A2P 10DLC Best Practices

A2P 10DLC refers to a system in the United States that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) type messaging via standard 10-digit long code (10DLC) phone numbers. A2P 10DLC offerings provide better delivery quality and lower filtering risk than long code SMS of the past, using the same phone numbers. This registration process is also available for countries outside of the U.S. as well.

To help ensure your Campaigns are approved in this vetting process, please follow these best practices when submitting new Campaigns.

Please Note: Don't think of these best practices as a "catch-all" that will guarantee approval if you adhere to them all; rather, think of them as a baseline that shows the overall direction that the ecosystem is heading towards when it comes to compliant, high-quality communications.

If the business has a Tax Number (EIN for US, CCN for Canada, etc.), Please select "Yes, the business I’m registering has a US EIN"(Standard Low Volume Brand Registration).
If the business does not have a Tax Number but operates from a valid Business Address in US/Canada, Please select "No, the business I’m registering does not have a US EIN"(Sole Prop Brand Registration).
If the business does not have a Tax ID and the business address is not in US/Canada, unfortunately, they cannot proceed with A2P Brand Registration. In this case, the best alternative would be to use Toll-Free numbers after completing the registration process.
If you have a Tax ID (EIN) and send under 6,000 message segments per day, you should register for the low-volume use case. If you have a Tax ID (EIN) and send over 6,000 message segments per day, you should register for appropriate campaign types within the Standard use case.
An important aspect of A2P 10DLC Brand registration is the introduction of the Standard Brand registration offering. This registration is designed for businesses that require higher daily sending limits, as approved by the Campaign Registry. To be eligible for Standard Brand registration, businesses must possess a valid Tax ID and provide other pertinent business details. The Standard Brand registration process involves associated fees, including the Brand registration fee, campaign vetting fee, and monthly campaign fees. It is crucial to understand the differences between the various Brand registration options to make an informed decision about the suitable choice for your business.

Understanding Trust Scores and Message Throughput

When you complete your US A2P Brand registration, your Brand will receive a Trust Score. This rating influences the maximum message throughput that will be allocated to each of your Campaign use cases.

Trust Scores are grouped into three levels, from lowest to highest. Your Trust Score level, combined with your Campaign Type, will determine the message throughput that is allocated to your campaign use case.

Your campaign use case describes the type of messaging you plan to send. There are two important requirements under the new A2P 10DLC system: Businesses must identify who they are to the carrier networks (Brand registration). Businesses must register what type of messages they are sending, i.e. notifications (Campaign registration).

Forbidden use cases will result in Campaign rejection

Make sure your A2P Campaign does not involve prohibited content such as cannabis, hate speech, etc., and that your use case is compliant with the Messaging Policy. Please view our article on messaging policy for more information.

Opt-In Guidelines

To effectively collect opt-in from recipients, it is imperative to adhere to these guidelines.

We checked against rejected campaigns and found that the opt-in description lacks details in many cases.

Opt-In Keywords should be alphanumeric or accented characters. The use of spaces between keywords, such as 'I Agree' and 'Sign UP,' is not permitted. However, one-word keywords are acceptable. Suitable options include Subscribe, Start, Y, Yes, Confirm, and Register.

As per our carrier requirements, opt-in should follow the following guidelines.

Website opt-in: To collect opt-in from customers via your website, incorporate a form where clients can submit their phone numbers and consent to receive messages from your company. Communicate that submitting the phone number implies consent to message receipt. Additionally, provide a checkbox for clients to confirm their agreement.

Website Posting (Support): Facilitate opt-in by prominently displaying your phone number on your website. This can be done through support pages, contact sections, or call-to-action buttons. Ensure customers can easily locate the phone number to opt in and receive messages.

Keyword or QR Code Opt-In: Employ specific keywords or QR codes that customers can utilize to opt-in. These keywords or QR codes should be included in advertisements, social media posts, or physical materials. Instruct customers to either text the keyword or scan the QR code for opt-in.

Ensure data accuracy and consistency

Consistency in brand, website, and sample messages

Maintaining uniformity in brand name, website, and sample messages is essential to prevent campaign rejection. If inconsistencies arise, such as a brand name mismatch between the website and sample messages, the campaign is at risk of rejection.

For Instance: If your brand name is Store, your website is www.store.com, but your sample messages say “Here’s your one-time passcode for logging into www.business.com”, your campaign will be rejected

Consistency in sample messages and use cases

Registered use cases must be accurately reflected in sample messages. Any discrepancy between registered use cases and sample messages can lead to campaign rejection.

For Instance: If you register a marketing campaign, but sample messages say “Here’s your one-time passcode: 123456”, your campaign will be rejected

Consistency in email domain and company name

Brands should use dedicated email domains to match their company name. Failure to align email domains with company names could result in campaign rejection.

For Instance: If you register a brand as Business Inc., but you provide an email address with a Gmail domain name, your campaign will be rejected.

Note: This check only applies to large, well-known corporations that typically have dedicated email domains

Make sure you submit real, working websites

If you indicate that your customers opt-in to your messages via the website, but provide a website address that does not function, your campaign will be rejected

Make sure you create as few duplicative brands and campaigns as possible

Excessive brands with the same EIN and excessive campaigns with the same campaign attributes may be seen as high-risk and may result in campaign rejection

If you wish to send templated messages, please make sure to indicate the templated fields in sample messages with brackets, to help reviewers better identify which parts are templated

For example, please write “Doctor check due for [John Doe], Visit [www.business.com] to schedule an appointment or call [123-456-7890]”

Ensure your use case involves consumer consent before sending messages

Consumer Consent and Opt-In

Properly collecting consumer consent is a fundamental requirement for campaigns. Complying with CTIA guidelines is essential for appropriately collecting consumer consent. Detailed instructions and best practices for handling consumer consent are outlined in the CTIA guidelines document. (https://api.ctia.org/wp-conten...)

Make sure consumer opt-in is collected appropriately

If you indicate you collect opt-in via text messages, but your sample messages say “Hi, is this the owner of 123 Maple street? I’d like to discuss how I can help you sell your property”, it is clear that you have not collected appropriate consent before sending messages and your campaign will be rejected.

Make sure opt-in language is available on your website if you indicated in the “message flow” field that a consumer opts into your campaign on your company website

If your brand "Store" uses its website, www.store.com, to collect phone numbers but your website does not contain opt-in language such as “By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from STORE. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies.”, your campaign will be rejected.

Opt-In Language Availability: For campaigns that indicate consumer opt-in via the company website, it is crucial to include opt-in language on the website. This language should communicate the consent process clearly, such as "By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from [Company Name]. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies." Ensuring alignment between brand practices and website content is essential to avoid campaign rejection.

We recommend having opt-out language in at least one of your sample messages

For example, please consider adding language such as “Please reply STOP to opt-out” in one of your sample messages

Please Note: Ensure you have all the required information before registering

Business Name
Physical Address (Street, City, State/Province/Region, Postal Code, Country)
Business Identity (Direct Customer or ISV/Reseller/Partner)
Business Type (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/Corporation /Co-Operative/LLC/Non-Profit)
Company Status (Private/Public)
Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
Business Registration Number & Type (EIN for US-based companies, other business identifiers for non-US companies)
Industry
Website
Regions of Operations

An authorized representative with the following info:

Name
Email
Title
Phone Number
Job Position (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO)

Please Note: The ecosystem actively discovers new forms of infractions, and the vetting standards are continually being improved.

Please Note: Toll-free messaging remains an attractive alternative to A2P 10DLC. Toll-free messaging does require a verification process but does not rely on Brand and Campaign Registration

How A2P 10DLC works:

Your campaign use case describes the type of messaging you plan to send.

There are two important requirements under the new A2P 10DLC system:

Businesses must identify who they are to the carrier networks (Brand registration).
Businesses must register what type of messages they are sending, i.e. notifications (Campaign registration).

If you have a Tax ID (EIN) and send under 6,000 message segments per day, you should register for Low Volume use case

If you have a Tax ID (EIN) and send over 6,000 message segments per day, you should register for appropriate campaign types within the Standard use case

Here are screenshot examples of the process menu: