The Impact of 10DLC on U.S. SMS Marketing

In early 2021, U.S. network operators introduced 10DLC, a 10-digit phone number that requires brand and use case registration for A2P SMS campaigns. 10DLC was expected to deliver a more reliable user experience, better deliverability, and higher messaging speed. In March of this year, those operators made 10DLC mandatory. Unregistered messages are blocked at the operator’s discretion.

Changes Stemming from 10DLC

10DLC may have a significant impact on your business, and some of these steps may be complicated. Our MessageWhiz team members are here to help guide you through the process.

For starters, brands and messaging programs must be registered and approved before going live in the United States. Additionally, numbers cannot be shared by different brands or customers. Each brand must have its own 10DLC number.

Brand and use case registrations have a fee, and carriers charge a pass-through per message fee on top of MessageWhiz’s rates. Carriers also determine the messaging throughput after registration. It’s important to note that these changes only affect SMS. If you are reaching customers over WhatsApp, Viber, or other messaging channel, nothing needs to change.

Registering for a 10DLC

To set up your 10DLC, you will need to register the brand and create a campaign brief. If you are in need of any help, contact your MessageWhiz Success Agent for assistance. The following list shows the required information for registration:

Legal company name, and if needed, DBA or brand name
Country where business is registered
Tax ID, Employer Identification Number, or business ID number in country where business is registered
Website URL
Company address
Type of company – sole proprietorship, private company, public company, charity
If public company – stock symbol and stock exchange
Business vertical
Email and phone for customer support

In addition, your campaign brief will need to include the following information:

Use case – see below for acceptable use cases
Campaign name
Campaign description – how you plan to use 10DLC
Sample message
Campaign attributes – subscriber opt in and opt out
Campaign attributes – subscriber help
Campaign attributes – embedded links
Campaign attributes – embedded phone
Campaign attributes – number pooling
Campaign attributes – age gated
Campaign attributes – direct lending
Campaign attributes – affiliate marketing
Associated 10DLC for you use case

How to Set Up a 10DLC

Feel free to contact us at MessageWhiz for help.

Before applying for your 10DLC, ensure that you have a 10DLC linked to your account. This can be purchased through your account.
Gather your company information and campaign brief information
If working with multiple campaigns, identify which 10DLC will be used for each campaign
Fill out our application form
You will receive an invoice for registration. Once payment is received, we will proceed to next step
MessageWhiz will process your application and keep you informed of your status. This generally takes one week
Once approved, you can send SMS messages

Acceptable SMS Use Cases

There are two types of use cases. Standard use cases are typically available right away and don’t require additional vetting. Special use cases may require vetting and may have different carrier requirements. If you have any questions about your use case, contact your MessageWhiz Support Agent.

Standard Use Cases