What is 10DLC?

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10DLC (10-digit Long Code) texting is a service that allows businesses to send messages to their customers in the United States and Canada using a 10-digit phone number (as opposed to a shorter, five- or six-digit short code number typically used for SMS marketing, or a toll-free phone number typically used to represent a larger nationwide company). This service is useful for businesses that send large volumes of texts, such as appointment reminders, employee communications, or emergency updates. 

10DLC texting provides several advantages over traditional short code texting:

• Improved deliverability: 10DLC numbers are considered more trustworthy by carriers, which increases the likelihood that a message will be delivered to the intended recipient.
• Lower messaging costs:  Short codes are expensive to establish, and carriers no longer support sharing of short codes.
• Two-way messaging: 10DLC numbers allow customers to initiate a conversation with a business through text messaging, similar to a customer service line. 
• Better recognition:  10DLC numbers are local numbers and often provide more trust to recipients that see a local number vs. a short code.

It is the process of applying for and obtaining approval for your organization to become a registered text message sender, which is now a requirement for businesses to send mass text messages in the United States. To register for a 10DLC number, a business must go through an approval process with their CSP (campaign service provider), like VOIPx3, who will facilitate the registration through TCR (The Campaign Registry). 

Registration typically includes the following steps:

1. Application: The business (the brand) fills out an application form, which must provide information about the business, such as its EIN (employer identification number), name, address, and type of messages (the campaign) it plans to send.
2. Review: The Campaign Registry will review the application and may request additional information or clarification if necessary. The brand will be registered, and the campaign use case will be reviewed and scored.
3. Approval: If the application is approved, 10DLC(s) can be assigned to the campaign by the CSP.
4. Cost & Fees: The Campaign Registry (TCR) charges one-time fees to register brands and monthly recurring fees for campaigns. Mobile carriers require various surcharges and setup fees for messages delivered over their networks.
5. Compliance: Businesses must comply with all relevant laws and regulations related to text messaging, including obtaining consent from customers before sending them. This compliance process will also be ongoing and require businesses to comply with requests from carriers or regulators.

It's worth noting that the process is equal parts automated and manual at this time and may require additional steps or documentation depending on the carrier and the business's specific needs. Start to finish the process can take days or even weeks to complete.

Businesses and organizations like yours may already use 10DLC to send messages to your customers; however, the only exception is if you use a toll-free number or a short code, both of which we will cover later on.

The FCC has been pushing wireless carriers to fix the problem of spam (both calling and texting) for more than a decade. Before 10DLC, text messaging involved a 5-digit or 6-digit code for their campaigns. Customers were often asked to text a keyword through advertisements to get a short code, for example, “Text the word BUY to 68229.” In doing this, the customer opted into receiving automated messages from the company. 

Although short codes were popular due to their speed, volume capacity, and low cost, they had several disadvantages. Short code numbers became a problem for many reasons, including 

Spam via short code texts was incredibly difficult to slow down. As thousands of businesses could share one short code, it was difficult for spammers to be tracked down. As texting became the most effective messaging channel, short codes became a go-to method for spam and phishing attacks.

Customers who opted into receiving these messages found themselves inundated with many messages they perceived as spam, meaning the consumers complained to their mobile provider and government representatives. 

Many businesses may have shared a short code number, potentially in the thousands, mobile carriers struggled to identify the culprits and reprimand them. This is why 10DLC entered the picture. 10DLC started in June 2021 to eliminate spam texts and aims to make business messaging more beneficial to businesses that use it responsibly. 

Mobile carriers had already begun to stop the sharing of short codes. They promoted 10DLC numbers as now being the best communication solution for businesses, trying to bridge the gap between the world of short code SMS (still used for marketing) and using 10DLC to build trust with recipients who want to receive important messages like job openings, weather alerts, appointment reminders, and messages from their religious organizations.

10DLC (10-digit Long Code) registration is now required by wireless carriers to ensure that text messaging services are used responsibly and in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

The main reason for this requirement is to combat spam and fraud, which are common issues with text messaging services. By requiring businesses to register for 10DLC numbers and go through an approval process, the carriers can screen out businesses that may be engaged in spam or fraud and ensure that only legitimate businesses can use the service.

Another reason why registration is now required is to improve the customer experience and ensure customer trust. With registration and compliance, businesses are more likely to send relevant messages and not unwanted or untimely messages.

In summary, registration is now required to ensure that text messaging services are used responsibly, combat spam and fraud, and improve the customer experience. Bad actors will more easily be held accountable.

Registration ensures that your messages are delivered more consistently. Businesses can also access faster message delivery speeds and increased daily limits. For local numbers, 10DLC is no longer optional. Any company using business texting over a local number for mass texting must register through their CSP (campaign service provider).

1. Improved deliverability: 10DLC numbers are less likely to be blocked or filtered by mobile carriers, which can help improve the deliverability of text messages and reduce the risk of messages being lost or delayed. All with faster messaging throughput.
2. Reduced costs: 10DLC numbers are less expensive than short codes, which can help businesses save money on their text messaging campaigns.
3. Greater flexibility: 10DLC numbers can be used for many messaging scenarios, including appointment reminders, marketing campaigns, and customer service interactions.
4. Better customer engagement: With 10DLC, businesses can send personalized and timely messages, improving customer engagement and reducing the risk of customer churn.
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Overall, 10DLC is a cost-effective and reliable solution for business texting and organizations that need to send high-volume SMS messages and improve customer engagement.