What is A2P 10DLC? Registration and SMS Compliance

What is A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC is the standard that telecom carriers created to verify that SMS traffic is consensual. Guidelines came into effect in 2021 that require A2P 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry (TCR)  for all businesses by August 31, 2023. American and Canadian businesses who contact American phone numbers and who don’t complete their registration by that date will have their messages blocked. We'll go further into what TCR registration means and how to ensure A2P 10DLC compliance in this article. First, let's understand what exactly A2P 10DLC is.

Application-to-person (A2P) refers to text messages (SMS and MMS) in which the recipient gets messages from an application rather than an individual. Conversely, person-to-person (P2P) refers to text messages sent from one individual to another.

10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) has 10 digits, just like a local phone number. 

10DLC numbers support transactional and promotional text messages. Businesses use 10DLC to send text messages because they have advantages over the short code numbers sometimes used for business SMS campaigns.Those advantages include lower costs and higher delivery and send rates.

Why TCR registered A2P 10DLC text messaging is good for your business

Short code phone numbers used to be the only way for businesses to send text messages. But businesses now have access to 10DLC, phone numbers with 10 digits. Once you have a 10DLC number that successfully completed A2P 10DLC registration, you'll be able to take advantage of all the benefits two-way SMS offer. Here's a few of the major ones:

Send texts quickly

Unlike short codes, 10DLC numbers are required to be registered with carriers in a process called TCR registration so they have A2P 10DLC compliance. Once registered with The Campaign Registry, 10DLC numbers are verified, a status which leads to a relatively higher messaging output. That means that you'll be able to send more messages, more quickly, than if your business doesn't have A2P 10DLC compliance.

A2P and 10DLC works with toll-free and local numbers

You can easily obtain a 10DLC number from your VoIP service provider, including both toll-free and local phone numbers. Once you've registered your numbers with The Campaign Registry , you'll be able to begin texting. You can provide Ringover with your business information for registration through this form. That's right–to successfully complete your TCR registration, you won't have to directly interact with The Campaign Registry. Ringover handles the process once you've submitted your information, whether your business is based in the US or in Canada.

Optimized text message delivery rates

Dealing with undelivered text messages is one of the most frustrating aspects of running mass texting campaigns. Luckily, just registering your 10DLC number with The Campaign Registry will improve your deliverability rate. That's because having your TCR registration on file will signal to carriers you're a verified sender who is not engaging in questionable SMS marketing techniques. Improving your deliverability rate will help you to improve open rates, response rates, and generally optimize engagement.

Establish trust and credibility for your business

As SMS marketing has become more and more prevalent, the incidence of spam has risen as well. That's why establishing trust and credibility for your brand is so key. There are two groups with whom a business needs to establish a good reputation when it comes to SMS marketing: the consumer and the mobile carriers.

Creating a good reputation with consumers is only possible after establishing a good reputation with carriers. You'll need to start by completing your A2P 10DLC registration, which helps to ensure carriers actually deliver your text message campaigns. Plus, once you're in A2P 10DLC compliance, you'll receive a Trust Score. Your Trust Score gives carriers indications of whether your messages are likely to be spam or not. Having a good Trust Score is very important because the higher it is, the higher the message throughput your campaigns can have.

Supports two-way messaging

Enabling two-way text messaging for your customers opens the potential for conversational exchanges, establishing a friendly dynamic. Since two-way messaging isn't possible with short code phone numbers, it's an important advantage of 10DLC numbers. Your customers will have a direct line of communication to your business, and you'll be able to bring more personalization to the messages.

How does A2P 10DLC work?

A2P 10DLC is application-to-person messaging with a 10-Digit Long Code phone number. Ten digit phone numbers look like this: 907-XXX-XXXX.

New regulations came into effect in 2021 to allow businesses to use A2P 10DLC for mass text message campaigns. The new A2P 10DLC process has two components.

• Brand registration to declare who your business is.
• Campaign registration to communicate what the sort of messages are included in your SMS campaign.

Both of these processes are included in the TCR registration process that Ringover handles for your business.

A2P 10DLC Registration

As mentioned in prior sections, if you don't register your A2P 10DLC number with The Campaign Registry, you'll face significant consequences. That's why you'll need to complete the TCR registration process to ensure A2P 10DLC compliance.

What information is required for registration?

Luckily, the registration process is relatively straightforward. However, you'll need to collect certain documentation and information. We've covered what you'll have to provide to The Campaign Registry in the following sections.

Verification Letter

To complete your A2P 10DLC registration, you have to provide an EIN. If you don't already have this number, you'll need to register your business with the IRS. Make sure the information is consistent across the relevant agencies (IRS, The Campaign Registry). If the information doesn't match, you'll have to submit further documentation.

Company information

The Campaign Registry requires the following details about your company:

• The business's legal name
• EIN
• Legal address
• Organization type (private, public, nonprofit)

Industry

You'll need to be precise about what sector your business operates in.

Primary contact

The Campaign Registry requires contact information for someone at your business:

• Contact name
• Title
• Email address
• Address
• Phone number

Website URL

A2P 10DLC compliance doesn't require your business's website, but there is the option to provide it.

Description of customer consent

Customer consent is of top priority for A2P 10DLC registration. Legally speaking, consent is required before your business can send SMS campaigns. You should define and input how you obtain consent, including if it's implied, verbal, or written. If your business gets consent through its website, you must provide the opt-in language. Opt-in messages on your web form should specifically mention text messages. Any pertinent URLs should be provided to The Campaign Registry in this section. You can even add screenshots of relevant forms, etc. Finally, if you request a phone number but don't include opt-in language, you should state this in your A2P 10DLC registration.

Messaging examples

During the A2P 10DLC registration process, you must provide at least three sample text messages. These examples should show what kind of text messages your business will send during campaigns. If these messages are informational or promotional notices, you should include opt-out language. This can be as simple as including “Reply STOP to opt-out.”

Management of opt-in, -out, and help keywords

This is a required category, so you'll need to fill it out even if you don't use opt-in messaging. You should input the opt-out keywords (STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, etc.) you'll honor, and be specific about how you respond to requests for help. Generally speaking, take into account that opt-out and help keywords are required, even if you are only using text messages for conversational purposes.

Company SMS phone numbers

You should double-check that your business phone provider has registered all the numbers used for SMS. With Ringover, you'll be able to see which numbers are used to send text messages so you can verify each is included.

What happens if I don't register?

There are multiple penalties you could face for not adhering to A2P DLC10 compliance. These consequences could come from multiple sources.

Mobile carriers can actually ban you if you use an A2P DLC10 number that is not correctly registered with The Campaign Registry.

Certain messages you send could be blocked from delivery by mobile carriers.

You could face fines from The Campaign Registry or mobile carriers, which can be up to $10 per message. This could get very expensive very quickly if you've tried a SMS campaign. There are additional monthly fees for operating an unregistered A2P DLC10 number.

How does US A2P Brand registration work?

The brand is the message sender who the customer recognizes as the originator of the text messages. The brand will create a campaign that will then be distributed through your campaign service provider (CSP)–in this case, Ringover.

Ringover is actually the sole intermediator in your brand registration process. You'll fill out the form we previously linked with the brand information we listed above. Just to clarify, that would include:

• Business name
• Physical address
• Business EIN
• Business type
• Industry
• Website

Once you've entered that information, your part registering your brand is done. But keep in mind the A2P 10DLC registration normally takes at least 30 days. And if there is an issue with your brand or campaign information, the process could take longer.

Do I need to go directly to The Campaign Registry or any other non-Ringover website to complete registration?

Though The Campaign Registry is the hub that manages A2P 10DLC registrations, you don't need to go to the TCR website. Ringover is your sole intermediary for the A2P 10DLC registration process, and works with The Campaign Registry to be in A2P 10DLC compliance. Ringover provides a form to begin your A2P 10DLC registration and then manages the process with TCR.

A2P 10DLC Compliance

The purpose of the TCR's A2P 10DLC registration process is to increase trust in text message campaigns among consumers. That's why the A2P 10DLC compliance process requires information regarding not only your brand but specific details about the messages, opt-in and -out messages, and keywords.

But achieving A2P 10DLC compliance can be confusing. There are many organizations involved in the process, like the Federal Communications Commision, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, and your CSP.

Here are the important basics to know.

• If your business is using A2P 10DLC phone numbers to send text messages, you must register with TRC. This registration can be done through your CSP and be completed by August 31, 2023. If it is not completed by that date, your messages will be blocked.
• Consent is required by mobile carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, etc. If regulations aren't correctly followed, your business can be subject to fines.
• A2P 10DLC compliance has important advantages for your business. Carriers will not filter or block your messages, or even block your phone numbers or fine your business.

A2P 10DLC FAQ

What is A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC refers to a standard for businesses sending text messages that telecom carriers created. There is an A2P 10DLC registration involving businesses, text message campaign service providers which ensures SMS traffic is verified and consensual.

Is A2P 10DLC mandatory?

A2P 10DLC is required for businesses who use 10 digit long code numbers to send text message campaigns. In fact, if your business isn't appropriately registered and in A2P 10DLC compliance by August 31, 2023, your messages will be blocked. 

It's possible your text messages will be blocked, filtered. Your business can even receive fines. That's why it's best to ensure your A2P 10DLC registration is complete before launching an SMS campaigns.

What is an example of A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC looks like this: 512-XXX-XXXX. Ten digit long code phone numbers look just like a local phone number. 10DLC numbers support transactional and promotional text messages since 2021. Businesses use 10DLC to send text messages because they have advantages over the short code numbers sometimes used for business SMS campaigns.Those advantages include lower costs and higher delivery and send rates.

What's the difference between A2P 10DLC and shortcode?

Shortcode phone numbers are very limited in their uses compared to A2P 10DLC numbers. While short codes can only be used for texting, 10DLC can be used for SMS and MMS messages and voice calls. Plus, 10DLC numbers support two-way communication so consumers and prospects can respond to businesses.