Avoid these mistakes with your 10DLC submissions

Most 10DLC rejections come from a few avoidable slips: mismatched business details, weak opt-in evidence, or sample messages that contradict your use case. Run through this checklist before you submit and get approved the first time.

Brand registration mistakes

1. Business name doesn't exactly match your EIN.
Carriers verify against IRS records. Copy the legal name from your EIN documentation, character for character.

2. Missing or non-working website.
Submit a live site that clearly explains what your organization does.

3. No Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policy.
Carriers check for both. Your Terms must cover texting rules. Your Privacy Policy must state how you collect and use phone numbers, and clearly confirm that they will not be shared with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes. Put both in a clearly labeled section of your site.

Opt-in form mistakes

⚠ Weak or unclear opt-ins are the top reason use cases get rejected. Consent must be explicit and verifiable. 

The most common slips:

4. Collecting numbers on a donation page. 
No longer a valid opt-in source. Use a separate signup form instead.

5. Incomplete form disclosure. 
Missing Brand name, message types, frequency, charges, HELP, or STOP language.

6. Pre-checked marketing checkbox. 
Users must tick the box themselves, and either the phone number field or the checkbox must be optional. Otherwise, carriers consider it a forced opt-in.

For compliant form wording and examples of every opt-in type, see Opt-ins and CTA.

Use case mistakes

7. Description doesn't match the selected use case.
Describe exactly how you'll use the campaign, covering every use case you picked. Asking for donations? Say so plainly.

8. Sample messages that break the rules.
Each use case needs at least one sample with an introduction, your Brand name, and opt-out language: "Hi [Contact]! This is [Name] from [Organization]... Reply STOP to unsubscribe." Include a donation-request sample if you'll send one.

9. Samples contradict your content attributes.
Selected "Yes" for embedded links? Your samples must contain links. Check every attribute against your samples.

FAQs

My use case was rejected. Can I reapply?
Yes. The support team will reach out to you if your submission is missing any information during the initial review, or with the rejection reason so you can correct it and resubmit. Most rejections map to a mistake on this list. 

Can I text my donor list if they signed up on a donation page?
No. You'll need consent collected through a compliant method, like a separate signup form.