The Ultimate Guide to A2P 10DLC Registration: Everything You Need to Know

Spam texts are the bane of our times! As per the study, Americans have received 19.2 billion spam texts in March 2024. In 2021, Americans lost around $10 billion in text scams. Due to these numbers, the FCC – The Federal Communications Commission has strictly mandated that various network providers create rules and follow 10DLC regulations to control text spam. Here is where A2P 10DLC registration comes into the picture.

US A2P DLC is the most significant change in the telecommunication industry’s history in the last decade. This blog will discuss everything you need to know about A2P DLC registration, including what is 10DLC registration, its benefits, and more.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into it.

What is A2P 10DLC registration?

The full form of A2P 10DLC registration is an Application-to-person messaging. Generally, businesses use apps to send bulk SMS from the mobile app or web app to the leads. 10DLC is a 10-digit long code that businesses use to send Application-to-person messaging.

Simply put, US A2P 10DLC is a text messaging standard that various businesses use to send A2P messages through 10DLC phone numbers. US businesses use this system specifically to send safe and reliable SMS and MMS to their target audience.

Here are the two primary purposes of A2P 10DLC.

•  Establish trust and transparency ( between consumers and businesses). For that, businesses register their brands with The Campaign Registry. It will help them know about businesses, such as who they are and what messages they send through SMS. It will safeguard users from the spam.
•  Fulfill the business’s high volume of text messaging requirements. Till now, US businesses have been able to send only P2P messages, which limits their capability of sending high-volume messaging. With the establishment of A2P messages, businesses can now send a high volume of messages.

Therefore, if businesses want to scale up and enjoy high throughout, A2P 10DLC is a must.

How does A2P 10DLC work?

For the A2P 10DLC registration, businesses need to follow the steps below.

First, you need to tell carriers about who you are. It simply means brand recognition. So the carrier understands what business you do.

In the second step, the business (you) must register with the campaign. It means the carrier needs to understand what type of message you will send. So, both the sender and receiver carrier will understand that the text messages are coming from the registered business and won’t block them from sending/receiving messages.

This step incorporates registering your messages/SMS campaign with The Campaign Registry by providing necessary information such as EIN (Employer Identification Number)

If you use an unregistered number, carriers will consider your text message spam and block your message from being delivered to the recipients if you have not completed 10DLC registration.

You can use our platform Textdrip, as we offer various features like opt-out keywords, opt-in page builders, spam score detection, etc, to comply with the A2P 10DLC.

What information is required for registering?

When you do A2P 10DLC registration of your business, there are only two main things that carriers want to know.

• Who you are
• What messages are you sending

To do so, you need to provide the following details:

• Your business name
• Business’s website
• The country in which your business is registered.
• EIN Number
• Business contact information
• SMS campaign name, use case, description
• The sample text message from your campaign

What are the benefits of A2P 10DLC registration?

Here are the notable benefits that you will get if you do A2P 10DLC registration.

1) Improved Delivery

Recently, there have been changes in text message policies regarding spam messages done by TCPA, CTIA, and congressional leaders. So, if your number is not registered with A2P 10DLC, your text messages will not get delivered. However, with A2P 10DLC registration, you will enjoy high text deliverability rates as per trust score and use case.

Simply put, a higher trust score = higher delivery rate.

Let’s check this example of trust score and the message throughout the business in each score range received. Here, assume the business has only one registered use case.

Source: The Campaign Registry

2) Increased Reliability

When your business is A2P 10DLC registered, the major US carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T know you are a verified company. Therefore, these carriers will not restrict or block your messages. They assess your message properly and, based on it, give you a trust score. The higher the trust score, the more trust your business develops with your contacts/customers. This trust score is based on three main factors.

• Industry
• Work Nature
• Use case

If the trust score is high, your business will be able to send more messages. In short, your business’s message throughput will increase.

3) Enhanced Consumer Engagement

As A2P 10DLC lets businesses use local numbers to send messages, customers will trust your brand easily. So, it will automatically increase trust and consumer engagement. With 10DLC registration, you can increase customer engagement by reducing spam message delivery. The consumers will receive messages only from those who have given consent. Besides, the consumer will receive on-time and relevant messages.

4) Affordability & Scalability

A2P 10DLC messaging is cost-effective compared to shortcodes. It is quite versatile and offers flexibility for various use cases. You can add two-way messaging and voice calls to your consumer engagement strategy. As the A2P 10DLC is highly scalable and accessible for businesses of all sizes, it will allow you to customize campaigns as per your requirements without breaking the bank.

5) Complies with rules

A2P 10DLC follows the rules established by the regulatory authorities, such as TCPA and CTIA. As per their rules, businesses need to get consent from the consumers before sending them messages and even give freedom to consumers to opt out if they don’t want to receive text messages from the business.

What are the use cases of A2P 10DLC?

There are various scenarios in which A2P 10DLC registration can be helpful. Here are a few examples of it.

1) Solve Customer Queries Efficiently

Using a 10DLC registered number, you can make a customer support interaction process seamless.

We have registered your complaint and have already started working on it.
You can expect to hear back from us within [time].
Call us at [number] for any further queries.

2) Send Reminders About Appointment

By registering your business with A2P 10DLC messaging, you can send on-time appointment reminders. It will help you ensure your business runs smoothly and customers will be present on time. It will effectively reduce no-shows.

Here is the messaging template that you can use.

You have a scheduled appointment with [name] at [place] on  [date] at [time].
Reply ‘Y’ to confirm or ‘N’ to reschedule.
Any questions? Call [number].

3) Promoting discount offer/sale

A2P 10DLC messaging can be used for targeted marketing and promoting any special offer or sale. It will help you engage consumers and drive more sales.

You can use this SMS template for it.

Diwali Sale! 10% off on your next purchase with code[number].
Valid until [date].
Shop now at [website link]
To unsubscribe, reply STOP.

4) Send order confirmation or shipping notifications.

You can use this SMS template to give your customers information about their order status and shipping details. It will enhance the post-purchase experience.

Your order [order number] has shipped.
You can expect it to arrive within [days].
Queries? Reply to this SMS.
Thanks for shopping with us!

Charges Of 10DLC Registration

Usually, all A2P 10DLC campaigns are created for three months. After three months, users can renew them monthly. The billing will be done monthly, and the fees will be non-refundable. Brands can register for 10DLC through multiple CSPs, but the fees will be unique to each platform and non-transferable.

There are mainly three types of fees that a user needs to pay for A2P 10DLC registration.

• Brand Registration
• Campaign Registration
• Venting ( It is optional )

Generally, the brand registration fee is $4, which is a one-time registration fee, and campaign restoration fees vary from campaign to campaign.

Here is the charges summary that user needs to pay for different campaigns and brand registration. We have covered some popular campaigns here. For more information, you can check the official guidelines of the campaign registry.

Source: Campaign Registry

It’s Time To Recap!

In a nutshell, SMS is quite a popular promotional way for B2B brands to reach consumers and leads. Study shows Americans check their phones 96 times/day. Due to the high open and response rate of text messages, more and more brands are using this communication channel.

However, here is the twist. Each advantage comes with its cons. As SMS usage has increased, spam text complaints have also increased, and that’s the reason why brands started adopting A2P 10DLC registration to control spam SMSs and offer more transparency by building a trusted ecosystem. It will help B2B brands to send a high volume of text messages using the efficient framework.

Of course, the A2P 10DLC registration setup requires effort, but it is all worth it because of the increased deliverability, open rate, engagement rate, and overall consumer experience.

So, without thinking much, register your business with A2P DLC and enjoy a personalized approach to local engagement. If you are looking for the best messaging platform that offers automated, personalized, 10DLC registered bulk messaging service, Textdrip is the best fit for you.

Contact us today for a free demo and learn about how we can help your business maximize SMS marketing efforts.