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Changes to 10DLC SMS Compliance (Summer 2024)
Changes to 10DLC SMS Compliance (Summer 2024)

10DLC Registration Requirements - Effective April 13, 2023

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Written by Nick Tabar
Updated over a month ago

What is changing?

From November 3, 2022, the Starter package is no longer supported. If you are a registered business in the United States, with a Tax ID (EIN), you are required to register for either a Low Volume Standard or a Standard 10DLC package. Hobbyists and sole proprietors who do not have an EIN can use Toll-Free numbers for texting via Salesmsg.

Register all of your 10DLC phone numbers now to avoid these penalties:

  • July 5, 2023: Gradual message blocking begins on US-bound messages. Outbound traffic on local numbers that are not associated with 10DLC will return errors.

  • After August 31, 2023: all messages sent from unregistered 10DLC phone numbers to US numbers will be blocked. If your account is not registered for some version of SMS compliance, your messages will not be delivered by the carriers.

A2P 10DLC registration is required by all major U.S. telecommunications carriers. Following other U.S. carriers raising fees for unregistered messages to encourage 10DLC registration, Verizon will increase its per-message rate on unregistered traffic, effective July 1, 2023.


Why is this happening?

The Campaign Registry (TCR) and US carriers require that every company with a Tax ID (EIN) needs to declare the EIN in order to use 10DLC messaging. This requirement and other related requirements are enforced on all existing Starter package registrations, the customers are encouraged to register for Standard or Low Volume Standard package for new registrations.


Sole Proprietor packages are intended for hobbyists and small or individual businesses without an EIN, DUNS, or other Federal Tax Registration number. Sole Proprietor packages are intended for limited use, and the new guidelines enforce this limited use. All companies sending SMS traffic that do have an EIN, DUNS, or other Federal Tax Registration number must register for one of the two 10DLC packages to avoid higher SMS/MMS fees and carrier filtering.


TCR’s changes are aligned with broader U.S. industry goals to drive towards a verified business messaging ecosystem through registration and verification.


Canadian 10DLC approval

When setting up 10DLC compliance for Canadian customers, the process will accept a 9-digit business number instead of an EIN. If Canada is selected in the first step, Canada will automatically appear as the country in the following step.

Additionally, the option to "Enter EIN Manually" will be labeled as "Enter Business Number Manually," with "EIN" changed to "Business Number" and "State" updated to "Province." This ensures that the process is tailored to Canadian business requirements.


Age-Gate

The 10DLC campaign registration form for age-gated messages, such as those related to alcohol sales. The checkmark to approve the Age-Gate option appears at the bottom of the A2P 10DLC registration.

Since age-gated campaigns can no longer be designated via the campaign description, Salesmsg now includes the "age-gated" option on its 10DLC form to ensure such campaigns are correctly identified and approved.


How do I register for 10DLC (Low Volume or Standard)?

Depending on your messaging volume, you can register for one of two options:

  1. Low Volume Standard - If you have a tax ID and send fewer than 6,000 message segments per day, you should re-register for a Low Volume Standard brand.

    • One-time registration fee of $4

    • Monthly campaign cost of $2/mo for mixed-use case or $10/mo for standard campaign types

  2. Standard - If you have a tax ID and send more than 6,000 message segments per day, you should re-register for appropriate campaign types within Standard Brands. Standard brand registration includes secondary vetting which can dramatically improve your brand's trust score and result in significantly higher messaging throughput (speed per message). If you're on the fence based on your daily messaging volume, we'd strongly recommend Standard registration. Trust us, it's worth it.

    • One-time registration fee of $44

    • Monthly campaign cost of $10/mo

📦 Low Volume Standard

🚀 Standard

Throughput (Msg Per Sec)

1.25 MPS

4 - 225 MPS (Based on Trust Score)

Daily Msg Limits

< 6,000 Per Day

Up to 200,000 per day

Brand Registration

Business (EIN Required)

Business (EIN Required)

Registration

Register via Salesmsg

Register via Salesmsg


What's the cost to register?

Sole Proprietor

Low Volume Standard

Standard

Brand registration fee (one time)

$4

$4

$4

Secondary vetting fee (one time)

-

-

$40

Monthly campaign fee (monthly recurring)

$2

$1.5-$10 (depending on the use case type)

$1.5-$10 (depending on the use case type)

Campaign verification fee (one time)

$15

$15

$15


How to Register for A2P 10DLC

What happens if you don’t take action?

Failure to take the necessary action will result in gradual blocking U.S.-bound messages sent via unregistered 10DLC numbers, starting from July 5, 2023.

After August 31, 2023, all U.S.-bound messages sent via unregistered 10DLC numbers will be blocked.

Currently, unregistered messaging traffic is subject to more expensive carrier fees and are significantly more likely to receive carrier filtering. Trust us, it's worth it to register for 10DLC.

If your account is not configured for 10DLC Low Volume or Standard, your non refundable messaging carrier fees will be more expensive. Unregistered traffic fees are as follows:

Effective Date

Carrier

Type

Per Msg Fee

June 1, 2023

AT&T

SMS

$0.01

June 1, 2023

AT&T

MMS

$0.015

June 1, 2023

T-Mobile

SMS

$0.005

June 1, 2023

T-Mobile

MMS

$0.014

July 1, 2023

Verizon

SMS

$0.01

August 1, 2023

T-Mobile

SMS

$0.006

August 1, 2023

T-Mobile

MMS

$0.015


How long does 10DLC approval take?

Registration can typically be completed in a few minutes if you've already collected all of the required information. If you are registering a US-based business, you'll need to have your Employer Identification Number (EIN) ready when you begin registration. In the event that there is a discrepancy with the information you provide, a manual review may be required for Secondary Vetting which can take up to 21 days.

Are any fees refundable?

Both carrier fees and 10DLC setup (passthrough) fees are non-refundable.


Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this required?

The Campaign Registry (TCR) and U.S. carriers mandate registration to create a trusted messaging ecosystem and reduce spam.

How do I register my business for 10DLC?

Salesmsg offers two options:

  • Low Volume Standard for under 6,000 messages per day.

  • Standard for higher message volumes with secondary vetting to improve trust scores.

What are the registration fees?

  • Sole Proprietor: $4 one-time + monthly fee ($2).

  • Low Volume Standard: $4 one-time + $2/month for mixed-use or $10/month for standard types.

  • Standard: $44 one-time (includes $40 vetting) + monthly fees based on use case.

What happens if I don’t register?

U.S.-bound messages will be blocked after August 31, 2023. Non-registered messages incur higher carrier fees and face more filtering.

Is 10DLC registration required in Canada?

Yes, Canadian businesses can register using a 9-digit business number.

How long does 10DLC approval take?

Typically, a few minutes if all required information is provided. Manual reviews may take up to 21 days.

Are the registration fees refundable?

No, all carrier and setup fees are non-refundable.


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