Are you using 10DLC as part of your text messaging program yet? Are your brand and your US campaigns registered with The Campaign Registry for compliance with regulations concerning text messaging campaigns? If you aren't even sure what all of these things are, it's time to get moving before you get hit with big fat fines for noncompliance with the latest rules about texting and customer protection from spam messages.
10DLC Phone Number Overview
10DLC stands for 10-digit long code, which is a regular 10-digit phone number with a 3-digit local area code, a prefix and a suffix. These phone numbers can make and receive calls, send and receive faxes, and send and receive text messages when set up with the right type of phone service and devices.
10DLC is important because right away the area code tells the recipient of a text message that you're a local company or business. This automatically gives the customer some information about who you are, and builds instant trust in your messaging.
Long Code Vs. Short Code Numbers
In the past, many brands used vanity short codes, which were five or six digits used for texting only, and which often spelled out a brand name or keyword when typed on an alphanumeric keypad. However, these short code numbers were being heavily used for spam, particularly by brands having promotions, sending offers and running sweepstakes.
Many short codes were shared, meaning they could show up time after time for different purposes, eroding customer trust. Others were a dedicated short code, meaning they were only used by one company, but if that company represented many customers, you could end up with the same issue.
Now, most brands are switching to long code A2P SMS (application to person SMS) often known as enterprise or business SMS. A2P messaging is a type of SMS messaging that allows the text to be sent from a software application run by an enterprise to a consumer's device, using a local 10DLC number.
With spam being so prevalent, it was increasingly obvious that regulation needed to catch up with technology, to protect consumer privacy. Now, text messaging campaigns using 10DLC to send A2P SMS need to be registered, so that mobile carriers can know who they are and pass on that trust to consumers receiving the messages.
The Campaign Registry
This need led to the formation of The Campaign Registry (TCR), an organization that works with mobile network carriers, brands, and campaigns service providers (CSPs) to build an ecosystem that assigns trust to brands and their text message campaigns sent using 10DLC numbers through an A2P system.
Each brand must provide data about themselves and their projected campaigns and use cases to build a profile. TCR reviews this data and assigns a score that describes the level of trust they believe consumers can have in the messages received. The score and the use case is used to assign a tier of service. The tier assigned to a brand and their campaigns controls what throughput they can achieve (message volume.)
What Pricing and Fees Are Associated With the A2p 10DLC Service?
Brand and campaign registration for 10DLC texting is not prohibitively costly. In most cases, the brand can be registered for $50, and each campaign can also be registered for $50. If a campaign expires, it can be restarted for $50.
Brands can work with their CSPs to get their registration done for the brand and campaign, verify their information and use case, and figure out what score they are assigned and their throughput. Campaigns can be set up to run long term, limiting expiration and the need to pay extra campaign registration fees.
Registering 10DLC With Mobile Carriers
The great thing about TCR is that it acts as a central hub. Your registration with your mobile carrier is automatically accomplished when you complete TCR registration. Every campaign you run will be in compliance with the carrier, as long as you have met the requirements for TCR as well as any other regulations on business texting.
Since your CSP can register your brand and campaigns on your behalf and just pass the fees along, this brings your personal participation in the process down to a minimum, and reduces your risk of having registration done wrong at any step. Since campaigns run through a CSP are also more likely to toe the line where regulations are concerned, this makes your business texting worry-free.
Which US Carriers Are Participating in the Adoption of 10DLC Messaging?
All major US North American mobile network operators have already joined forces with TCR to help regulate text messaging. These include AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile/Sprint and U.S. Cellular. The mobile carrier is also who enforces compliance, with stiff fees and penalties for unregistered 10DLC traffic.
What Penalties Apply if You Don't Register 10DLC Text Campaigns?
If you don't register your US 10DLC text message campaigns, your wireless carrier can and will enforce penalties. These can include throttling, which means reducing throughput so that many or all of your text messages simply won't be delivered. This leaves you having paid the cost of the campaign with nothing to show.
You might even get hit with actual fines that you'll have to pay to the carrier. The penalties can be as much as $10 per text message sent outside of the TCR registration, or up to $10,000 for every complaint your mobile carrier receives about a text message or a campaign.
These fees are steep and designed to promote compliance with campaign registration to protect customers and eliminate spam SMS. The idea is to build consumer trust in a text message coming from a local number and improve consumer experiences while giving brands a chance to leverage text messaging effectively.
Your Campaign Service Provider Can Help
The best way to become compliant with applicable TCR brand and campaign registration is to have your campaign service provider (CSP) do it for you. If you are a Swift SMS Gateway customer, we will complete the process in accordance with the campaign type you have indicated you wish to run.
First we'll get your brand verified so your trust score, tier, and throughput can be confirmed. Then we will register your business texting campaigns. We will work with you to ensure you get the most possible from each of your SMS campaigns before they expire so your campaign restart fees will be kept to a minimum.
All of the $50 fees due to TCR will be paid by us and passed to you on your monthly bill. We don't charge anything extra to do the registration for you. We'll just need to make sure we have all the information TCR will ask for, which is your company name, contact information, text information, and other legal and company information used to identify and verify your brand for your US traffic.
Integrating 10DLC messaging into your business texting program can save you money, ensure you stay in compliance with anti-spam guidelines, and improve your brand's relationships with its customers. It's the perfect time to get away from expensive short code SMS and lean into the future of A2P messaging.
Are you ready to get your brand and U.S. 10DLC campaign registration done so you can fully leverage the power of business texting? Contact us today and we'll get you started.
