AT&T and TransUnion Launch In-Network Branded Call Display with Reason for Call

AT&T and TransUnion announced that they are now offering outgoing calls for businesses that display a reason for the call in addition to showing their brand name and logo. This capability is made possible through TransUnion’s Branded Call Display, and it gives AT&T wireless subscribers more confidence in who’s calling and why. Reason for the call will appear for most Android users on incoming calls from participating businesses and organizations, and in the call details page after a call is missed. 

No app is needed to receive these branded calls. They are verified with end-to-end industry standard STIR/SHAKEN call authentication to help ensure that the call is legitimate and not spoofed. Displaying the reason for the call is the latest evolution from TransUnion and AT&T. It builds on momentum from January 2024 when the companies announced the ability to add a business’s name and brand logo to the mobile display.

“We’re excited to announce the ability for businesses to add the reason for their call to the mobile display,” said Erin Scarborough, AT&T senior vice president, Mass Markets Product Management. “Research shows consumers still prefer calling for communicating with businesses – especially for urgent, personal, or high-value issues. Now they can safely answer verified branded calls, knowing who’s calling and why.”

Reasons for the call can include a wide range of options, including: “Appointment Reminder,” “Customer Inquiry,” “Customer Service,” “Refill Reminder,” “Delivery Service,” “Patient Callback,” “Upcoming Visit,” and more. No action is required from AT&T wireless customers to see reasons for calls. 

“Businesses have a tremendous opportunity to improve customer experiences and business outcomes with this iteration of branded calling,” said James Garvert, senior vice president of TruContact Communications Solutions at TransUnion. “Adopting these capabilities shows a good faith effort by the business to protect consumers from fraud and address their most pressing concerns.”

Consumers have made it clear they want more protection against unwanted calls and fraud. According to a recent TransUnion survey, 73% of consumers said they’d be likely to answer calls if name and logo were shown.

In addition, consumers indicated they highly value phone calls for their most important issues. The situations consumers most prefer to handle with businesses by phone are: