a few additional business days, then try enabling SMS again.

If the issue was due to propagation, the “Enable” option should reappear automatically once the backend status is updated.

4/ Contact Microsoft Support (if issue persists)

If the issue continues after completing the above steps, I recommend contacting Microsoft and raise a support ticket.

The Global Admin can create a support ticket by sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support.  

For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.     

Note: If you’re an end-user, please coordinate with your Office 365 Global Administrator to handle these steps. If you are unsure who your Global Admin is, you may refer to this guide: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin?

Confirmation that:

• KYC is approved
• Billing is configured

In your request, you may specifically ask Support to: 

• Check SMS eligibility status for your tenant
• Verify TCR (The Campaign Registry) synchronization status
• Confirm whether your tenant is authorized to activate additional SMS numbers.

I hope this information is helpful. Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to your update so we can continue assisting you.

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