What is A2P 10DLC (10DLC)?
A2P 10DLC refers to a program/system being utilized by the major US mobile carriers to allow businesses to send text messages, via an application, using standard 10-digit long code (10DLC) telephone numbers to a consumer’s personal handheld device (A2P). The A2P 10DLC program has been specifically designed for business messaging - offering simplicity, stability, reliable delivery, and security to businesses and their audiences. Due to its very nature, all Ytel traffic is considered to be A2P.
How does this impact your business?
Any business that wishes to send text messages to a consumer’s handheld device must first register their Brand (business name) and their messaging campaign(s). Registration includes a vetting process. Registration allows a business (brand) to be associated with specific outbound messages (campaign). Registration also provides benefits in the form of improved deliverability as well as increased capacity limits.
How do I get started?
It’s important to note that if you do not currently use text messaging as part of your outreach strategy or customer communications strategy, then no action is required.
If you currently send text messages, or if you are considering adding text messaging to your communications, then the first step is to register your Brand.
Registration is completed in the Ytel application, located here.
- Have a numberset and voice only number(s) in the numberset specifically for the SMS campaign.
- Complete the Brand registration process and wait for approval (1-3 business days).
- Once the Brand is approved, complete the registration for each message campaign type. For example: 2FA, Account Notifications, and Security Alerts are all different campaign types.
What information do I need in order to register?
To register the Brand, you will need to provide information about the business and contact information for an authorized representative point of contact.
BRAND REGISTRATION
Business Information:
Business Legal Name
Business d/b/a Name
Business Type
EIN Number
Business Registration ID
Registration ID Type
Industry Type
Website URL
Vetting Class ID
Business Address:
Street Address, including Suite number
City
State
Zip / Postal Code
Country
Authorized Representative**:
First Name
Last Name
Email Address
Direct Telephone Number
**Ytel recommends the Authorized Representative be a member of the executive team, director, other senior leadership position, or the owner. The email and phone number provided should route directly to the named individual. They may be contacted directly as part of the registration process.
CAMPAIGN REGISTRATION
Business Information:
Registered Brand Name
Industry Type
Message Flow
Description
Use Case
Sub-Use Case
Campaign Attributes:
Embedded Link?
Embedded Phone?
Affiliate Marketing?
Number Pooling?
Age Gated?
Direct Lending?
Subscriber Opt-In?
Subscriber Opt-Out?
Subscriber Help?
Message Examples:
Provide 5 message samples for the campaign.
What happens when I submit my Brand/Campaign for registration?
Your information is passed to The Campaign Registry (TCR), a third party who is responsible for the registration of Brand and Campaigns. In addition, secondary vetting is performed via an independent reputation algorithm which reviews specific criteria about your company.
Registration of the Brand and Campaign includes a third-party vetting and verification process. Accuracy of submitted information is critical - any information which is unable to be verified may result in a denial. There is no appeal or resubmit process. All fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable. If a registration is denied, you may elect to submit a new registration request.
What happens if I don’t register?
Attempts to send SMS traffic on an unregistered number will not be allowed to proceed. Your account may incur usage fees for attempting to send unapproved messaging.
How does A2P 10DLC work?
Once your Brand and Campaign(s) have been registered and approved, your account will be flagged as eligible to send SMS traffic to a consumer’s personal handheld device and the assigned telephone number(s) on your account will be enabled for inbound and outbound SMS traffic.
There are two important components to keep in mind with A2P 10DLC:
- Brand Registration identifies who your business is to the Mobile Carriers
- Campaign Registration identifies what your messages are saying to their subscribers
Does this also affect MMS?
Yes. Long code MMS is subject to carrier throughput filtering due to limited capacity. If you have a high-volume use case for MMS, please contact Sales to inquire about Short Code options.
Which Carriers participate in or require 10DLC registration?
All major wireless carriers in the US (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon) participate in some form of 10DLC. Verizon, while not directly participating in the specific TCR requirements, has adopted similar requirements of their own. The Ytel system takes this into account when submitting your Brand and Campaign registration requests. Mobile Virtual Network Operators who utilize the major carrier networks will be impacted. Independent mobile carriers may or may not participate in 10DLC.
Does this impact messages to Puerto Rico or Canada?
- Yes to Puerto Rico. Many Puerto Rico residents have service through one of the major US carriers and messages to Puerto Rico numbers are treated no differently.
- No to Canada. Ytel will deliver messages to Canadian mobile carriers. They may enforce their own content filtering, message blocking, or other message delivery prohibitions.
What fees are charged for 10DLC?
- Brand registration: $50 per attempt / submission
- Campaign registration: $50 per attempt / submission
- Approved Campaign: $50 each, per month
- Number Pooling Fee: $2,000 per submission
These fees are all inclusive of pass through carrier fees, applicable regulatory fees, compliance review costs, and program administrative costs.
Number Pooling Fee is required by T-Mobile on campaigns that have - or may have - more than 49 numbers. The Number Pooling Fee is charged at the time of Campaign Registration submission.
My company provides services to multiple other companies (brands) through my proprietary software/system. Is there anything special I need to do?
Yes. This means you qualify as an Independent Software Vendor (ISV). First, register your own Brand as the parent account. Next, each of your customer accounts will need to be configured as sub-accounts, and each have a Brand and Campaign(s) registered. Any applicable fees for the sub-accounts are charged to your account.
What if I am only doing development and testing and not sending a high number of messages - do I still need to register?
Yes. Because the message is originating from Ytel’s system, it is considered A2P traffic and subject to 10DLC requirements.