10DLC Registration for Small Businesses: A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction
For small businesses relying on SMS marketing, understanding 10DLC (10-digit long code) registration is essential. 10DLC is the new standard in the United States for sending A2P (Application-to-Person) text messages, allowing businesses to use 10-digit numbers for official communication. With 10DLC, businesses have an affordable way to connect with customers via SMS while maintaining high message delivery rates and following carrier regulations.

Steps for 10DLC Registration
To use 10DLC numbers, businesses must complete a registration process involving brand and campaign registration:

1. Brand Registration: This step identifies the business behind the SMS campaigns. You’ll need to submit details such as your business name, industry, EIN (Employer Identification Number), and contact information. The goal is to help carriers confirm the legitimacy of the business, reducing spam risks.
2. Campaign Registration: After brand approval, you must set up a campaign describing the purpose of your SMS communications. Common types of campaigns include customer care, notifications, marketing promotions, and alerts. Each campaign needs a clear description, as carriers use this information to determine message content and usage expectations. Providing details like opt-out language, call-to-action, and any links or phone numbers included in messages helps ensure compliance.
3. Approval and Fees: Carriers assign a trust score based on brand and campaign information. Higher trust scores allow greater messaging volume. Fees depend on carriers and the messaging volume; registration fees are typically lower than short code options, making 10DLC cost-effective for small businesses.

Benefits of 10DLC
Using 10DLC offers several benefits. First, it provides a verified, secure messaging channel, increasing customer trust and engagement. Second, registered brands enjoy improved deliverability, as carriers prioritize verified messages over unregistered messages that may get filtered as spam. Compliance with 10DLC also helps avoid penalties that could arise from using traditional P2P (Person-to-Person) numbers for business communications, which violates many carrier rules.