Have you heard about 10DLC (10-digit long code)? If you still need to, we want to share everything you need to know. It’s a great modern service for business text messaging using either MMS or SMS. 10DLC is made to enable application-to-peer (A2P) SMS traffic using SMS long-code phone numbers. It’s an excellent option for SMS marketing messages, notifications, SMS appointment reminders, and alerts.
Compared to long codes, US A2P 10DLC lets you send more messages quickly. The number is as high as 4,500 messages each minute per operator. On top of that, deliverability is enhanced since A2P 10DLC use cases are operator-approved. A2P 10DLC fees are also less expensive than those associated with utilizing shortcodes.
Short Codes Vs. A2P 10DLC
An SMS short code is a number with four, five, or six digits that can be used to send and receive text messages. These numbers tend to be very expensive compared to 10DLC, which is why many businesses in the past shared the numbers.
Short codes are typically used with automation, and the messaging is provided based on subscriptions by keywords. Since these numbers are shared with several businesses to reduce costs, there can be complications about which customers are subscribed to specific keywords from a certain brand.
This has led to less-than-perfect experiences, so mobile carriers are removing shared short codes. Instead, the numbers may only be used by a single company. 10DLC is much more suitable for business messaging, and we will share how to register for one below.
The Basics of A2P 10DLC Registration
When you send A2P texts to people in the United States without short code or toll-free source numbers, it’s important to register your campaigns and brands for 10DLC. If you do not complete the 10DLC registration form, you’ll experience lower deliverability, increased filtering, lower throughput, and higher surcharges.
The good news is that you can work with Esendex to register your A2P 10DLC for use with your brand and campaigns. We offer information on how to save you time and energy in compliance.
As you work through registration, you must include your messaging use cases since these pertain to the campaign throughput and approval. Several pieces of information are required for the registration, including:
- The legal name of your company
- The country of registration for the company
- Whether your company is nonprofit, private, or publicly traded
- Your company’s EIN/tax identification number
- The website for your business
- The campaign name
- A campaign description
- The campaign use case
- Sample messages for the campaign
This information is required to meet 10DLC regulations. If you do not provide it, messages will be filtered and will not be received by your customers. Your information lets carriers verify your information and ensure you aren’t a spammer.
The Campaign Registry allows you to register any A2P 10DLC text message campaigns. They will verify the business to be sure carriers don’t filter you. They act as a bridge between the carriers and your business. Visit the site to get started with the process.
Approval Process
Simple SMS A2P 10DLC campaigns, such as account notifications and 2FA, will often be approved immediately. However, more complex campaigns could take up to a week to be approved. All in all, it’s a quick process in most cases.
When carriers approve your business registration, they will place a maximum throughput for the A2P 10DLC number. This is determined based on the brand and what sort of campaigns will be run. When the brand is approved, you’ll receive confirmation via email about your allowed throughput.
Keep in mind that businesses can map an unlimited amount of numbers to each campaign. This is useful for anyone who works as an SMS reseller with many customers in their portfolio and wishes to assign each a different phone number.
What Fees Are Associated with SMS A2P 10DLC?
Each provider has a single setup fee and monthly fees for each campaign you register. This is in addition to standard costs for messaging and surcharge fees levied by the carrier.
- Brand registration fee: $4
- Vetting fee: $40 (optional)
- Campaign charge: $10 each month billed quarterly
- Carrier surcharge fee for unregistered traffic: $0.00 to $0.13 per message, depending on the carrier
The Top Benefits of A2P 10DLC
Texting didn’t hit the landscape until the 1990s, and things were far different in those times. SMS Long-code cell phone numbers were only used for a low volume of person-to-person (P2P) communication. When companies started to use them for A2P messaging of a high volume, the carriers started to introduce throttling and blocking.
It wasn’t until 2003 that carriers introduced short codes. These numbers were designed for use with high volumes of messages. The problem is that it could take weeks to acquire a short code, and renting one was rather expensive.
The carriers introduced 10DLC as a specific way to provide commercial A2P messaging. It has a variety of benefits to be aware of:
- Expanded messaging throughput of up to 4,500 texts per minute per operator
- Better deliverability since 10DLC use cases have been approved by operators
- Long code numbers can be utilized to take and make calls, unlike short codes
- Compared to short codes, A2P DLC offers a less expensive method of texting
All of the changes put in place to create 10DLC have enabled businesses to use conversational and personalized methods to engage with customers. It’s the top method to send text marketing messages to your audience today.
How to Prevent Having Texts Marked as Spam
You can do many things to prevent your text messages from being considered spam. However, we will share the basics here to ensure you do everything appropriately.
- Do not send out mass texts that include a shortened URL.
- Try to avoid ending your text messages with a link.
- Avoid sending “naked links” without the https:// portion.
- Avoid using all capital letters in any portion of the text message.
- Only use special characters when necessary, especially regarding emojis and $.
- Do not send out the same message to large numbers of people repeatedly.
- Please avoid sending texts of a length that would make them better than emails.
- Be sure all your texts sound as human as possible and do not have grammatical or spelling errors.
All these things are red flags when associated with mass texts. One or two might not be an issue, but more than that will be noticed, and your texts may not be delivered. Review your text messages several times using this list to be sure you aren’t crossing a line you forgot about.
Choose Esendex for Your Business A2P 10DLC Needs and More
Are you ready to use A2P 10DLC to message your customers and prospective clients? If so, Esendex is here to assist you throughout the process.
In addition, we offer an programmable SMS API and other tools to help with your text message marketing efforts. Our tools can be used to stay connected with customers, increase customer engagement, and boost sales and revenue. Contact our sales team today to learn how we can streamline your marketing.
