What is RutaLink?
RutaLink is a B2B (business-to-business) booking platform used by bus company operators to manage reservations. Passengers do not create accounts or interact with RutaLink directly.
How passengers book tickets:
- By phone - calling the bus company directly
- In person - at a ticket counter or bus station
- Through a ticket operator who uses RutaLink on their behalf
Because passengers interact with human operators rather than a self-service website, SMS consent is collected verbally during the booking conversation.
How Consent is Collected
When a passenger provides their phone number, our ticket operators explicitly ask for consent before sending any SMS notifications:
"Would you like your booking confirmation sent via text message? You'll receive your ticket details and can reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe."
If the passenger agrees:
- The operator checks the SMS notification checkbox in the booking system
- Consent is recorded with timestamp, booking reference, and operator ID
- The passenger receives their booking confirmation via SMS
Consent is never assumed. If a passenger does not explicitly agree to receive text messages, no SMS is sent.
Operator Booking Interface
When operators book on behalf of passengers, they use a dedicated checkbox to record that verbal consent was given. This ensures every SMS opt-in is tracked in our system.
Operator booking interface with SMS notification checkbox
Message Types & Sample
We only send transactional messages directly related to bookings:
- Booking confirmations with ticket number, route, seat, and departure details
- Payment links for customers who choose to pay later via SMS
- Help responses when customers text HELP for support information
TCPA Compliance
RutaLink is fully compliant with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act:
- Explicit verbal consent required before any SMS is sent
- STOP keyword immediately opts out the user
- HELP keyword provides support contact information
- All consent records stored with complete audit trail
- No mobile information shared with third parties for marketing