10DLC FAQ
What is 10DLC?
10DLC stands for 10-digit Long Code. 10DLC messaging lets businesses send sanctioned Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging traffic over local phone numbers, also known as “long codes”.
The 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) program was developed and introduced in 2021 by major US mobile carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The program's goals are to:
Classify Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging
Create a process for using 10-digit phone numbers to send and receive text messages
Reduce text spam and phishing messages from 10DLC senders
What is The Campaign Registry?
The Campaign Registry (TCR) is a new component of the Long Code messaging ecosystem. It's a third-party company that's been selected by some mobile carriers, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, to administer the registration of 10DLC messaging campaigns on their behalf.
Why do I need to register 10DLC campaigns?
The industry has been working for many years to find ways to support the use of local numbers to deliver A2P messaging traffic to mobile subscribers at volume. Following the recognition by the CTIA in 2019 that local and toll-free numbers are valid methods for delivering A2P traffic, mobile carriers have been developing their 10DLC solutions.
Verizon charges a blanket surcharge on top of messages without additional registration, while AT&T and T-Mobile do require registration and additional fees to increase throughput caps for campaigns that should be granted a higher messaging class. They also require the use of TCR to get additional information on A2P message senders and the type of traffic being sent to their mobile subscribers.
Will I need to apply for external vetting?
It depends on your use case and the amount of throughput you need. Brands are considered either:
Pending: A “Pending” status means that the Brand submission has not yet been processed and has been queued. Once processed, the status will change to either Verified or Unverified. Campaigns cannot be created for a Brand in this state.
Unverified: The Brand was not able to be verified using the information entered. The most common reason for this status is the Legal Company Name and EIN do not match what is filed with the Federal Government.
Verified: A “Verified” status is a requirement to register campaigns and send messages on 10DLC. In this status, you can now register campaigns for the Brand.
Vetted Verified: Brands that have registered and their identities have been verified through external vetting.
For “Verified” brands, Classes (AT&T) or Tiers (T-Mobile) are assigned according to whether a verified Brand is part of the Russell 3000 list or not. A Verified brand that is on the Russell 3000 list will automatically have access to the highest throughput level for both AT&T (Class: A or B) and T-Mobile (Tier: TOP). Verified Brands who are not part of the Russell 3000 list will automatically have access to the entry-level throughput for both AT&T (Class: E or F) and T-Mobile (Tier: LOW) and can improve their Class/Tier assignment through vetting.
Will I need to register campaigns for each brand that a PhoneEasy customer supports?
Yes, each brand will need to be registered individually. This means similar use cases for different companies can't be lumped together in one registration.
How long will it take for a campaign to be approved by the carriers?
Campaigns for standard use cases should be approved immediately. Specialty use cases will require additional vetting and we've seen this take up to a few weeks, depending on the carrier review cadence.
What happens if I choose not to register campaigns with TCR?
If you choose not to register but would still like to utilize 10DLC routes, you'll receive the higher carrier per-message surcharge and lowest throughput, but will still be able to send traffic. If there's blocking on an unregistered number, we currently have no path to get this traffic unblocked. Eventually, there may be blocking on all unregistered traffic.
If the traffic is blocked by a carrier, will it also be blocked by its subsidiaries?
Yes, any blocking by a carrier extends to its subsidiaries. For example, if your traffic is blocked by AT&T, it'll also be blocked by Cricket Wireless.
What happens if a carrier suspends my campaign in TCR?
If you receive a suspension for your campaign or brand in TCR, Bandwidth will disassociate the telephone numbers that were assigned to that campaign. This means your traffic will no longer be registered and you need to check in TCR or the Bandwidth dashboard to see why your campaign was suspended. Usually, we see suspensions for high spam complaints, phishing, or other violations of the carriers' codes of conduct. Occasionally carriers will lift suspensions if the issues reported in the suspension are addressed, but often times you will need to register a new campaign after having addressed the suspension reason.
10DLC stands for 10-digit Long Code. 10DLC messaging lets businesses send sanctioned Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging traffic over local phone numbers, also known as “long codes”.
The 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) program was developed and introduced in 2021 by major US mobile carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The program's goals are to:
Classify Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging
Create a process for using 10-digit phone numbers to send and receive text messages
Reduce text spam and phishing messages from 10DLC senders
What is The Campaign Registry?
The Campaign Registry (TCR) is a new component of the Long Code messaging ecosystem. It's a third-party company that's been selected by some mobile carriers, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, to administer the registration of 10DLC messaging campaigns on their behalf.
Why do I need to register 10DLC campaigns?
The industry has been working for many years to find ways to support the use of local numbers to deliver A2P messaging traffic to mobile subscribers at volume. Following the recognition by the CTIA in 2019 that local and toll-free numbers are valid methods for delivering A2P traffic, mobile carriers have been developing their 10DLC solutions.
Verizon charges a blanket surcharge on top of messages without additional registration, while AT&T and T-Mobile do require registration and additional fees to increase throughput caps for campaigns that should be granted a higher messaging class. They also require the use of TCR to get additional information on A2P message senders and the type of traffic being sent to their mobile subscribers.
Will I need to apply for external vetting?
It depends on your use case and the amount of throughput you need. Brands are considered either:
Pending: A “Pending” status means that the Brand submission has not yet been processed and has been queued. Once processed, the status will change to either Verified or Unverified. Campaigns cannot be created for a Brand in this state.
Unverified: The Brand was not able to be verified using the information entered. The most common reason for this status is the Legal Company Name and EIN do not match what is filed with the Federal Government.
Verified: A “Verified” status is a requirement to register campaigns and send messages on 10DLC. In this status, you can now register campaigns for the Brand.
Vetted Verified: Brands that have registered and their identities have been verified through external vetting.
For “Verified” brands, Classes (AT&T) or Tiers (T-Mobile) are assigned according to whether a verified Brand is part of the Russell 3000 list or not. A Verified brand that is on the Russell 3000 list will automatically have access to the highest throughput level for both AT&T (Class: A or B) and T-Mobile (Tier: TOP). Verified Brands who are not part of the Russell 3000 list will automatically have access to the entry-level throughput for both AT&T (Class: E or F) and T-Mobile (Tier: LOW) and can improve their Class/Tier assignment through vetting.
Will I need to register campaigns for each brand that a PhoneEasy customer supports?
Yes, each brand will need to be registered individually. This means similar use cases for different companies can't be lumped together in one registration.
How long will it take for a campaign to be approved by the carriers?
Campaigns for standard use cases should be approved immediately. Specialty use cases will require additional vetting and we've seen this take up to a few weeks, depending on the carrier review cadence.
What happens if I choose not to register campaigns with TCR?
If you choose not to register but would still like to utilize 10DLC routes, you'll receive the higher carrier per-message surcharge and lowest throughput, but will still be able to send traffic. If there's blocking on an unregistered number, we currently have no path to get this traffic unblocked. Eventually, there may be blocking on all unregistered traffic.
If the traffic is blocked by a carrier, will it also be blocked by its subsidiaries?
Yes, any blocking by a carrier extends to its subsidiaries. For example, if your traffic is blocked by AT&T, it'll also be blocked by Cricket Wireless.
What happens if a carrier suspends my campaign in TCR?
If you receive a suspension for your campaign or brand in TCR, Bandwidth will disassociate the telephone numbers that were assigned to that campaign. This means your traffic will no longer be registered and you need to check in TCR or the Bandwidth dashboard to see why your campaign was suspended. Usually, we see suspensions for high spam complaints, phishing, or other violations of the carriers' codes of conduct. Occasionally carriers will lift suspensions if the issues reported in the suspension are addressed, but often times you will need to register a new campaign after having addressed the suspension reason.
Updated on: 27/05/2024
Thank you!