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What is Rich call data?

  • Also called: rcd, branded calling data, call reason display

Reviewed by Sujan ThapaliyaLast updated

Definition

Rich call data extends signed caller identity beyond a name: a logo, a call reason, and a verified business identity carried with the call and displayed by handsets that support it. It builds on STIR/SHAKEN, so the display can be trusted rather than merely asserted.
The three STIR/SHAKEN attestation levels, which underpin how rich call data behaves in practice: A asserts both that the carrier knows the customer and that the customer may use the calling number, B asserts the customer only, and C asserts neither. A shared number pool can reach B at best, which is why number ownership keeps recurring in these definitions.
Attestation is the backdrop to most caller-ID and deliverability terms, rich call data included.

In practice

How rich call data actually works

The difference from CNAM is authentication. A caller name is looked up from a database; rich call data travels with the call inside the signed identity, so it cannot be attached by someone who is not entitled to it.

Support is uneven across carriers and handsets, which is why the practical position today is that it helps where it is supported and costs nothing where it is not.

It depends on the foundations being right: numbers you own, full attestation, and a registered business identity. Without those there is nothing to enrich.

Adoption is also a chicken-and-egg problem worth understanding before budgeting for it. Handset support drives carrier support and vice versa, so coverage is uneven and will stay that way for a while. Treat it as an upside where it lands rather than as the reason answer rates will improve.

Worked example

A call arriving with a verified logo and "Appointment reminder" as the reason is answered at a different rate to the same number with no context. Where handsets support it, the reason line does more work than the name.

Rich call data: common questions

What is the difference between rich call data and CNAM?
CNAM is a name looked up from a database. Rich call data travels inside the signed call identity and can include a logo and a reason for calling, which makes it verifiable rather than merely displayed.
Do all phones show rich call data?
No. Support varies by carrier and handset, so the same call can display a full branded card on one phone and a plain number on another.
What do I need before rich call data is useful?
Numbers provisioned to you, calls signing at full attestation, and a registered business identity. Without those there is nothing verified to display.

Sources

  1. Combating Spoofed Robocalls with Caller ID Authentication — Federal Communications CommissionThe STIR/SHAKEN framework, the attestation levels carriers sign calls with, and the mandate requiring providers to authenticate caller ID.
  2. 47 U.S.C. § 227 — Restrictions on the use of telephone equipment — Cornell Legal Information InstituteThe Telephone Consumer Protection Act itself — the consent requirements, calling-hours limits, and private right of action.
  3. ITU-T Recommendation E.164 — The international public telecommunication numbering plan — International Telecommunication UnionThe international number format, the 15-digit maximum, and how country codes and national numbers compose.

See rich call data in the product

Branded caller ID puts your business name on the recipient's screen instead of a bare number. In North America it works through CNAM, the caller-name record attached to a number, combined with STIR/SHAKEN signing that lets the terminating carrier trust the call is really from you.

Explore branded caller idGet early access