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.
If you want to send A2P messages via 10DLC in the United States, you must register your Brand & Use Case. Major mobile operators (carriers) offered a grace period for registration, which is now over. All current and future Bird 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 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
Before going live in the United States, 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. Please check your messaging practices against these requirements and Messaging Best Practices prior submission. Follow these requirements to increase your chances of approval. Non-compliant submissions will be rejected by the carriers and can't send traffic.
US and Canadian numbers can no longer be shared by different brands/customers. If you are sending messages on behalf of multiple brands - e.g. acting as an ISV (Independent Software Vendor) - you will have to register dedicated 10DLC for each brand you are serving.
US and Canadian carriers charge additional fees for brand and use case registrations as well as pass-through carrier fees per message. See below for more information on pricing.
Carriers will determine the actual messaging throughput after registration.
Accepted Use Cases for 10DLC Messaging
Accepted Use Cases
The accepted use cases for 10DLC messaging fall into two categories: Standard Use Cases and Special (Non-Standard) Use Cases. Please note, once a campaign has been created, the use case cannot be changed.
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:
2FA (2-Factor Authentication)
A security feature that authenticates a person’s identity by sending verification or a one-time passcode to a number. Any authentication, verification, or one-time passcode.
Account Notifications
Standard notifications and 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 potential 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.
Machine to Machine (M2M)
It is a process that implies wireless communication between two or more physical assets. There is no human interaction in the Machine-to-Machine campaign. Subscriber-facing campaigns are prohibited. This is a dedicated use case, i.e it can NOT be included in a Mixed use case.
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 mobile operators. If your campaign is registered, but the carrier rejects your use case, you won’t be able to send any traffic.
The following Special Use Cases require post-registration mobile operator approval:
Charity
Communications from a registered charity aimed at providing help and raising money for those in need. Available to 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations only.
Proxy
Peer-to-peer, app-based group messaging with proxy/pooled numbers. Supporting personalized services and non-exposure of personal numbers for enterprise or A2P communications.
Sweepstakes
Messaging about sweepstakes or giveaways.
K-12 Education
Campaigns created for messaging platforms that support schools from grades K-12, and distance learning centers. This is not for Post-Secondary schools.
Agents; franchises; local branches
Brands that have multiple agents, franchises or offices in the same business vertical, but require individual localized numbers per agent/location/office. Available to all entity types except 501(c)(3). Limit of assigned 5,000 numbers.
The following Special Use Cases are only available for pre-vetted brands:
Political (Election Campaigns)
Part of organized effort to influence decision making of specific groups. Available only to Non-Profit entities with a Campaign Verify token, or Non-Profit entities with a verified 501(c)(3/4/5/6) tax exempt status.
Unsupported Use Cases
Currently, the following use cases are not supported by Bird.
We do not support the following Use Cases:
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
Limited to US or Canadian individuals or small businesses without an EIN/Tax ID.
Prohibited Messaging Content and Categories
In order to send SMS and MMS in the United States, you must follow local restrictions. View list of Prohibited Content in NORAM Messaging. It is independent of number type. Therefore, it applies to all available number originator options for the United States and Canada.
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