What is 10DLC? (+How to Get Registered)


10DLC (10-digit long code) numbers for business text messaging were introduced a while ago, but only recently (early 2022) did major carriers make it mandatory for businesses to register those numbers. 

On July 5, 2023, all mobile carriers started ramping up penalties for unregistered numbers, and on August 31 they began blocking texts from unregistered 10DLC numbers altogether.

10dlc meme

To ensure continued success with your text messaging campaigns (and maintain your reputation and ROI), it's important to get registered asap. 

Registration itself is simple, but understanding what it all means and why you need it is... not. So in this post, we're going to cover everything you need to know.

Table of contents

Added resources

The 10DLC situation has evolved pretty quickly since we first wrote this post, so here are some additional resources we've come out with since then:


 

What exactly is 10DLC registration?

10DLC stands for 10-digit long code, and 10DLC registration means that your number is registered through a third-party organization called The Campaign Registry (TCR). It's a process designed to ensure a positive and secure consumer experience and protect the performance of your text campaigns.

Upon registration, TCR verifies that your business is legitimate, then assigns each number in its registry a trust score which carriers then use to prioritize text message delivery. In other words, the higher your trust score, the higher your delivery rates and throughput.

10DLC registration requirements

To apply for 10DLC registration, you need to provide your Campaign Service Provider (CSP) with the required information (which we'll get to later), and the CSP will submit your application. Businesses don't interface directly with TCR. There is a one-time registration fee as well as a monthly campaign fee.

To get your registration approved, your business information all needs to be verified and you must adhere to industry best practices as outlined by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). These include but are not limited to:

  • Obtaining prior express written consent before texting any consumer.
  • Providing clear opt out instructions in the first text of any campaign.
  • Identifying your company name in the first text of any campaign.
  • Having SMS terms and conditions and an SMS privacy policy.

 

What are the 2023 10DLC deadlines?

While you'll see July 5 below, the registration process, which normally takes about a week, is currently taking 2-4 weeks due to the influx. So it's important to get your registration application submitted now to avoid disruptions in your campaigns.

  • On July 5: All major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, etc.) will start throttling (reducing deliverability throughput rates for messages from unregistered 10DLC numbers. 

  • On August 31: Carriers will block texts from unregistered numbers altogether.

business text and email templates

How much does 10DLC cost?

10DLC registration costs vary depending on the type of business you have and the campaigns you’re running. You’ll pay:

  • One-time setup fee:
    • Sole proprietors: $4
    • Low Volume Standard Brands: $4
    • Standard Brands: $44 (includes secondary vetting)
  • One-time A2P Campaign use case registration fee: $15
  • Monthly campaign fees
    • Regular campaigns: $10/month
    • Low-volume mixed campaigns $2/month
    • Political campaigns: $10/month
    • Charity campaigns: $3/month
    • Sole proprietor campaigns: $0.75/month
  • Per-message carrier fees: as mentioned, your mobile carrier charges fees for traffic, with lower fees for registered numbers. 

Not sure which type of "Brand" you are or which campaign you'll be running? These links are helpful:


10dlc registration costs

Image source

NOTES ON COSTS:

  • These are the fees per The Campaign Registry at the time of publishing this post. Please view TCR's website as well as your mobile carrier's website for the most up-to-date fees.
  • This also does not include any fees that your CSP may need to include for registering you.
  • All Hatch customers will get registered as Standard Brands with Regular Campaigns. Reach out to your Customer Success rep for more information on this.

 

How to register for 10DLC

The registration process for 10DLC is pretty simple, but there are some terms you need to know:

  • Brand: The company or organization sending the texts (your business!)
  • CSP: The campaign service provider. Enables businesses to run text messaging campaigns (Hatch, for example!)
  • MNO: Mobile network operators (wireless carriers like Verizon). The means by which customers receive the texts.
  • DCA: The direct connect aggregator. Has the connection to the MNO, and transmits messages on behalf of CSPs.

    how-10dlc-registration-works

Step #1: You provide information to your CSP

Your business itself doesn’t directly apply for registration through TCR. You provide your information to your CSP and your CSP registers you. 

TCR registration application requires the following information, but the form your CSP uses to collect the information from you may be different, since they may take care of some of it for you.

Here’s what TCR registration asks for:

  • Tax details
    • DBA/brand name
    • IRS-issued EIN or TID
  • Organization details:
    • Business type (LLC, sole proprietor, or corporation)
    • Industry and business type (non-profit, public, private, government)
  • Contact details
    • Organization address
    • Primary contact
  • Campaign details
    • Types of messages you'll be sending
    • Sample messages
    • Proof of how people gave consent to receive messages from your business

Hatch customers, the information you need to provide via our form is:

  • Legal business name
  • Employee identification number (EIN) or Tax ID
  • Business type (LLC, sole proprietor, or corporation)
  • Company type (public vs. private)
  • Industry
  • Website URL
  • Business address
  • Contact information

We'll take care of everything else.

Your CSP will then submit the information to TCR, which will then assign each registered number a unique campaign ID.

Step #2. DCA publishes your number

Your CSP then provides the DCA with those numbers and their Campaign IDs, and they will enter them into a shared industry database which allows that number to go live. Now the messages sent out from that number can be properly routed to and from customers by the MNOs.

Step #3: Start your text campaign

You’re live! You can now message end users as an approved, trustworthy, fully vetted sender and enjoy the benefits of higher deliverability, faster throughput, lower traffic fees, and higher ROI.

Get your 10DLC number registered now 

Hatch customers, as a CSP, we will register your 10DLC number. Fill out the form we share with you in the app and we'll take care of the rest—that includes all the backend work and communicating with our contacts at each cellular service provider to ensure you're compliant and ready to go.

Non-Hatch customers, reach out to your campaign service provider to see what action is required.

 

FAQs

Here are the terms and history that will give you additional context for wrapping your mind around 10DLC. 

What is A2P-10DLC?

A2P-10DLC is when a business uses an application or software to text consumers (A2P) from a secure, vetted 10-digit phone number (10DLC).

To understand what that means and why it's important, there's some unpacking we need to do.

A2P

A2P stands for application-to-person messaging, and it refers to when businesses use an application or software to text consumers so they can do so in large volume. It’s basically the technical term for business texting, integrated texting, or SMS (short message service). 

So if you use Hatch, you’re using A2P messaging.

what is A2P - application to person messaging

Businesses then send their A2P messages from a phone number, which can be:

  • A short code number
  • A toll free (800) number
  • A traditional 10-digit long code number
  • A 10DLC number  

What are the differences between these numbers? So glad you asked!

Short code vs toll-free vs long code vs 10DLC

Each of these number types vary in their appearance, throughput (speed, in messages per second), security, and deliverability. Note that short code, shared short code, and toll-free numbers already had their own mandatory registration processes established). 

Short code

This is when businesses use a five or six digit number for A2P messaging. These numbers are easy to remember, and they have high throughput (speed, in messages sent per second), so they’re best suited for high-volume text campaigns where immediate delivery is critical. SMS short code supports multimedia messaging (MMS) and delivery receipts, but not voice services.


business text and email templates

Toll-free number

These numbers have 800 instead of an area code. They incur no fees, but the 800 number can be off-putting to consumers and they are often subject to messaging caps and spam filters.

10DLC

This is when a business uses a standard 10-digit phone number with a local area code. This type of number supports MMS and voice services, but not delivery receipts.

Long code numbers have lower throughput than short codes, but they have lower costs and tend to get more engagement as the local phone number feels more personable and trustworthy. 10DLC code numbers are a great, cost-effective solution for small businesses. 

10dlc vs shortcode vs 800 number comparison chart

Image source

Why is 10DLC registration required?

When business text messaging first came out, there were very few regulations and consumers were getting bombarded. 

In response to this, from 2017-2020 the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), major mobile carriers (like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T) and other institutions began rolling out regulations and programs to make texting secure and successful for consumers and businesses. 

CTIA messaging best practices guide cover

CTIA’s Messaging Principles and Best Practices

Then in March of 2022, major mobile carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon came out with a united policy that any business using 10-digit long code numbers (10DLC) for text messaging campaigns must register them through a national registry called The Campaign Registry (TCR); and that unregistered numbers would be subject to higher fees, slower and lower delivery rates, and sometimes blocked delivery altogether.

what-is-10dlc-tcr-homepage

Since then, carriers have been periodically ramping up these consequences to ensure a secure experience for consumers.

But this summer, we’re going to see more penalties starting July 5, 2023—and eventually complete blockage starting August 31, 2023—for unregistered 10DLC numbers.

Benefits of 10DLC

As you can now see, it's not just SMS that is beneficial to your business, but SMS via 10DLC—and for a number of reasons:

Higher deliverability

10DLC numbers are each assigned a reputation score by TCR, which mobile carriers then use to prioritize messages. The higher your reputation score, the better your deliverability. On the flip side, unregistered numbers are subject to spam filters, slower sends, and sometimes even blocked traffic. 

Higher throughput

Throughput represents messages per second (MPS). Higher throughput means more messages can be sent at once and on time. 

Your throughput will vary depending on your trust score, but 10DLC numbers have higher throughput than traditional long code numbers.


benefits of 10dlc texting registration

Higher response rates

Local numbers feel more trustworthy and familiar to consumers. Plus, 10DLC supports two-way text messaging and multiple media types. These all factor into higher response and engagement rates from consumers.

Versatility

While short codes can only be used for texting, long code numbers support text, MMS, and voice so you can use one number for a wide range of messaging strategies—appointment reminders, marketing campaigns, customer service, and more. This makes it a versatile and scalable solution. 

Higher ROI 

With more of your text messages to leads, prospects, and customers getting delivered and higher response rates, you’re then able to hit your marketing and business goals, resulting in higher returns on your A2P and text marketing investments. 

 

10DLC registration FAQs

How do I register my 10DLC number?

Businesses that use A2P 10DLC texting aren’t actually the ones who do the registration. The app you use for messaging (the A in the A2P, aka your campaign service provider, or CSP) does the registration for you.

Hatch is a CSP, so we'll take care of registration and all of that is found in the app. If you're not a Hatch customer, reach out to your CSP to find out what the process is.

Is there a registration fee?

10DLC registration costs vary depending on the type of business you have and the campaigns you’re running. You’ll pay:

  • One-time setup fee:
    • Sole proprietors: $4
    • Low Volume Standard Brands: $4
    • Standard Brands: $44 (includes secondary vetting)
  • One-time A2P Campaign use case registration fee: $15
  • Monthly campaign fees:
    • Regular campaigns: $10/month
    • Low-volume mixed campaigns $2/month
    • Political campaigns: $10/month
    • Charity campaigns: $3/month
    • Sole proprietor campaigns: $0.75/month
  • Per-message carrier fees: as mentioned, your mobile carrier charges fees for traffic, with lower fees for registered numbers. 

NOTES ON COSTS:

  • These are the fees per The Campaign Registry at the time of publishing this post. Please view TCR's website as well as your mobile carrier's website for the most up-to-date fees.
  • This also does not include any fees that your CSP may need to include for registering you.
  • All Hatch customers will get registered as Standard Brands with Regular Campaigns. Reach out to your Customer Success rep for more information on this.

How long does 10DLC registration take?

10DLC registration typically only takes a few days, but right now due to high demand, it’s taking 2-4 weeks.

Can I use a toll-free number as an alternative?

If you don’t need a localized area code, a toll-free number can be an alternative. Both toll-free and short code numbers have their own mandatory registration and verification processes, and with the influx of 10DLC registrations happening, the waiting period could be shorter for toll-free numbers.

Delivery rates and throughput from toll-free numbers are not too different from standard low-volume 10DLC numbers. However, keep in mind that toll-free numbers are subject to spam filters.

Is there a deadline?

There is no official deadline for registering your 10DLC number, but the consequences for unregistered numbers (higher fees, reduced performance, poorer reputation, lower ROI) will continue to get more severe, so the sooner you register, the better.

What happens if I don't register?

Businesses that don’t register their 10DLC numbers will continue to see higher fees, lower deliverability, slower throughput, and sometimes blocked traffic altogether—not to mention a poor reputation among mobile carriers and consumers.  All of this will have a negative impact on your text campaign performance and ultimately your ROI. So it’s important to get registered ASAP! 

What information do I have to provide?

TCR requires information that declares who you are and what types of text messages you’ll be sending.

TCR registration application requires the following information, but since your CSP is the one who registers you, the form you have to fill out for your CSP may have fewer fields, since they may take care of some of it for you.

  • Tax details:
    • DBA/brand name
    • IRS-issued EIN or TID
  • Organization details:
    • Business type (LLC, sole proprietor, or corporation)
    • Industry and business type (non-profit, public, private, government)
  • Contact details
    • Organization address
    • Primary contact
  • Campaign details
    • Types of messages you'll be sending
    • Sample messages
    • Proof of how people gave consent to receive messages from your business

Hatch customers, the information you need to provide via our form is:

  • Legal business name
  • Employee identification number (EIN) or Tax ID*
  • Business type (LLC, sole proprietor, or corporation)
  • Company type (public vs. private)
  • Industry
  • Website URL
  • Business address
  • Contact information

We'll take care of everything else.

Is 10DLC new? 

10DLC isn’t really new. What is new is the required registration through TCR. Here’s the history:
  • 2008: 10-digit long code numbers for P2P texting come onto the scene, and start attracting business attention around 2009-2010.
  • 2010-2017: A2P SMS via 10DLC for business goes unsanctioned, but the CTIA publishes several revisions on best practices.
  • January 2017: The CTIA officially codified 10DLC for business messaging with Messaging Principles and Best Practices, which it later updated in 2019.
  • 2017-2020: Mobile carriers begin rolling out programs and products for 10DLC business messaging. 
  • March 2022, major mobile carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon require all 10-digit A2P numbers to be registered through TCR, imposing higher fees, lower deliverability, and slower throughput on unregistered numbers.
  • 2022-2023 fees and consequences for unregistered numbers continue to rise.

Why all these regulations?

Back when business text messaging first took off, it sort of turned into the wild west. There were no regulations and consumers were getting spammed, scammed, and/or bombarded with texts. In response to this, cellular service providers, TCIA, and other institutions began implementing regulations to make texting work for consumers and businesses.

This is all meant to make your text messaging campaigns fruitful for your business as well as secure and pleasant for consumers.

Are there additional 10DLC resources?

Sure are!

And if you need help identifying which type of brand you are or campaigns you're running:

 

business text and email templates

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