Become a Verified SMS Sender with A2P 10DLC Registration

10DLC stands for “10-digit long code”, which is a messaging solution introduced by wireless telecom carriers for non-commercial and commercial business texting. It’s used to send Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, such as appointment reminders, marketing messages, and customer service alerts. It’s different from short codes, which are five to six digit numbers, typically used for commercial purposes and require a costly lease and approval process. With 10DLC, businesses can send messages at a much lower cost and have a higher delivery rate, from the phone number they have been using for years.

Yes, businesses that want to use 10DLC messaging must register with their wireless carrier. While each carrier may have some nuances to the process, there’s a single registration application that’s used across all of them (and MessageDesk can walk you through it step by step in our platform). It involves verifying your business information, purpose, and intended usage of the 10DLC number.

If you don’t register your 10DLC number with the carrier, you may face issues with message delivery, additional fees, and possibly even account suspension. Carriers are taking measures to prevent spam or misuse of 10DLC messaging, so it’s important to comply with their guidelines to maintain the legitimacy and effectiveness of your messaging campaigns. Additionally, registering your 10DLC can also improve message deliverability rates and help avoid carrier filtering or blocking.

The main difference between A2P 10DLC and shortcodes is the cost and approval process. Short codes, five to six digit textable numbers, are typically associated with commercial purposes and require a lease, typically ranging from $500 to $1,000 per month. Short codes also require carrier approval, which can take several weeks or even months.  

On the other hand, A2P 10DLC is a relatively new messaging solution that can be used for commercial and non-commercial messaging purposes, and it offers lower costs compared to shortcodes. The cost of using a 10DLC number can vary based on the carrier and messaging volume, but it’s generally lower than using a short code.

Another difference is in their capacity and throughput limits. 10DLC messages can be sent at a rate of 100 messages per minute, whereas a short code can handle up to several thousand messages per minute. It should be noted that throughputs still varies based on your business’s “trust score.”

Overall, A2P 10DLC offers lower costs and faster approval times, making it more accessible for businesses of all sizes to use texting to connect with their customers efficiently.

A 10DLC number is a phone number that consists of ten digits, just like a regular phone number (Ex. 555-123-4567). This number can be used by businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) messages to their customers, such as appointment reminders, notifications, and other types of text messages. It’s important to note that businesses must use a registered 10DLC number to comply with carrier regulations and maintain good delivery rates.

Once you sign up for a MessageDesk account, one of our representatives will help you onboard onto the platform and help get you registered with our easy in-app application. Once you’re registered, you can track your approval status in our dedicated status page in your MessageDesk Settings.

MessageDesk’s customers have experienced an average approval time of 48 hours, and some customers have been lucky to get approved in as little as 24 hours! However, because the approval process is in the hands of carriers, all approval times may vary.

10DLC compliance refers to the set of rules and guidelines that businesses must follow when using the 10DLC messaging channel to send text messages to their customers. Compliance requirements may differ between wireless carriers, but generally, they aim to prevent spam, protect consumers’ privacy, and maintain the integrity of the messaging channel.

Some examples of 10DLC compliance requirements include:

Registration: Businesses must register their 10DLC numbers with the wireless carriers and go through a verification process to confirm their business information and intended use case.

Consumer Consent: Consumers must opt into receiving text messages from the business, and businesses must have records of consumer consent.

Message content: Messages must comply with the carrier’s guidelines, which may include content restrictions, opt-out instructions, and other legal requirements.

Message volume limits: Businesses must abide by the messaging volume limits set by the carriers and avoid sending messages that may be considered spammy or unsolicited.

Monitoring and reporting: Businesses must monitor their messaging campaigns and promptly report any issues or concerns to the wireless carriers.

Complying with 10DLC guidelines is crucial to avoid message delivery issues, carrier fines, and negative impacts on the business’s reputation.