CNAM: Display Your Business Name on Outbound Calls

What is CNAM?

Caller ID Name (CNAM) is the technology that displays your registered business name on a recipient's phone when you call them (primarily for landlines). Without it, recipients see only a raw phone number (sometimes with city and state). With CNAM properly configured, your business name appears in place of the number on landlines, giving customers the context they need to pick up.

CNAM works by registering your phone numbers to a business name in authoritative CNAM databases (called Line Information Databases, or LIDBs). When your call arrives, the recipient's carrier queries those databases and displays the registered name on the device.

What Recipients See

When CNAM is enabled and the recipient's carrier supports it, your call displays as something like "Circle Insurance" instead of just a 10-digit number. The name can be up to 15 characters, so it's worth choosing something recognizable and concise.

If no CNAM is configured for a number, most carriers default to showing the city and state associated with the number, which tells the recipient very little about who's actually calling.

Eligibility and Limitations

There are a few important things to know before enabling CNAM:

Regal Phone Numbers only: Regal can only configure CNAM for phone numbers you've provisioned through Regal, not 3rd party numbers.

US only: CNAM applies exclusively to US phone numbers and US-based recipients. It is not available for Canadian numbers.

Primarily for landlines: For landlines, CNAM is generally enabled by default. For mobile phones, most US carriers offer CNAM as an opt-in feature for the recipient; however, in practice most mobile phone customers have not asked to enable it on their plan.

Display depends on the recipient's carrier: Regal registers your name with the authoritative CNAM databases, but not every carrier queries every database, and Regal cannot control how or how quickly individual carriers update their records. 

Name format requirements. Your CNAM display name must be 15 characters or fewer, begin with a letter, and contain only letters, numbers, periods, commas, and spaces. It must be a specific business name; generic values like a city or state name are not permitted.

How to Enable CNAM in Regal

CNAM is included at no additional cost for Regal customers. Setup is handled by the Regal team — to get started, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or email support@regal.ai. You'll need to have completed your business profile and received approval before CNAM can be enabled.

FAQs

• Is CNAM free? Yes. CNAM is included at no additional cost for Regal customers.
• Will my business name show up on every call? No. CNAM display depends on the recipient's carrier querying the right database and, for mobile phones, whether the recipient has opted into caller name display through their carrier. Landlines display CNAM more reliably. 
• Does CNAM work on mobile phones? It can, but in practice very few mobile devices have it enabled. Most major US carriers support CNAM on mobile, but it's typically an opt-in feature for the subscriber (and most people don't know it's an option). If a recipient hasn't enabled it, your name won't appear. For richer, more consistent name and brand display on mobile, Branded Caller ID is the more effective solution that does not require recipient optin.
• Does CNAM display my logo or the reason for the call? No. CNAM is text-only and limited to 15 characters — it displays a name, nothing more. If you want recipients to see your logo and a reason for the call (e.g., "Appointment Reminder"), Branded Caller ID with Call Logo Branding is what you're looking for.
• Does CNAM work together with STIR/SHAKEN? Yes, and they complement each other well. STIR/SHAKEN authenticates that your call is legitimate and not spoofed; CNAM tells the recipient who you are. Used together, a recipient may see both a "Caller Verified" indicator and your business name — a much stronger signal than either alone.

• What happens if I don't set up CNAM? Recipients will typically see your phone number and, as a fallback, the city and state associated with the number. 

   

Trusted Calling Products: How They Work Together

Regal offers four complementary trust products for outbound calling. Each solves a different piece of the problem — using them together gives you the best chance of reaching customers with a verified, recognizable identity.