SMS 10DLC

10DLC Overview

10DLC is a local 10-digit phone number that requires Brand & Use Case registration and supports throughput levels suitable for A2P SMS campaigns. 10DLC is sanctioned by mobile carriers for A2P messaging and is intended to provide a reliable user experience, better deliverability, and higher messaging speed.

If you want to send A2P messages via 10DLC in the United States, you must register your Brand & Use Case. Major Mobile Operator Networks (MNOs) offered a grace period for registration, which is now over. All current and future MessageBird customers must adapt to the 10DLC requirements to use this number solution as the originator. Please be sure to register your brand and use cases or your SMS traffic will be blocked by network operators (carriers).

The Campaign Registry (TCR)

TCR works with North American mobile operators and companies that are in the messaging business to register Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging Campaigns.

The registry supports a sanctioned A2P 10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) text messaging Campaign ecosystem and provides visibility into the messaging source and content, allowing mobile carriers to provide a more reliable and predictable messaging service for Campaign Service Providers (CSPs) and Brands.

Requirements for using 10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) numbers in the United States

Please note that these requirements for messaging via 10DLC do not relate to or affect toll-free numbers, WhatsApp services, and voice-only long-codes.

• Before going live in the US, you must register and obtain approval for your brands and messaging programs per use case. Step-by-step guides on setting up brands and registering use cases are available.

• US numbers can no longer be shared by different brands/customers. If you are sending messages on behalf of multiple brands, each brand will need to have its own dedicated 10DLC.

• US carriers charge additional fees for brand and use case registrations as well as carrier fees per message. See below for more information on pricing changes.

• Carriers will determine the actual messaging throughput after registration.

Use Cases accepted for 10 DLC Messaging

Accepted Use Cases

The use cases accepted for 10DLC messaging fall into two categories: Standard Use Cases and Non-Standard Use Cases.

Standard Use Cases

Standard Use Cases are typically available shortly after the use case registration for all qualified registered Brands and do not require vetting or pre/post-approval by Mobile Network Operators.

The following Standard Use Cases are accepted for 10DLC messaging:

Standard Use Case	Description
2FA (2-Factor Authentication)	A security feature that authenticates a person’s identity by sending verification or a one-time passcode to a number.
Account Notifications	Updates or essential information about a user’s account.
Customer Care	General communication with a customer, including account management, and providing customer support.
Delivery Notifications	Updates and information about the delivery of a product or service.
Fraud Alert Messaging	Messages to alert users about suspicious or fraudulent activity in their account
Higher Education	Messages sent on behalf of universities, colleges, school districts, or other educational institutions that fall outside of any “free to the consumer” messaging model.
Marketing	Communication containing promotional or marketing content.
Polling and Voting	Non-political surveys and polls.
Public Service Announcement	Messages that are shared with the general public and designed to raise awareness of an important issue.
Security Alert	Messages that alert the recipient of a data breach or other system security issue that requires them to take action.
Low Volume (Mixed)	A collection of 2 to 5 use cases that only need very low messaging throughput. Suitable for small businesses sending a few messages an hour, or for test or demo accounts.
Mixed	A collection of 2 to 5 use cases under the same Campaign Registration. Not recommended for high throughput needs.

Special Use Cases

Special Use Cases are use cases that may require vetting or pre-post registration approval by Mobile Network Operators. This means that a Special Use Case might be approved during the registration process, but will still be subject to additional checks by the MNO. If your campaign is registered, but the MNO rejects your use case, you won’t be able to send any traffic.

The following Special Use Cases require post-registration MNO approval:

Special Use Case	Description
Charity	Communications from registered charities that provide assistance and raise money for those in need.
Proxy	Communications that use number masking, specifically peer-to-peer app-based group messaging with proxy/pooled numbers.
Sweepstakes	Messaging about sweepstakes or giveaways.
K-12 Education	Communications for schools from grades K-12 and distance learning centers.
Agents; franchises; local branches	Communications from brands that have multiple agents, franchises, or local branches, but require individual localized numbers per agent/location/office.

The following Special Use Cases are only available for pre-vetted brands:

Special Use Case	Description
Political (Election Campaigns)	Part of an organized effort to influence the decision-making of a specific group. Available only to registered 501(c)(4/5/6) and Orgs with a Campaign Verify token.

Unsupported Use Cases

Currently, the following use cases are not supported by MessageBird.

We do not support the following Use Cases:

Unsupported Use Case	Description
Carrier exemptions	Exemptions by carrier
Emergency	Notification services designed to support public safety/health during natural disasters, armed conflicts, pandemics, and other national or regional emergencies.
Social	Non-commercial communication within or between closed communities. (e.g. churches communicating with parishioners).
Sole proprietor	Entities without an EIN/Tax ID