If you’ve ever received a text message like the one below, you’ve been the recipient of a mass text message-based marketing campaign.
While some mass text messages are expected, like the one above, you might have also received something like the text message below.
This is clearly a spam message meant to collect private information about you that you probably don’t want to share with the people sending this message.
The 10DLC regulations that went into effect September 1, 2023 are meant to protect customers from text message-based spam and phishing attacks as well as provide legitimacy to the valid text messages coming from businesses like yours.
In this article you’ll find answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about what 10DLC is, where it came from, and how it helps your business.
What is 10DLC?
“10DLC” stands for “10 digit long code” and it refers to the length of the phone number being used to send text messages, like 555-555-5555. Your cell phone number, home phone number, business landline, etc…are all 10DLC numbers.
Before September 1, 2023, businesses could use a five or six digit number (called “short codes”) to send mass text messages, like 797979, but that has now changed.
What is A2P messaging?
“A2P messaging” stands for “application to person text messaging”. It refers to anyone using a software platform, like ServiceCore, to send text messages instead of using a cell phone’s texting app.
Rules and regulations around A2P messaging used to only apply to automated messaging. With so many businesses using software to mass text their customers, phone carriers have now updated their definition of A2P messaging.
What is The Campaign Registry (TCR)?
According to The Campaign Registry’s website, they are “the central hub for registering A2P 10DLC messaging campaigns.” Basically, they’re the entity responsible for working with wireless phone carriers, like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, to register text messaging campaigns.
Phone carriers are ultimately in charge of approving or denying businesses the access to 10DLC numbers for the purposes of mass texting. ServiceCore is observing the 10DLC guidelines in order to provide you with the Local Phone Number and text messaging capabilities in your account.
Do I need to register my business with The Campaign Registry?
No. The approval process ServiceCore has created will take care of everything having to do with your 10DLC registration and approval as long as you provide us with all the necessary requirements.
Please jump to “What are the 10DLC requirements?” or “How do I successfully register my business for a 10DLC number?” for more details.
Will this affect my business if I’m located in Canada?
Maybe. The 10DLC regulations only apply to text messages that are being sent to US phone numbers. This includes phone numbers registered in all US states, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
If your business is based in Canada and you only send text messages to Canadian phone numbers, the 10DLC regulations won’t affect your business and you don’t have to be approved for mass texting.
Why did carriers create 10DLC regulations?
As businesses began to use text messaging more and more to communicate with their customers, it became harder and harder for carriers to make sure that businesses were using their texting capabilities properly and according to existing laws.
Many different businesses were sharing the same short code numbers and not all of them were sending legitimate messages. It became extremely difficult for carriers to track down and stop spammers and phishing attacks.
The goal of 10DLC regulations is to protect customers, ensuring that they only receive the text messages they’ve opted into receiving and aren’t targeted for spam or phishing attacks. It also helps businesses like yours by allowing customers to trust the messages they get and keeping mass text messages a valuable communication tool.
Why is 10DLC a good thing?
In addition to protecting your customers and ensuring a level of security, trust, and familiarity, 10DLC regulations benefit your business as well.
- Your business and the messages you send to customers will seem more legitimate because you’re using a 10DLC phone number instead of a short code.
- You can send more messages faster with higher delivery rates because the number you’re using is less likely to be blocked or filtered out as spam.
What are the 10DLC requirements?
Some of the items required for approval by The Campaign Registry fall under ServiceCore's responsibility. Certain text message features, like the ability to use keywords such as ‘STOP’ and ‘HELP’, need to be available to recipients of your text messages. We have updated our text message campaigns to comply with TCR’s regulations.
Other items required for approval are your responsibility as the business and will need to be submitted to ServiceCore in order for you to be approved for mass texting by a phone carrier.
- You must have an EIN (Employer Identification Number).
- You must have a business website. If you don’t have one, an online social media account (like Facebook) could be considered as an alternative, but has a high likelihood of being denied.
- Your business website URL must contain your business name.
For example, “CleanCubeDumpsters.com” contains our business name (CleanCube) and would be approved. However, “RollOffDumpsters.com” doesn’t contain our business name (CleanCube) and won’t be approved. - Your legal business name must be displayed on your website and match exactly what’s listed on your IRS or EIN paperwork.
For example, if your name is “CleanCube Dumpsters, LLC” on your IRS or EIN paperwork your website must also say “CleanCube Dumpsters, LLC” and not just “CleanCube” or “CleanCube Dumpsters”. - You must have a support email address displayed on your website. This is usually located in a ‘Contact Us’ webpage.
- Your support email address MUST use a registered domain name.
For example, “cleancube@gmail.com” will not be approved. However, “questions@cleancube.com” will be approved.
How do I successfully register my business for a 10DLC number?
If you plan on using ServiceCore text messaging functionality, you’ll need to follow our approval process found here.
How long will it take to get registered?
After you submit the required information through the approval process linked to in the above question, we will review it and reach out to you if there is anything missing.
If all the information is good to go, we will submit it to our 3rd party SMS provider for approval.
Once we receive their approval or denial we will reach out to you with next steps.