10DLC: The Future of Business Text Messaging Explained

What is 10DLC?

10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code. These are regular 10-digit phone numbers (like the ones we use for calls and texts) designed for businesses, advocacies, and political organizations to send messages efficiently.

Previously, businesses used shortcodes (like 12345) or shared numbers for SMS campaigns. However, shortcodes are expensive, and shared numbers often result in spam or poor message delivery. That’s where 10DLC comes in—a better system for businesses to send text messages while ensuring customer trust and compliance.

Why is 10DLC mandatory?

10DLC makes messaging faster, more reliable, and less spammy since they are officially registered with mobile carriers. With 10DLC, you can achieve,

Better Deliverability – Your messages are less likely to be marked as spam.

Higher Messaging Limits – You can send more messages per second than a regular number.

More Affordable Than Short Codes – It’s cheaper than dedicated short codes but allows high-volume messaging.

Carrier Compliance – Since it’s registered, it follows carrier rules, reducing the risk of message blocking.

Do I need to register for 10DLC?

Yes, 10DLC is mandatory for all organizations that send application-to-person (A2P) SMS or MMS messages using 10-digit long codes in the U.S. 

With the changing regulations in the telecom space, mobile carriers now require businesses to mandatorily register their brand and messaging campaigns. The idea is to provide reliability, security, better throughput, and deliverability rates to the organizations and their audience with low risk.

Things to Note before registering for 10DLC.

Before registering for 10DLC, the best practice is to keep all the details ready before you start filling out the registration form. This is to ensure no rejections or delays in your registration process. Here is what you need to have.

Gather Your Business Information:

• Business Name – The official name of your organization.
• Employer Identification Number (EIN) – This is like a business Social Security number issued by the IRS.
• Business Type – Are you a nonprofit, political group, or company?
• Website – A working website that explains what your business does.
• Contact Information – A valid email and phone number for verification.

Example:

If your business is “CallHub Tech Solutions,” your EIN should match this name exactly when registering.

Check Your Opt-In Process:

To ensure compliance and avoid rejection, your opt-in forms must follow specific rules when collecting phone numbers for text messaging. Here's what you need to know in simple terms:

The easiest way to get approval is to have a separate contact form on your website.

🗒️ Donation pages are no longer allowed to collect phone numbers for opt-ins.

Opt-in Disclosure

Every form collecting phone numbers must clearly state that by providing their number, users agree to receive text messages.

Example:

"By providing your cell phone number, you agree to receive text messages from [Your Organization]."

Brand Name

The opt-in message must include the name of the organization sending the texts.

This name should match the official brand name registered for messaging.

Message Types

You must explain what kind of messages the user will receive. 

Examples:

• Marketing messages
• Fundraising/donation requests
• Order updates or cart reminders
• Organizational news or advocacy alerts

Donation Requests

If you plan to request donations via text, your form must clearly state this.

Example: 

"By signing up, you agree to receive donation requests and other messages from [Your Organization]."

Marketing Messages

Your form must mention this specifically if you're sending promotional or marketing texts. Marketing messages must have a checkbox for users to opt-in. The checkbox cannot be pre-checked—users must select it themselves.

Example:

☑️" By providing your number, you agree to receive marketing texts and promotions from [Your Organization]."

Message Frequency & Charges

You must tell users how often they’ll receive messages. Example:

"Message frequency varies (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)." Include a notice about potential carrier charges: "Message and data rates may apply."

Help or Unsubscribe

HELP: Users should know they can text HELP for assistance.

Opt-out: Clearly state how users can opt-out.

Example: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe."

Acceptable opt-out words include STOP, END, UNSUBSCRIBE, or ARRÊT (French).

Make Sure Your Website Has the Required Policies:

Carriers will need clear messaging policies on your website. You need to make sure you have:

• Terms & Conditions: Explain how your organization operates, including text messaging rules.
• Privacy Policy: Clearly state how you collect, use, and store phone numbers.

Example:

A nonprofit running a fundraising campaign should state that user phone numbers will only be used for donation reminders and not shared.

Tip: Place these policies on your website in a separate section so they are easy to find.

Once you have all these details, you can register your organization for 10DLC. 

10DLC Registration process

The 10DLC registration process involves the following steps:

1. Brand Registration & Vetting: This step verifies your business identity with The Campaign Registry (TCR).
2. Campaign Verification & Campaign Verify Token: The users will handle this process outside CallHub. (skip this step if you are not a Political organization, PAC, or 527)
3. Use case Registration: You can register a use case “only” if your Brand is verified and vetted. 

Brand Registration & Vetting:

A Brand simply means an organization. To proceed with the registration process, you need to specify your organization’s details, such as the EIN (Employer’s Identification Number, which is allocated by the IRS) and what sector your organization is in (healthcare, business, politics, telecom, fundraising, etc.), the organization’s working website, email address, and phone number. 

Once the Brand is verified, it is vetted by the carrier’s vetting partners (non-political use cases only), and a trust score is allotted to the brand. The trust score (10-100) is determined by the brand's presence, reputation over the web, and its line of business. The higher the trust score, the higher the messaging throughput rate. 

Campaign Verify & Campaign Verify Token: 

Campaign Verify is an entity that vets Political Organizations that register for 10DLC. You can skip this step if you are not a political party, a PAC, or 527. 

Once a Political brand is registered and verified, you must contact Campaign Verify to vet your brand. This process includes submitting your organization’s details, EIN, email address, and phone number (similar to Brand Registration). 

• How to Register with Campaign Verify

After you have verified your brand and acquired the Campaign Verify Token (CV Token), you need to head back to CallHub’s registration page to complete the Use case registration. 

Use Case Registration: 

A use case defines the purpose of your messages. While registering a 10DLC use case, choose the one that best fits your campaign. 

Standard Use Cases:

• Customer Care (Support-related messages)
• Marketing (Promotional offers, discounts)
• Delivery Notifications (Order updates, tracking info)
• Public Service Announcements (Government alerts, safety updates)
• Polling & Surveys (Collecting user feedback)
• Two-factor authentication (OTP codes)

Special Use Cases (Require Additional Approval):

• Charity/Nonprofit Messaging
• Political Campaigns (Must get a Campaign Verify token)
• Emergency Alerts
• Social Advocacy

For maximum throughput speeds, we recommend choosing the Mixed use case, except in the following situations:

• Your brand is registered with a Campaign Verify token.
• You are a 501(c)(4) organization eligible for the Political Special Use.
• Your brand’s trust score is < 50.

Campaign Description

• Ensure your description matches your selected use case(s) and explains how you’ll use the campaign.
• If your campaign involves donations, state it clearly (e.g., "This campaign will ask donors if they would like to contribute to <Organization>.").
• Your campaign may be rejected if your description doesn’t align with the selected use case.
• If you have multiple use cases, describe all of them clearly.

Confirm Your Opt-in Methods

• Many campaigns are rejected due to insufficient opt-in methods
• Opt-ins must be clear, direct, and not hidden in terms & conditions or agreements.
• Best practice: Use a website opt-in form, as it’s the easiest verification method.
• If using a website opt-in, provide a link to your form.
• For other opt-in methods, explain how users sign up clearly and concisely. Click here to know about different types of Opt-ins.

Confirm Your Opt-out Methods

• Users must be able to unsubscribe easily.
• Acceptable opt-out keywords: STOP, END, UNSUBSCRIBE, or ARRÊT (French).
• If using an opt-out phrase, ensure words are separated by spaces (e.g., "STOP 2 END", not "STOP2END").

Provide Sample Messages

For each use case, include at least one sample message that follows these guidelines:

• Start with an introduction (e.g., "Hi <Contact>! This is <Texter’s Name>.")
• Mention the Organization/Brand sending the message.
• Include opt-out language ("Reply STOP to unsubscribe.")
• If asking for donations, include at least one donation request message.

Content Attribution

You must ensure the attributes you selected while registering the use case align with the sample messages. Example:  If you have selected Embedded links as "Yes," your sample messages should include Embedded links. 

The same applies to all the other attributes as well. If the content of the sample messages does not match the attributes you have selected, your use case may be rejected. 

Multimedia 

If you send an MMS with your texting campaigns, you must submit the multimedia files while submitting the use case. These files will be reviewed by the TCR during the use case approval. Files with .jpg, .png, .jpeg, or pdf are accepted. 

Entities involved in the 10DLC process

10DLC Brands

Your Brand represents your business in the 10DLC system. It’s linked to your federal tax ID number (EIN) to ensure your messages are connected to your company.

The Campaign Registry (TCR)

The TCR is the system that tracks all 10DLC Brands and campaigns. It ensures businesses follow the rules, making messaging safer and more transparent for everyone.

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Mobile carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon play a crucial role. They control the delivery speed of your messages (measured in messages-per-second or MPS) based on your Brand and the type of messages you send.

Third-Party Vetting Partners

These are organizations that verify your business. A good vetting score shows you’re trustworthy, which helps increase delivery speeds and message reliability.

Examples of vetting partners:

• Aegis Mobile
• WMC Global
• CampaignVerify (specifically for political campaigns)

Campaign Service Providers (CSPs)

Campaign Service Providers are companies or platforms that help businesses register their 10DLC numbers and manage messaging campaigns. These providers facilitate the process of compliance with telecom regulations and help brands communicate with customers using text and multimedia messaging.

Why Register for 10DLC Now?

10DLC is not just about following the rules—it’s about building trust with your customers. By registering, you show your audience that your messages are legitimate and that you respect their privacy.