If your business uses SMS messaging to communicate with customers, you’ve likely heard of 10 DLC (10-digit long code) compliance. This relatively new regulation governs how businesses send text messages in the United States, ensuring both the sender and recipient are protected. Whether you’re new to SMS marketing or looking to stay compliant, here’s a guide to understanding the basics of 10 DLC compliance.
1. What is 10 DLC?
10 DLC refers to a standard 10-digit phone number used for business-to-consumer messaging. Unlike short codes or toll-free numbers, 10 DLC is tied to a local area code and designed for high-volume messaging that’s still carrier-approved. The introduction of 10 DLC ensures that businesses can send messages at scale while maintaining the integrity of networks and reducing spam.
2. Why is 10 DLC Compliance Important?
10 DLC compliance was introduced to regulate how businesses send marketing or informational text messages. Carriers like AT&T and Verizon now require businesses to register their 10 DLC numbers and provide details about their messaging use case. This ensures that consumers aren’t overwhelmed with unsolicited messages and that businesses follow ethical practices.
Failing to comply with 10 DLC requirements can result in message filtering or even hefty fines. Staying compliant protects both your brand and your customers from unwanted disruptions.
3. How to Register for 10 DLC Compliance
To ensure your business is 10 DLC compliant, you’ll need to:
- Register Your Campaigns: Provide information about how your business uses SMS messaging. This can include marketing campaigns, customer support, or appointment reminders.
- Get Approved by Carriers: Carriers review your application and approve it based on the legitimacy of your use case.
- Maintain Compliance: Once approved, you need to adhere to ongoing regulations, including sending messages only to opted-in recipients and avoiding spam-like behaviors.
4. Best Practices for 10 DLC SMS Messaging
- Always Get Consent: Ensure recipients have opted in to receive your messages. Unsolicited texts not only violate 10 DLC compliance but also damage your reputation.
- Clear Opt-Out Options: Provide recipients with an easy way to opt out of future messages. The standard “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” is widely recognized and effective.
- Avoid Over-Messaging: While 10 DLC allows for high-volume messaging, overwhelming your audience with too many texts can lead to higher opt-out rates and flagged messages.
5. Website Requirements for 10 DLC Registration Approval
Having a website that complies with 10 DLC regulations is essential for ensuring your registration is approved. Here are some key requirements:
- Clear Privacy Policy: Your website should include a comprehensive privacy policy detailing how user data, including phone numbers, is collected and used.
- Terms and Conditions: Make sure your terms of service clearly explain your SMS messaging practices, including opt-in and opt-out procedures.
- Opt-In Disclosure: Provide users with a clear explanation of how they are opting in to receive messages. This includes any frequency of messages and potential messaging fees.
- Visible Contact Information: Ensure your contact details are easy to find, demonstrating that you’re a legitimate business.
These elements help carriers verify that you are a credible business, using SMS messaging responsibly and transparently.
6.How much does 10DLC cost?
10DLC registration costs vary depending on the type of business you have and the campaigns you’re running. You’ll pay:
- One-time setup fee:
- Sole proprietors: $4
- Low Volume Standard Brands: $4
- Standard Brands: $44 (includes secondary vetting)
- One-time A2P Campaign use case registration fee: $15
- Monthly campaign fees
- Regular campaigns: $10/month
- Low-volume mixed campaigns $2/month
- Political campaigns: $10/month
- Charity campaigns: $3/month
- Sole proprietor campaigns: $0.75/month
- Per-message carrier fees: as mentioned, your mobile carrier charges fees for traffic, with lower fees for registered numbers.
Not sure which type of “Brand” you are or which campaign you’ll be running? These links are helpful:
NOTES ON COSTS:
- These are the fees per The Campaign Registry at the time of publishing this post. Please view TCR’s website as well as your mobile carrier’s website for the most up-to-date fees.
- This also does not include any fees that your CSP may need to include for registering you.
Why is 10DLC registration required?
When business text messaging first came out, there were very few regulations and consumers were getting bombarded.
In response to this, from 2017-2020 the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), major mobile carriers (like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T) and other institutions began rolling out regulations and programs to make texting secure and successful for consumers and businesses.
CTIA’s Messaging Principles and Best Practices
Then in March of 2022, major mobile carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon came out with a united policy that any business using 10-digit long code numbers (10DLC) for text messaging campaigns must register them through a national registry called The Campaign Registry (TCR); and that unregistered numbers would be subject to higher fees, slower and lower delivery rates, and sometimes blocked delivery altogether.
Since then, carriers have been periodically ramping up these consequences to ensure a secure experience for consumers.
But this summer, there will be more penalties starting July 5, 2023—and eventually complete blockage starting August 31, 2023—for unregistered 10DLC numbers.
Conclusion
Understanding 10 DLC compliance is essential for any business using SMS messaging as part of its communication strategy. By following these regulations, you can ensure your messages reach their intended audience without issues, while protecting your business from fines and penalties. At TiniTech Consulting, we’re here to help you navigate the complexities of SMS marketing and 10 DLC compliance, ensuring your campaigns run smoothly and effectively.
