Yes, companies that keep texting you after you reply STOP may owe you between $500 and $1,500 for every single message they send. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. § 227, each unsolicited text sent in violation of the law carries a statutory penalty of $500, and that number jumps to $1,500 per text if the company knew what it was doing and kept texting anyway. There is no cap on these damages. If a company blasted you with 50 texts after you told them to stop, you could be looking at $25,000 to $75,000 in potential recovery — and you do not need to prove you lost a single dollar to collect. This is not theoretical money.
Kaiser Permanente recently paid $10.5 million to settle claims from people who received spam texts after replying STOP. ViSalus, Inc. got hit with a $925 million jury verdict — the largest TCPA damages award in history — for improper marketing texts and calls. Capital One settled for $75.5 million. Real companies are writing real checks because they ignored the word STOP. This article breaks down exactly how the TCPA protects you, what the new FCC opt-out rules that took effect in April 2025 mean for your rights, how courts are handling these cases right now, and what steps you should take if you are still getting texts after opting out. There is also a significant Supreme Court decision from June 2025 that could complicate things, and you need to know about it before you file anything.
Table of Contents
- Why Do Companies Still Text You After You Reply STOP — and What Do They Owe You?
- New FCC Opt-Out Rules Expanded Your Rights in 2025 — But There Are Limits
- Massive Settlements Show Courts Are Taking Spam Texts Seriously
- How to Document Your TCPA Claim and Decide Whether to Sue
- The Supreme Court Ruling That Could Complicate Your Text Message Claim
- The Scale of the Spam Text Problem in America
- What Happens Next for Text Message Consumer Protections
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Companies Still Text You After You Reply STOP — and What Do They Owe You?
The short answer is that some companies either have broken compliance systems or they simply do not care. Replying “stop” to a marketing text constitutes a clear revocation of consent under the TCPA. Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that a single STOP message is legally sufficient to withdraw your permission. There is no ambiguity here — once you send that word, the company’s right to text you is over. Every message they send after that point is a fresh violation carrying its own $500 penalty, or $1,500 if you can show the violation was willful. To put this in practical terms, consider a scenario where a car dealership texts you weekly promotions. You reply STOP on January 1.
They keep sending texts every week through March. That is roughly 12 illegal texts, putting potential damages between $6,000 and $18,000. The TCPA provides a private right of action, meaning you can sue the company directly in federal court without waiting for the FCC or any government agency to act on your behalf. You do not need to show that the texts cost you money, caused you emotional distress, or did anything other than arrive on your phone after you told them not to. The reason these damages exist is straightforward. Congress understood that without meaningful per-violation penalties, companies would treat the occasional fine as a cost of doing business. When a company faces $500 to $1,500 for each illegal text sent to each person, the math changes fast — especially in class action lawsuits where thousands of consumers were affected.
New FCC Opt-Out Rules Expanded Your Rights in 2025 — But There Are Limits
Starting April 11, 2025, the FCC’s updated consent revocation rules made it significantly easier to opt out of unwanted texts. Companies are now required to honor opt-out requests communicated through any reasonable channel, not just the word “STOP.” The recognized keywords include “stop,” “quit,” “end,” “revoke,” “opt out,” “cancel,” and “unsubscribe.” If you texted a company “please quit messaging me” and they kept going, that now counts as a clear TCPA violation under the new framework. Companies must honor your opt-out request within 10 business days of receiving it. That is the outer limit — most legitimate businesses process these instantly through automated systems. However, there is an important limitation to understand. On April 7, 2025, the FCC granted a partial delay until April 11, 2026, for one specific provision: the requirement that opting out of one type of message automatically applies to all future communications from that caller.
Under the delay, companies may send you one clarification message within five minutes of receiving your STOP to ask whether you want to opt out of all communications or just specific message types. So if you STOP a promotional text from your bank, they are currently allowed to ask whether you also want to stop receiving fraud alerts, for example. This matters because some companies are using that clarification window as a loophole to keep messaging. If a company sends you a “clarification” text 30 minutes after your STOP — or sends multiple follow-ups — that is not what the FCC authorized, and those additional messages are still violations. The five-minute window for a single clarification text is narrow and specific. Anything beyond that is fair game for a TCPA claim.
Massive Settlements Show Courts Are Taking Spam Texts Seriously
The legal landscape is not just about what the law says on paper — it is about what companies are actually paying. Kaiser Permanente agreed to a $10.5 million settlement covering spam texts sent after recipients replied STOP. The settlement covers texts received between January 21, 2021, and August 20, 2025, with class members eligible for up to $75 per qualifying text. The claim deadline was February 12, 2026, so that window has just recently closed, but the case illustrates how these suits work in practice: a large company ignored STOP requests, a class action was filed, and millions of dollars changed hands. The ViSalus case is the one that should make every company’s compliance department lose sleep. A jury returned a $925 million verdict against the multi-level marketing company for improper marketing texts and calls.
That is not a typo — nearly a billion dollars for TCPA violations. Capital One settled its TCPA case for $75.5 million. These are not fringe cases filed by ambulance chasers. These are mainstream companies that got caught violating a law that has been on the books since 1991. For individual consumers, these numbers also matter. While class action payouts per person tend to be modest (Kaiser’s settlement worked out to up to $75 per text), individual TCPA lawsuits can yield significantly more because the $500 to $1,500 per-text damages go directly to you rather than being split among thousands of class members. If you received a large volume of texts after opting out, the individual route may actually be more lucrative — though it also requires more effort and legal costs.
How to Document Your TCPA Claim and Decide Whether to Sue
If you are still receiving texts after replying STOP, the first thing you need to do is stop deleting those messages. Every text is evidence, and every text is worth $500 to $1,500. Screenshot each message with the timestamp visible. Keep a log of when you originally sent your STOP message and every text received after that date. If possible, do not block the number yet — you want to document the full extent of the violation. You have two main paths: filing an individual lawsuit or joining a class action. An individual lawsuit gives you the full statutory damages — $500 to $1,500 per text — and you keep everything awarded to you minus attorney fees.
Many TCPA attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing upfront and they take a percentage of whatever you win. The tradeoff is that you need enough violations to make it worth an attorney’s time, and the company might fight harder against an individual plaintiff. A class action spreads the costs and risks among many plaintiffs but also spreads the recovery. If Kaiser’s $10.5 million settlement is any guide, individual payouts in class actions tend to land in the tens to low hundreds of dollars rather than thousands. There is a third option worth considering: small claims court. Many states allow TCPA claims in small claims court, where you represent yourself and filing fees are minimal. If you have 10 to 20 illegal texts documented, you could seek $5,000 to $30,000 without hiring a lawyer. Some states cap small claims at $5,000 or $10,000, so check your local rules before choosing this route.
The Supreme Court Ruling That Could Complicate Your Text Message Claim
Here is the wrinkle that every consumer considering a TCPA text claim needs to know about. On June 20, 2025, the Supreme Court issued its decision in McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates, Inc. v. McKesson Corp., and it created a genuine split in how lower courts treat text messages under the TCPA. Some courts are now ruling that the TCPA’s language technically applies only to phone calls, not text messages, based on the statutory definition of the word “call.” This does not mean your claim is dead, but it does mean the legal ground is shifting. The TCPA was written in 1991, long before texting became the primary vehicle for spam.
Courts have spent years treating texts as functionally equivalent to calls under the statute, and many still do. But the McKesson decision gave ammunition to companies arguing that texts fall outside the TCPA’s scope. If you are in a jurisdiction where courts have adopted this narrower reading, your case becomes harder — though not impossible, because state consumer protection laws and the FCC’s own regulations may still cover you. This is an evolving area of law, and it is entirely possible that Congress will amend the TCPA to explicitly cover texts, or that the Supreme Court will clarify its position in a future case. In the meantime, this uncertainty is one more reason to consult with a TCPA attorney before filing. They will know how courts in your specific district are interpreting the statute and whether your claim is on solid footing.
The Scale of the Spam Text Problem in America
The reason TCPA enforcement matters is that the spam text problem is enormous and getting worse. Americans received approximately 19.2 billion spam texts in February 2025 alone, with projections reaching 100 billion spam texts for the full year. These are not just annoyances — they are financially dangerous. Victims lost an average of $1,452 to scam texts in the first half of 2025, and consumers reported losing a combined $470 million to SMS scams in 2024.
Those loss figures represent only reported scams, and most people never report. The actual financial toll is almost certainly several times higher. When legitimate companies also ignore STOP requests — whether through negligence or design — they are training consumers to distrust all text messages, which paradoxically makes people more vulnerable to actual scams. The TCPA’s per-text penalties are meant to create a financial deterrent strong enough to change corporate behavior, and based on the settlement numbers, the deterrent is working against companies that get caught.
What Happens Next for Text Message Consumer Protections
The legal framework around unwanted texts is at an inflection point. The FCC’s delayed provision requiring that a STOP to one message type apply to all communications from that sender takes full effect on April 11, 2026 — just weeks from now. Once that kicks in, companies will lose the ability to silo your opt-out requests by message category, closing a significant loophole that marketers have been exploiting during the delay period.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the McKesson Supreme Court decision will continue to play out in lower courts. If enough circuits split on whether texts count as calls under the TCPA, the Supreme Court may have to revisit the issue — or Congress may step in with a legislative fix. For consumers, the practical advice remains the same: document everything, reply STOP clearly, and consult an attorney if the texts keep coming. The law is on your side in most jurisdictions, and the damages are substantial enough that attorneys are eager to take these cases.
Conclusion
The TCPA gives consumers one of the most powerful tools in American consumer protection law: the right to collect $500 to $1,500 for every illegal text, with no cap on total damages and no requirement to prove financial harm. When you reply STOP and a company keeps texting, each subsequent message is not just an annoyance — it is a potential payday. Between Kaiser Permanente’s $10.5 million settlement, ViSalus’s $925 million verdict, and Capital One’s $75.5 million payout, companies are learning that ignoring opt-out requests is among the most expensive mistakes they can make.
If you are currently receiving texts after replying STOP, start documenting immediately. Screenshot every message with timestamps, note the date you sent your original STOP reply, and consult with a TCPA attorney about whether an individual lawsuit, small claims filing, or class action makes the most sense for your situation. The new FCC rules taking full effect in April 2026 will strengthen your position further. Keep in mind the evolving legal questions around whether texts are covered by the TCPA in every jurisdiction, but do not let that uncertainty stop you from exploring your options — the vast majority of these cases still settle in the consumer’s favor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use the exact word “STOP” to opt out of text messages?
Under the FCC’s rules effective April 11, 2025, companies must honor opt-outs through any reasonable channel. Recognized keywords now include “stop,” “quit,” “end,” “revoke,” “opt out,” “cancel,” and “unsubscribe.” Any of these should be legally sufficient.
How long does a company have to stop texting me after I reply STOP?
Companies must honor your opt-out request within 10 business days of receipt. Most legitimate businesses process these immediately through automated systems. Any text sent after that 10-day window is a clear violation.
Can I sue for TCPA violations even if the texts did not cost me any money?
Yes. The TCPA provides statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per violation regardless of whether you suffered any financial loss. You do not need to prove the texts caused you harm — only that the company sent them illegally.
Is it better to file an individual TCPA lawsuit or join a class action?
It depends on your situation. Individual lawsuits give you the full $500 to $1,500 per text in damages, but require more effort and legal costs. Class actions spread the risk and cost but typically yield lower per-person payouts — Kaiser’s settlement offered up to $75 per qualifying text. If you have many documented violations, an individual case may be more worthwhile.
Did the Supreme Court rule that texts are not covered by the TCPA?
The June 2025 McKesson decision created a split among lower courts on whether SMS texts legally count as “calls” under the TCPA. Some courts now interpret the statute as covering only phone calls, while others continue to apply it to texts. This is an evolving legal area, and the answer may depend on your jurisdiction.
What should I do if I already deleted the texts?
Contact your wireless carrier, as they may retain records of messages received. You can also check your phone’s backup (iCloud, Google) for message history. Going forward, screenshot and save every unwanted text you receive after sending a STOP reply.