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Sticky SMS vs Alpine IQ: pick the dispensary texting that fits how you send

Texting a dispensary list means working inside carrier rules, and on some platforms inside a vendor’s template list too. Alpine IQ sends from pre-approved templates once you are registered for 10DLC [1] and lists no prices on its website [2]. Sticky SMS files your 10DLC registration at no charge and runs month-to-month on credits that never expire.

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A budtender at a dispensary counter holding up a phone with a loyalty card on it.

Sticky SMS is the texting product by Sticky Cards, the loyalty and marketing platform for cannabis dispensaries.

Alpine IQ, also called AIQ, was founded in 2019 as a customer data compliance tool for regulated industries [3], and now markets ecommerce, loyalty, marketing and analytics for dispensaries [4].

Alpine IQ campaigns reach shoppers on five channels

  • Alpine IQ campaigns can go out by email, text, push, voice and direct mail [5], and it offers Apple and Google Wallet passes with live loyalty points [6].
  • Its integrations directory lists POS systems such as Cova, Flowhub, Treez and BioTrack [7], and ecommerce platforms such as Dutchie, Jane and Shopify [8].
  • The account owner registers for 10DLC from the texting settings in the dashboard [9], and AIQ lists 10DLC registration and message vetting as automatic [10].
  • For reporting, custom attribution windows and A/B split tests are built in [11].

On Alpine IQ, registered stores text from pre-approved templates

Sticky SMS and Alpine IQ compared
Sticky SMSAlpine IQ
Pricing modelQuoted on the call, priced on your store count and volume. Credits never expire.No prices on its website [2]; its help center points customers to their Services Order Form [12]. Text credits are one per message, with carrier fees charged per segment [13].
10DLC registrationWe file your 10DLC registration with TCR, at no charge for the number or the registration. Most stores are live in 1 to 2 days.Registration from a form in the account’s texting settings [9]. Once registered, texts come from pre-approved templates [1].
Numbers10DLC, toll-free and US short code numbers, and a short code for Canada, filed for you.Registered numbers tied to the 10DLC campaign [14], plus a text-to-join number [15].
RepliesReads keyword replies (JOIN, YES, STOP and your own keywords), sends an automated templated reply and can start an automation. STOP and HELP are handled automatically. There is no inbox for back-and-forth conversations.A chat inbox; replying there is available for select industries [16].
Other channelsEmail, and the Sticky Card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, on the same customer record.Email, push, voice and direct mail [5], and wallet passes [6].
Revenue trackingYour POS shows which customers received, clicked and bought after a text, with custom attribution windows. Delivery rates are reported too.Revenue per SMS through click-through and conversion tracking [17].
Setup and supportSupport teams in the US and Canada, on 1-855-9-STICKY. First response under 2 hours, often within 20 minutes.Four support tiers, all with live 1:1 onboarding [18]. The support team works weekdays, 9am to 7pm Eastern [19].
CanadaYes. Canadian texts are held to the same strict content rules as US texts.An implied-consent setting for Canada [20].

Alpine IQ fits groups that want one vendor for email, text, push, voice and mail

  • You want one vendor for email, text, push, voice and direct mail [5].
  • Your online menu runs on an ecommerce platform from its integration list [8].
  • Custom attribution windows and A/B split tests are part of how you report [11].

Sticky SMS gets your store approved under its own brand

  • Your brand on the registration. We work with carriers and their partners to get your store approved under its own brand and legal name, then get later message types and updates approved under that name too.
  • There is no charge for the number, the registration or any other setup to get a 10DLC number approved. You pay only for the texts you send.
  • Custom MMS images are approved on the spot by an AI compliance check before sending, to lower the chance of carrier filtering.
  • Email and the Sticky Card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet run from the same customer record as your texts.
  • Revenue and delivery you can see. Your POS shows which customers received a text, clicked and bought, with attribution windows you set, and delivery rates show your texts arrive.
  • Support and terms. Support teams in the US and Canada, on 1-855-9-STICKY. First response under 2 hours, usually within 20 minutes. Billing is month-to-month with no setup fee, and credits never expire.

We move your lists, loyalty balances and creative

We also bring in 6 months of order history from your POS as standard. If you are inside a term with your current provider, switching early means paying both for a stretch. Find your renewal date and notice period first and time the migration to it.

The steps are in how to switch from Alpine IQ. Weighing loyalty and email too? Read Sticky Cards vs Alpine IQ, the whole platform.

Book a demo with your current send volume in hand, and leave the call with a Sticky SMS quote to set beside what you pay now.

Build your text program with us

Book a time and we will walk through your list, your POS and the texts you want to send, on a video call with a real person.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Sticky SMS cheaper than Alpine IQ?

There is no public price to compare: Alpine IQ lists no prices on its website, and Sticky SMS is quoted on the call, priced on your store count and volume. Bring your current invoice to the demo and set the two side by side. Sticky SMS is month-to-month with no setup fee, and credits never expire.

Can customers reply to the texts?

With keywords, yes. Sticky SMS reads keyword replies such as JOIN, YES and STOP, plus your own keywords, sends an automated templated reply and can start an automation. It has no inbox for back-and-forth conversations. Alpine IQ’s Chat Inbox handles SMS replies, and its help center says replying there is available only for select industries.

Can I write my own texts with each?

Yes on Sticky SMS, including custom MMS images, which an AI compliance check approves on the spot before sending. Alpine IQ requires pre-approved templates once you are registered for 10DLC, and its help center says custom MMS media is only for clients outside 10DLC and regulated industries.

Which POS systems do they support?

Sticky SMS texting works with Dutchie, Flowhub, Cova, Greenline, POSaBIT, Blaze, Treez, TechPOS, GrowFlow, MJ Freeway, PROTEUS420, Givex, Breadstack and Shopify, plus WooCommerce and Klaviyo. Alpine IQ’s integrations directory lists POS systems including Treez, Meadow and BioTrack.

Do both work in Canada?

Yes. Alpine IQ offers an implied-consent setting for Canada. Sticky SMS holds Canadian texts to the same strict content rules as US texts.

Sources

    Competitor facts on this page

    1. For businesses registered under 10DLC, AIQ requires outbound text to come from pre-approved templates rather than freeform copy. Creating a Text Campaign, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    2. AIQ's homepage has no pricing link and shows no prices; its calls to action ask visitors to get a demo (aiq.com/pricing returned a 404 on 2026-10-29). AIQ | Marketing, Loyalty, and Ecommerce Software for Modern Retail, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    3. AIQ, also called Alpine IQ, was founded in 2019 and started as a customer data compliance tool for regulated industries. About, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    4. AIQ markets a cannabis retail product line covering ecommerce, loyalty, marketing and analytics for dispensaries. Cannabis retail software, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    5. AIQ campaigns can go out by email, text, push, voice and direct mail. AIQ | Marketing, Loyalty, and Ecommerce Software for Modern Retail, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    6. AIQ offers Apple and Google Wallet passes that show live loyalty points and can carry push alerts. Wallet Pass Loyalty and Campaigns, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    7. AIQ's integrations directory lists POS systems including DutchiePOS, Flowhub, Cova, Treez, Blaze, Greenline, Meadow, POSaBIT, BioTrack, MJ Freeway, IndicaOnline, Lightspeed, TechPOS, THSuite, Alleaves and GrowFlow. AIQ Integrations | Connect Your Retail Tech Stack Seamlessly, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    8. AIQ's integrations directory lists ecommerce platforms including Dutchie, Jane, Leafly, Weedmaps, Shopify, WooCommerce, Breadstack and buddy, plus marketing tools such as Klaviyo, Mailchimp and HubSpot. AIQ Integrations | Connect Your Retail Tech Stack Seamlessly, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    9. The account owner registers for 10DLC inside AIQ, from Settings > Texting, by completing a registration form whose approval status can be tracked there. 10DLC for Regulated Industries, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    10. AIQ lists automatic 10DLC registration and message vetting as part of its texting product. Text Message Marketing by AIQ | Drive Sales with Targeted SMS, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    11. AIQ lets users set custom attribution windows or required actions before ROI is counted, and supports A/B split testing. Omnichannel Marketing by AIQ | SMS, Email, Push & More, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    12. AIQ's help center tells customers to check their Services Order Form for exact pricing. Charge Policy (Prior to March 2023), AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    13. AIQ's current help center says text credits are charged one per message sent, regardless of length, with carrier fees billed separately per segment. Creating a Text Campaign, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    14. After 10DLC approval, AIQ releases unregistered numbers and buys 49 registered phone numbers tied to the account's 10DLC campaign. 10DLC for Regulated Industries, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    15. Each AIQ account gets a dedicated text-to-join number, and shoppers opt in by texting a join keyword to it. Texting: Opting in & Out, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    16. AIQ's Chat Inbox handles SMS replies and website chat, and its help center says replying in the inbox is available only for select industries. Chat Inbox, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    17. AIQ says it tracks the revenue each SMS drives using click-through and conversion tracking. Text Message Marketing by AIQ | Drive Sales with Targeted SMS, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026
    18. AIQ publishes four support tiers (Self-Service, Success, Premium Success, Enterprise); all include live 1:1 platform onboarding, and tiers above Self-Service include a dedicated customer success manager. Enhanced Support Model, AIQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    19. AIQ's support team works Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm Eastern (listed as 6am to 4pm Pacific), with an AI support agent available 24/7. AIQ Support Agent, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026
    20. AIQ's help center says custom MMS media is available only to clients outside 10DLC and regulated industries. Creating a Text Campaign, AIQ Help Center (opens in a new tab), accessed October 29, 2026