Updates to A2P 10DLC Messaging 

Effective communication is vital for organizations to thrive. 

The introduction of SMS marketing has proven highly effective for businesses as they can reach customers via text, significantly increasing open rates. As such, enterprises leverage this technology to strengthen customer engagement, boost retention, and drive sales. 

However, texting as a business was (until recently) unregulated, and concerns arose regarding SMS spam messaging. And in response, between the CTIA (Cellular Telephones Industry Association) and cell carriers, regulations and updates were soon released to address these concerns. 

What is A2P 10DLC Messaging?

A2P (Application-to-Person) 10DLC (10 Digit Long Code) messaging refers to the use of a standard 10-digit phone number for sending messages to individuals using a third-party vendor/application.  

10DLC is a messaging system that enables businesses to send and receive SMS messages using local phone numbers. Unlike short codes, which are typically five or six digits long and are more commonly used by larger enterprises, 10DLC provides a longer, more familiar phone number format for text messaging.

10DLC was implemented for two reasons:

• Improve transparency between consumers and businesses
• Reduce instances of spam messages and monitor text marketing practices

This messaging system has gained popularity due to its cost-effectiveness and scalability. It allows businesses of all sizes to engage in text-based communications with their customers, prospects, and partners. Whether for marketing campaigns, customer support, or transactional notifications, A2P 10DLC offers a versatile solution.

By utilizing local phone numbers, businesses can establish a more personalized and localized presence in their messaging. This fosters a sense of trust and familiarity with recipients, leading to higher engagement rates. Moreover, 10DLC enables businesses to have dedicated long codes, ensuring the consistency and integrity of their messaging channels.

With 10DLC, businesses can also take advantage of features like two-way messaging, which allows recipients to respond to SMS messages, facilitating interactive conversations. This opens up opportunities for real-time customer feedback, surveys, appointment confirmations, and more.

Another key benefit of 10DLC is its compliance with industry regulations, such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). By utilizing 10DLC, businesses can adhere to the guidelines set forth by regulatory bodies, ensuring their messaging practices are transparent, secure, and compliant.

Benefits of A2P 10DLC Messaging

A2P 10DLC offers several benefits compared to other messaging methods. Here are some key advantages of A2P 10DLC messaging:

• Improved Deliverability: A2P 10DLC messaging provides enhanced deliverability rates compared to shared short codes. With shared short codes, there can be issues related to carrier filtering and stricter regulations, leading to message delivery failures. A2P 10DLC messaging helps mitigate these problems, ensuring a higher message delivery rate.
• Enhanced Message Throughput: A2P 10DLC messaging allows for greater message throughput, which means businesses can send a higher volume of messages in a given time period. This capability is particularly beneficial for companies that need to send large-scale notifications, alerts, or marketing messages to their customers.
• Improved Scalability: A2P 10DLC messaging offers increased scalability, allowing businesses to expand their messaging operations as needed. With dedicated long codes, there can be limitations on the number of messages that can be sent within a specific timeframe. A2P 10DLC helps overcome these restrictions, providing businesses with the flexibility to scale their messaging activities.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to dedicated short codes, A2P 10DLC messaging offers a more cost-effective solution for businesses. Dedicated short codes can be expensive to lease and maintain, making them less accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises. A2P 10DLC offers a more affordable option while still providing reliable and efficient messaging capabilities.
• Regulatory Compliance: A2P 10DLC messaging aligns with carrier and regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with industry standards. This compliance is crucial for businesses to maintain trust, avoid penalties, and uphold their reputation. By adhering to these standards, companies can ensure a smoother messaging process and reduce the risk of disruptions.
• Improved Customer Experience: A2P 10DLC messaging allows businesses to engage with their customers using a familiar and recognizable 10-digit phone number. This can enhance the customer experience, as customers are more likely to trust and respond to messages from recognizable numbers. It also reduces the likelihood of messages being flagged as spam or ignored.

Verification Process for 10DLC Registration

Beginning January 2023, the 10DLC system implemented a new manual review process to address spam concerns. Businesses must register their Brand (who they are) and their Campaigns (types of messages they send/10DLC phone numbers) and be Vetted. This enables carriers to verify messages as legitimate business communication and not spam.

The Campaign Registry (TCR) is a new component of the Long Code messaging system, designed to administer the registration of 10DLC messaging campaigns. As such, businesses must now register their SMS texting campaigns with TCR. 

As a courtesy to our clients, Simplicity completes this registration. The client will typically need to provide the following:

• Business number or tax ID number (EIN)
• Business' country
• Organization's website
• Designation (i.e., nonprofit)
• Industry
• Campaign information

What happens if you don't register? Without 10DLC registration, some carriers will not deliver your messages as they will be considered "unverified." In other cases, not registering may increase your carrier per-message surcharge, but you will still be able to send traffic. Eventually, there may be blocking on all unregistered traffic.  

Simplicity VoIP SMS

Simplicity VoIP offers 10DLC numbers included with our service, in addition to an option for SMS texting. This cloud bulk-messaging solution enables businesses to send and receive high-volume SMS and MMS messages from toll-free or local business numbers with scheduling options, as well as downloadable reports documenting actual text messages.

It's important to note that some businesses may still choose to use a short code or toll-free number. This may be a feasible solution depending on your business, needs, SMS budget, and desired messaging volume. However, 10DLC significantly benefits companies whose needs fall between the short code and toll-free long codes regarding budget and desired SMS message volume.

Need some guidance? Simplicity VoIP can help you determine which solution is right for you.