What is A2P 10DLC and how does it benefit your businesses?
A (10DLC) 10-digit long code is a specific phone number used for (A2P) Application-to-Person messaging. These numbers are better alternatives to (5-7 digits) short codes.
A2P 10DLC is a messaging framework in the United States designed for most North American network carriers that allow businesses to send messages (SMS & MMS) to their subscribers (customers) using a standard 10DLC number. A (10DLC) 10-digit long code is a phone number used for (A2P) Application-to-Person messaging.
A2P 10DLC was initiated by AT&T Local on April 1, 2021, followed by T-Mobile USA on August 1, 2021. These network providers believe A2P 10DLC offers better message delivery rates with lower filtering risk than traditional long-code SMS with the same phone number.
However, A2P 10DLC requires registering your number with the appropriate authorities (Carriers) if you are a business that wants to send long-code messages to T-Mobile and AT&T numbers in the US.
A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) offers several benefits to businesses:
It enables you to send high volumes of messages to your customers with greater scalability and at a lower cost than traditional shortcodes.
Provides greater message deliverability to intended recipients.
A2P framework protects businesses from being associated with unwanted or malicious messages and helps maintain their reputation.
A2P 10DLC promotes greater transparency, giving consumers insight into the source and purpose of the messages they receive – a quality customer experience.
Allows integration with various messaging platforms and APIs, helping businesses streamline messaging operations
The main goal of A2P 10DLC is to protect consumers (Subscribers) from spam and fraudulent messages. To increase customer trust in SMS & MMS and eliminate fraud and spam.
The rise of temporary fake numbers led to unethical and uncontrollable spam messaging, deteriorating consumer trust in businesses. Without a proper regulation and messaging framework, it has no end. Hence, the implementation of A2P 10DLC.
Such numbers can no longer be used with the A2P 10DLC framework. With fraudulent parties out of the equation, businesses can win back their audiences and generate better ROI from long-code SMS.
This registration is only for those who intend to send messages to the US. If you are one of them, you must register your business or brand and Campaign. Don’t fret, we will help you get through this, you only need to provide us with the following information.
Information related to your business, brand, and authorized personnel (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO) is required for registration. You need to provide us with the following information.
Business Name
Physical Address (Street, City, State/Province/Region, Postal Code, Country)
Business Type (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/Corporation /Co-Operative/LLC/Non-Profit)
Company Status (Private/Public)
Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
Business Registration Number & Type (DUNS or Business License)
Industry
Website
Regions of Operations
Points of Contact
Name
Email
Title
Phone Number
Job Position (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO)
Small businesses with a Tax ID don’t necessarily qualify for Sole Proprietor registration. So, you are required to register for a Low Volume Standard Brand for eligibility.
Sole Proprietor brands are available to individuals or small businesses that meet the following requirements:
OTP Verification: For confirming your identity using a “One Time Password” (OTP) verification step.
Valid Information: Starter Brands must include the following:
Business or brand name
Proprietor’s Full Name
Phone Number (from US or Canada)
Email address
Physical address (US or Canadian)
US and Canada Addresses: Only valid U.S. or Canadian addresses (including P.O. boxes) are allowed. Addresses in other countries are no longer permitted.
_Note:_ It applies to all A2P registration; each 10DLC number can validate up to 3 brands. And each physical address or email can only be used for 10 brands.
Individuals and small businesses should provide the following information to register for the Sole Proprietor campaign.
First Name: The first name of the owner of the sole proprietor business
Last Name: The first name of the owner of the sole proprietor business
Email address: This email address can only be used a maximum of 10 times across all A2P brand registrations
Mobile Number: The phone number used to send an OTP verification request. This mobile number can only be used a maximum of three times across all A2P brand registrations.
Phone Number: Customer’s business/contact phone number.
US and Canada Addresses: Only valid addresses in the U.S. and Canada will be accepted for Sole Proprietorship registration.
A two steps validation process is needed to achieve a VERIFIED status (for SP entities, “Verified” status indicates that data points are validated)
Only entities with a VERIFIED status will be allowed to register campaigns.
In step one, SP brands will need to pass a validation process. Registration will only be accepted if it passes data validation.
In step two, SP brands must pass a mobile OTP validation. Upon successful OTP validation, the brand will be assigned a VERIFIED status.
The OTP SMS is sent to the mobile phone number declared in the SP Brand record.
Different OTP validation options will be available to accommodate User Experience.
OTP validation is required after mobile phone number updates.
OTP confirmed mobile numbers could be associated with a maximum of 3 SP brands
The same email address can be associated with a maximum of 10 SP brands
The same US or Canadian address can be associated with a maximum of 10 SP brands
All legacy SP brands will be subject to data validation and OTP validation checks stated above.
As per the new requirements, you will be chargers with the following fees:
One-time Sole Proprietor Brand registration fee: $4
One-time Campaign vetting fee: $20 (existing Campaigns will be exempt from this fee for now)
Monthly Sole Proprietor Campaign fees: $2 (applicable to existing Campaigns)
1 Sole Proprietor Campaign per Brand
1 Phone Number per Campaign
1 Message Per Second (1MPS) throughput limit
New Sole Proprietor brand campaigns will be affected by the modifications in the Campaign Creation process and the latest vetting process.
If your previously registered starter brand were deleted, your A2P Starter Bundle associated with that brand would also be deleted.
Krispcall doesn’t support Externally registered campaigns within Sole Proprietor Use Cases. It means you must register a new campaign with us (if externally registered). You can only use campaigns registered via KrispCall.
It depends. It is mandatory if you are a business sending more than 3000 message segments per day. Else, you can send a few messages without registration. However, we recommend you register your 10DLC numbers because soon, it will become mandatory for all A2P messaging.
Note: If your business uses more than five (5) 10DLC numbers, you should register, regardless of your message volume.
Registering your 10DLC numbers as soon as possible will ease things for you along the way. There are specific advantages of registration and vice versa. You will be subjected to higher unregistered fees and the consequences of filtering on unregistered numbers, which directly affects your message campaign.
In all cases, you do have to register your number for future-proofing. Different types of registrations are available based on the stature of your business. Small businesses and solopreneurs intending to send less than 6000 message segments should register as “Low-Volume Standard Brand registration process.”
Whereas businesses with greater requirements should be registered via the “Standard Brand registration process.”
*Note: testing or sending a very low volume of messages in the US, at this moment, can be achieved without registration.
If you send messages from any unregistered 10DLC number, the following can be the consequences:
Your messages will become subject to higher filtering, which may lead to lesser deliveries.
You will be charged higher rates comparatively.
Eventually, telecommunication carriers will block all unregistered phone numbers.
Upon completing your brand registration (A2P Profile), you will provide us with the details (listed below). Then we will provide you (back) with the Trust Score, generated by a third party known as The Campaign Registry. The rating (Low, Medium, or High) will determine the maximum message throughput allocated to your Campaign.
The detailed documentation on your brand/business and Campaign Type you provide us after the registration will be evaluated by our upstream provider and forwarded to a third-party registration body known as “The Campaign Registry.”
This TCR calculates a score based on a reputation algorithm based on numerous criteria reviewing the data you provided. This score is known as the “**Trust Score.**” Trust Score is associated with message throughput. Greater Trust Score, better message throughput.
Trust Scores have three levels: Lowest, medium, and Highest. Your Trust Score, in combination with your campaign type, determines the message throughput. It means Trust Scores have a direct influence on your message throughputs.
The campaign, in simple terms, is a “Use Case.” It represents the nature of the SMS and MMS you intend to send to your consumers. For example, if you only need to send OTP to your customers, a single campaign (2FA) is enough. However, if you also want to market your services or products, you require an additional ‘Marketing Use Case.’
The number of Campaigns is proportional to the services or types of A2P messages you want to send.
This Campaign Use Case defines the nature of the messages you intend to send to your subscribers or consumers. It directly impacts the message delivery rate on carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T Network.
Use Cases cover wide aspects of A2P messaging, such as fraud alerts, notifications, social updates, customer care, and more.
The table below illustrates the types of Campaigns available with A2P 10DLC registration on T-Mobile and AT&T Networks in the US.
List of Use Cases
* The "low volume" threshold is less than 500 daily messages, or approximately. monthly 15,000 messages.
You must buy a new one if you do not have the 10DLC phone number. But, if you already have a long code number, you do not need to buy new phone numbers. Once your business registration and campaign setup are complete, you can provide us with the details, and we will connect your numbers with campaigns from our end.
Brand registration fee: one-time registration fee — $4. Plus, one-time Carrier Vetting fee — $40 (for high throughput & increased daily limit over AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon networks)
The threshold for "low volume" is fewer than 500 messages per day, or approx. 15,000 messages per month.
It usually takes 4-5 business days. Once you submit the required documentation, we will forward it to our upstream provider, who verifies and reviews your case. Our upstream providers carry out the registration of your number in the system.
A2P 10DLC rule changes do not affect Toll-Free numbers. They work as they used to and effectively send A2P messages (SMS & MMS) in the US and Canada.
At the moment, messaging to Canada or any other country isn’t affected by (A2P 10DLC) Changes. However, Canadian carriers can introduce this framework soon in the near future.
A2P 10DLC is a messaging framework in the United States designed for most North American network carriers that allow businesses to send messages (SMS & MMS) to their subscribers (customers) using a standard 10DLC number. A (10DLC) 10-digit long code is a phone number used for (A2P) Application-to-Person messaging.
A2P 10DLC was initiated by AT&T Local on April 1, 2021, followed by T-Mobile USA on August 1, 2021. These network providers believe A2P 10DLC offers better message delivery rates with lower filtering risk than traditional long-code SMS with the same phone number.
However, A2P 10DLC requires registering your number with the appropriate authorities (Carriers) if you are a business that wants to send long-code messages to T-Mobile and AT&T numbers in the US.
How does A2P 10DLC benefit you/your businesses?
A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) offers several benefits to businesses:
It enables you to send high volumes of messages to your customers with greater scalability and at a lower cost than traditional shortcodes.
Provides greater message deliverability to intended recipients.
A2P framework protects businesses from being associated with unwanted or malicious messages and helps maintain their reputation.
A2P 10DLC promotes greater transparency, giving consumers insight into the source and purpose of the messages they receive – a quality customer experience.
Allows integration with various messaging platforms and APIs, helping businesses streamline messaging operations
Why A2P 10DLC now?
The main goal of A2P 10DLC is to protect consumers (Subscribers) from spam and fraudulent messages. To increase customer trust in SMS & MMS and eliminate fraud and spam.
The rise of temporary fake numbers led to unethical and uncontrollable spam messaging, deteriorating consumer trust in businesses. Without a proper regulation and messaging framework, it has no end. Hence, the implementation of A2P 10DLC.
Such numbers can no longer be used with the A2P 10DLC framework. With fraudulent parties out of the equation, businesses can win back their audiences and generate better ROI from long-code SMS.
What do I need to do?
This registration is only for those who intend to send messages to the US. If you are one of them, you must register your business or brand and Campaign. Don’t fret, we will help you get through this, you only need to provide us with the following information.
What information is required for registration?
Information related to your business, brand, and authorized personnel (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO) is required for registration. You need to provide us with the following information.
For Standard and Low Volume Standard Brands
Business Information
Business Name
Physical Address (Street, City, State/Province/Region, Postal Code, Country)
Business Type (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/Corporation /Co-Operative/LLC/Non-Profit)
Company Status (Private/Public)
Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
Business Registration Number & Type (DUNS or Business License)
Industry
Website
Regions of Operations
Points of Contact
Two authorized representatives with the following info:
Name
Title
Phone Number
Job Position (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO)
For Sole Proprietor Brands
Requirements for Sole Proprietor Registration
Small businesses with a Tax ID don’t necessarily qualify for Sole Proprietor registration. So, you are required to register for a Low Volume Standard Brand for eligibility.
Sole Proprietor brands are available to individuals or small businesses that meet the following requirements:
OTP Verification: For confirming your identity using a “One Time Password” (OTP) verification step.
Valid Information: Starter Brands must include the following:
Business or brand name
Proprietor’s Full Name
Phone Number (from US or Canada)
Email address
Physical address (US or Canadian)
US and Canada Addresses: Only valid U.S. or Canadian addresses (including P.O. boxes) are allowed. Addresses in other countries are no longer permitted.
_Note:_ It applies to all A2P registration; each 10DLC number can validate up to 3 brands. And each physical address or email can only be used for 10 brands.
Required Information for registration with the Sole Proprietor campaign
Individuals and small businesses should provide the following information to register for the Sole Proprietor campaign.
First Name: The first name of the owner of the sole proprietor business
Last Name: The first name of the owner of the sole proprietor business
Email address: This email address can only be used a maximum of 10 times across all A2P brand registrations
Mobile Number: The phone number used to send an OTP verification request. This mobile number can only be used a maximum of three times across all A2P brand registrations.
Phone Number: Customer’s business/contact phone number.
US and Canada Addresses: Only valid addresses in the U.S. and Canada will be accepted for Sole Proprietorship registration.
Data and OTP Validation for Sole Proprietors (SP)
A two steps validation process is needed to achieve a VERIFIED status (for SP entities, “Verified” status indicates that data points are validated)
Only entities with a VERIFIED status will be allowed to register campaigns.
In step one, SP brands will need to pass a validation process. Registration will only be accepted if it passes data validation.
In step two, SP brands must pass a mobile OTP validation. Upon successful OTP validation, the brand will be assigned a VERIFIED status.
OTP Validation of Brand mobile phone number
The OTP SMS is sent to the mobile phone number declared in the SP Brand record.
Different OTP validation options will be available to accommodate User Experience.
OTP validation is required after mobile phone number updates.
Non-duplication Rules
OTP confirmed mobile numbers could be associated with a maximum of 3 SP brands
The same email address can be associated with a maximum of 10 SP brands
The same US or Canadian address can be associated with a maximum of 10 SP brands
Legacy Entries
All legacy SP brands will be subject to data validation and OTP validation checks stated above.
Pricing related to Sole Proprietor Brands
As per the new requirements, you will be chargers with the following fees:
One-time Sole Proprietor Brand registration fee: $4
One-time Campaign vetting fee: $20 (existing Campaigns will be exempt from this fee for now)
Monthly Sole Proprietor Campaign fees: $2 (applicable to existing Campaigns)
Limitations of Sole Proprietor Brands:
1 Sole Proprietor Campaign per Brand
1 Phone Number per Campaign
1 Message Per Second (1MPS) throughput limit
New Sole Proprietor brand campaigns will be affected by the modifications in the Campaign Creation process and the latest vetting process.
If your previously registered starter brand were deleted, your A2P Starter Bundle associated with that brand would also be deleted.
Krispcall doesn’t support Externally registered campaigns within Sole Proprietor Use Cases. It means you must register a new campaign with us (if externally registered). You can only use campaigns registered via KrispCall.
Do I need to register? If so, what’s the deadline?
It depends. It is mandatory if you are a business sending more than 3000 message segments per day. Else, you can send a few messages without registration. However, we recommend you register your 10DLC numbers because soon, it will become mandatory for all A2P messaging.
Note: If your business uses more than five (5) 10DLC numbers, you should register, regardless of your message volume.
Dates and deadlines for business registration
Registering your 10DLC numbers as soon as possible will ease things for you along the way. There are specific advantages of registration and vice versa. You will be subjected to higher unregistered fees and the consequences of filtering on unregistered numbers, which directly affects your message campaign.
What if I am just testing or sending a very low volume of messages to the US?
In all cases, you do have to register your number for future-proofing. Different types of registrations are available based on the stature of your business. Small businesses and solopreneurs intending to send less than 6000 message segments should register as “Low-Volume Standard Brand registration process.”
Whereas businesses with greater requirements should be registered via the “Standard Brand registration process.”
*Note: testing or sending a very low volume of messages in the US, at this moment, can be achieved without registration.
What happens if I don't register?
If you send messages from any unregistered 10DLC number, the following can be the consequences:
Your messages will become subject to higher filtering, which may lead to lesser deliveries.
You will be charged higher rates comparatively.
Eventually, telecommunication carriers will block all unregistered phone numbers.
How does Brand registration work?
Upon completing your brand registration (A2P Profile), you will provide us with the details (listed below). Then we will provide you (back) with the Trust Score, generated by a third party known as The Campaign Registry. The rating (Low, Medium, or High) will determine the maximum message throughput allocated to your Campaign.
What is a Trust Score, and how does it affect me?
The detailed documentation on your brand/business and Campaign Type you provide us after the registration will be evaluated by our upstream provider and forwarded to a third-party registration body known as “The Campaign Registry.”
This TCR calculates a score based on a reputation algorithm based on numerous criteria reviewing the data you provided. This score is known as the “**Trust Score.**” Trust Score is associated with message throughput. Greater Trust Score, better message throughput.
How do Trust Scores influence message throughput?
Trust Scores have three levels: Lowest, medium, and Highest. Your Trust Score, in combination with your campaign type, determines the message throughput. It means Trust Scores have a direct influence on your message throughputs.
What’s a Campaign?
The campaign, in simple terms, is a “Use Case.” It represents the nature of the SMS and MMS you intend to send to your consumers. For example, if you only need to send OTP to your customers, a single campaign (2FA) is enough. However, if you also want to market your services or products, you require an additional ‘Marketing Use Case.’
The number of Campaigns is proportional to the services or types of A2P messages you want to send.
When I register for my Campaign, I have to provide my Use Case. What do these mean?
This Campaign Use Case defines the nature of the messages you intend to send to your subscribers or consumers. It directly impacts the message delivery rate on carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T Network.
Use Cases cover wide aspects of A2P messaging, such as fraud alerts, notifications, social updates, customer care, and more.
The table below illustrates the types of Campaigns available with A2P 10DLC registration on T-Mobile and AT&T Networks in the US.
List of Use Cases
* The "low volume" threshold is less than 500 daily messages, or approximately. monthly 15,000 messages.
Do I need to buy new phone numbers to use this A2P 10DLC service?
You must buy a new one if you do not have the 10DLC phone number. But, if you already have a long code number, you do not need to buy new phone numbers. Once your business registration and campaign setup are complete, you can provide us with the details, and we will connect your numbers with campaigns from our end.
What fees are associated with the A2P 10DLC service?
Brand registration fee: one-time registration fee — $4. Plus, one-time Carrier Vetting fee — $40 (for high throughput & increased daily limit over AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon networks)
Campaign registration fees:
The threshold for "low volume" is fewer than 500 messages per day, or approx. 15,000 messages per month.
How long does it take to get registered?
It usually takes 4-5 business days. Once you submit the required documentation, we will forward it to our upstream provider, who verifies and reviews your case. Our upstream providers carry out the registration of your number in the system.
In what way do these rule changes impact Toll-Free numbers? Is it advisable to transition to 10DLC?
A2P 10DLC rule changes do not affect Toll-Free numbers. They work as they used to and effectively send A2P messages (SMS & MMS) in the US and Canada.
Do these changes also affect messaging to countries such as Canada?
At the moment, messaging to Canada or any other country isn’t affected by (A2P 10DLC) Changes. However, Canadian carriers can introduce this framework soon in the near future.
Updated on: 18/01/2024
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