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A2P 10DLC registration for US SMS

Written by , Founder, AskVault · Reviewed by Aashiq
Last updated: · 5 min read

What A2P 10DLC is

A2P stands for Application-to-Person. 10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code, the standard US phone-number format. Together: A2P 10DLC is the framework for business SMS over standard US phone numbers.

Before 2023, businesses could send SMS without registration but with high blocking risk. Since August 2023, all major US carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) enforce registration for A2P traffic. Unregistered senders see most messages blocked.

Registration tells carriers who you are (brand) and what you'll send (campaign). Both must be approved before messages flow.

Why this matters

Three impacts:

  1. Delivery rate. Registered senders see about 95% delivery; unregistered see 5 to 20%.
  2. Carrier filtering. Major carriers block unregistered traffic at the network level.
  3. Penalties. Sending unregistered A2P traffic incurs surcharges of $0.005 to $0.01 per message plus blocking.

Skipping registration is not viable for business SMS at any meaningful volume.

What gets registered

Two registrations:

Brand registration. Your company.

  • Legal entity name.
  • EIN (US tax ID).
  • Address.
  • Industry vertical.
  • Brand website.

About 1 to 2 business days for approval. One-time fee about $4 (standard) to $40 (expedited).

Campaign registration. What you'll send.

  • Use case (marketing, account notification, 2FA, customer care, mixed).
  • Sample messages.
  • Opt-in flow description.
  • Opt-out flow description.
  • Estimated monthly volume.

About 1 to 3 business days for approval. Monthly fee about $1.50 to $10 per campaign.

Both happen via your SMS provider (Twilio). AskVault helps you complete the application; final submission is in Twilio Console.

Registration walkthrough

About 30 minutes of paperwork plus 2 to 5 days of waiting:

Step 1: gather information

You'll need:

  • Legal business name (matches EIN registration).
  • EIN (US federal tax ID).
  • Business address.
  • Authorized representative name and email.
  • Industry vertical (e.g., Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail).
  • Brand website URL with opt-in disclosure visible.
  • Sample SMS messages you'll send.
  • Privacy policy URL with SMS-specific disclosures.

Step 2: register the brand

In Twilio Console:

  1. Open Messaging > Regulatory Compliance > 10DLC > Brands.
  2. Click Create Brand.
  3. Enter all the brand info.
  4. Pay the brand-verification fee (about $4 standard).
  5. Submit. Approval typically within 24 hours.

Step 3: create a messaging service

A messaging service groups phone numbers and applies sender rules:

  1. Messaging > Services > Create.
  2. Name it (e.g., "Acme Support SMS").
  3. Add your purchased phone number(s).

Step 4: register the campaign

  1. Messaging > Regulatory Compliance > 10DLC > Campaigns.
  2. Pick your brand and messaging service.
  3. Select use case (Customer Care is most common for AskVault).
  4. Enter sample messages, opt-in description, opt-out description.
  5. Estimated monthly volume.
  6. Submit. Approval typically within 48 hours.

Step 5: connect to AskVault

  1. Open Deploy Hub > SMS > Connect.
  2. Paste Twilio credentials.
  3. Pick the messaging service.
  4. Click Verify. Should connect within 30 seconds.

Use case selection

The carrier matrix charges different rates per use case. Pick carefully:

  • Customer Care. Account notifications, support replies, status updates. Most common for AskVault.
  • 2FA. Authentication codes. Special pricing; only use for actual auth.
  • Account Notification. Order updates, shipping notifications, billing alerts.
  • Marketing. Promotional content. Highest per-message cost; strictest filtering.
  • Mixed. When you do multiple. Approved more easily but higher cost.

Picking the wrong category isn't fraud (per se) but invites scrutiny. Marketing-flagged campaigns face stricter filtering than Customer Care.

Sample message guidelines

When submitting samples:

  • Include opt-in confirmation: "Reply YES to confirm subscription to Acme Support updates."
  • Include opt-out instruction: "Reply STOP to opt out."
  • Identify your brand: "Acme: Your order #12345 shipped today."
  • Keep variable placeholders explicit: Use {{1}} for customer name, etc.

About 30% of campaigns are rejected on first submission for vague or non-compliant samples. Revise based on feedback.

Opt-in compliance

Required disclosures:

  • At point of opt-in. "By providing your phone number, you agree to receive SMS messages from Acme. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to opt out."
  • In privacy policy. Section on SMS collection, use, and retention.
  • Visible on your website where phone numbers are collected.

These exact phrasings (or close variants) are required for approval. AskVault helps draft them.

Opt-out compliance

US carriers require:

  • STOP, STOPALL, CANCEL, END, QUIT, UNSUBSCRIBE keywords handled.
  • Auto-confirmation within 30 seconds. "You're unsubscribed. No more messages."
  • No further messages unless customer explicitly re-opts in via START or SUBSCRIBE.

AskVault auto-handles these by default. See WhatsApp opt-in guide for similar patterns; the SMS flow is parallel.

Trust score

Once registered, your brand gets a Trust Score (0-100). Carriers use this to throttle delivery:

  • Score 80+. Up to 4,500 messages per second per number.
  • Score 60-80. Up to 1,000 per second.
  • Score under 60. Severely throttled.

Score depends on brand verification, complaint rate, opt-in quality. Higher scores come with cleaner opt-in flows and lower complaint rates.

Sole proprietor and small business

If your business is a sole proprietorship or doesn't have an EIN:

  • Sole Prop registration available. Pay slightly higher per-message rates but no EIN required.
  • Volume cap. Sole Prop registrations limited to about 1,000 messages per day across all numbers.

For more volume, register as an LLC or corporation with an EIN.

International SMS

A2P 10DLC applies only to US-bound SMS. For other countries:

  • Canada. Similar registration (CTIA-style) recommended; less strict enforcement today.
  • UK and EU. Per-country rules. Generally no upfront registration but consent rules apply.
  • India. TRAI registration required (TM/PE registration). Separate flow from US.
  • Australia. Spam Act applies; no formal A2P registration like US.

AskVault helps with US registration. For other countries, your SMS provider's docs guide the local flow.

Cost summary

For a typical US small business sending 5,000 messages per month:

  • Brand registration: about $4 one-time.
  • Campaign registration: about $10 per month.
  • Per-message cost: about $0.0075 each for Customer Care.
  • Total monthly: about $50 to $80 for 5,000 messages.

Larger brands sending 100,000-plus per month see economies of scale but stricter compliance audits.

Planned features (on the roadmap)

Documented for accuracy:

  • Self-serve registration wizard. Today, registration is done in Twilio Console with AskVault guidance. Native in-dashboard wizard planned.
  • Multi-region SMS unified config. Today, US (10DLC), Canada, UK each have separate setup. Unified configuration planned.
  • Pre-approved templates marketplace. Today, every campaign drafts its own messages. Library of pre-approved templates planned.

Limits

  • Brand approval. 1 to 2 business days typical.
  • Campaign approval. 1 to 3 business days typical.
  • Trust score range. 0 to 100.
  • Max throughput. Up to 4,500 messages per second with high trust score.

Common pitfalls

Campaign rejected for vague sample messages. Revise with brand name, opt-out instruction, and variable placeholders. Resubmit.

Messages still blocked after registration. Trust score too low. Audit opt-in quality; reduce complaints; build score over 2 to 4 weeks.

EIN mismatch. Brand entity name doesn't exactly match IRS records. Use the exact legal name from your EIN registration document.

Sole Prop volume cap hit. 1,000 messages per day. Upgrade to LLC or Corp registration.

International SMS gets US carrier fees. Numbers must be country-specific. Buy a Canadian number for Canadian SMS.

FAQ

How long does the whole process take?

Brand: 1 to 2 days. Campaign: 1 to 3 days. Total: 2 to 5 business days typical.

Can I send US SMS without 10DLC registration?

Technically yes, but expect 80 to 95% blocking. Not viable for business use.

What if my use case doesn't fit a standard category?

Pick the closest category. If approved, you're free to send within that scope. If rejected, switch category and resubmit.

Can I have multiple campaigns under one brand?

Yes. Common pattern: one brand, separate campaigns for transactional vs marketing.

Does this apply to MMS (multimedia)?

Yes. Same registration covers SMS and MMS.

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