10 Digit Log Code (10DLC) is the sanctioned standard for non-consumer (A2P, or Application to Person) text messaging utilizing a traditional 10 digit phone number. Although similar to the existing long code, 10DLC is a reliable messaging channel with throughput levels suitable for SMS campaigns and is sanctioned by the mobile operators.
10DLC Brand and Campaign registration is required by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs, or Carriers).
What is 10DLC?
Looking for registration guidance?
Please see our 10DLC Registration Guide for helpful information on completing the 10DLC registration forms.What are the benefits of 10DLC?
For Carriers: Carriers have visibility into the "who" and "what" of each messaging campaign which allows them in turn to provide a better quality of service for 10DLC messaging.
For Consumers: Consumers benefit from an overall sanctioned and accountable ecosystem that will drive more relevant trusted messaging to their device
For Brands: Brands can better benefit from a better quality of service for their messaging campaigns
Who needs to register?
Any business that wants to use SMS on 10DLC to communicate with US customers and/or employees must register. This applies to businesses engaged in mass texting or marketing, as well as those sending individual messages, even if not for marketing purposes.
All business messaging is considered non-consumer (A2P) messaging.
What are the fees/costs for 10DLC?
There are several fees that are passed on from the carriers to the business. These fees are passed-through from the carriers and are subject to change.
| Fee | Description |
|---|---|
| Brand Registration | $4, one-time fee |
| Campaign Verification Fee | $15 per verification attempt |
| Campaign Monthly Fee | $30 per quarter ($10/mo per campaign, paid quarterly) |
| Carrier Per Message Fees | $0.002-0.005 per message; currently being paid by Sakari. |
| Additional Secondary Vetting | $40, one-time fee (Optional). |
How do I register to use 10DLC messaging?
10DLC registration can be completed directly from the senders page within your account.
Please see our 10DLC Registration Guide for information on completing the form.
How long does registration take?
For compliant applications, the average time to approval is expected to be 3-5 business days.
Any incomplete or non-compliant submissions will restart the registration timelines.
Can I just register one time for my business?
For most businesses, a single Brand and Campaign is sufficient.
Carriers require Brand and Campaign registrations align the specific brand that messaging is being communicated about.
- Direct Brand - Your company sends messages for your own products and services. For example, you are Shoe Company A and you send messages related to your products, order updates, etc. In this case you need to register just your single parent Brand name.
- Agency - Your company sends messages on behalf of another organization (typically a marketing agency working for a brand). In this case you need to register separate Brands and Campaign registrations for each of the Brands you work with.
What types of campaigns can be registered?
Standard Use Cases
| Use Cases | Description |
|---|---|
| 2FA | Any authentication, verification, or one-time passcode |
| Account Notifications | Standard notifications for account holders, relating to and being about an account |
| Customer Care | All customer care interaction, including but not limited to account management and customer support |
| Delivery Notifications | Notification about the status of the delivery of a product or service |
| Fraud Alert Messaging | Notifications regarding potential fraudulent activity on a user's account |
| Higher Education | Messaging created on behalf of Colleges or Universities, including School Districts and education institutions |
| Marketing | Any communication that includes marketing and/or promotional content |
| Mixed | Any messaging campaign containing 2 to 5 standard uses cases |
| Polling and Voting | The sending of surveys and polling/voting campaigns for nonpolitical arenas |
| Public Service Announcement | Informational messaging to raise an audience's awareness about important issues |
| Security Alert | A notification that the security of a system, either software or hardware, has been compromised in some way and there is an action you need to take |
Special Use Cases
Special use cases may require additional steps and/or approvals and are not available in the dashboard. Please contact our support team if your campaign falls into one of the below categories.
| Use Cases | Description |
|---|---|
| Charity | Limited to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charities that provide help or raise money for those in need. Religious organizations are excluded. A check is made at registration to verify that the brand is registered as 501(c)(3) by the IRS. |
| K-12 Education | Messaging that supports virtual learning and communication between students, teachers, and parents from grades K-12 and distance learning centers. Not for Post-Secondary schools. |
| Political | Messaging is designed to aid organized groups in exerting political influence over specific target populations. For example, a party might send texts encouraging recipients to vote for their candidate. It can only be used by groups registered as 527, 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) nonprofits. |
| Social | Communication within or between closed communities (e.g. Influencers' alerts) |
| Sweepstakes | All Sweepstakes messaging |
I'm based out of Canada, do I need to register?
If you're messaging from a Canadian number only to Canada, you do not need to register. If you're messaging from Canadian number to the United States, registration will be required.
What happens if I don't register my brand?
Registration is not optional. As of 2023 all messaging to United States phone numbers from a local phone numbers requires 10DLC registration. Messages without registration are blocked entirely.
What is additional vetting?
Additional vetting is a review of your Registered Brand done by a trusted (by carriers) 3rd party that allows for potentially higher daily messaging limits and maximizes throughput per campaign.
Additional Vetting is optional and is an additional $40 fee. There is no guarantee that additional throughput will be granted, and the $40 fee is non-refundable.
Additional vetting is recommended for any Brand sending more than 6000 messages a day.
To request secondary vetting, please email our support team at help@sakari.io
What are my alternatives to 10DLC?
Toll-free messaging is an alternative to messaging from a local phone number in the United States. Toll-free messaging does require a verification process per number, but there is no charge and it does not rely on the Brand and Campaign registration process.
There is no cost to switch to a Toll-Free number, however, no messaging can be sent from a Toll Free number until the verification process is complete.
If this is something you would like to add, please reach out to us at help@sakari.io to update your account to a Toll-Free phone number.
How can Sakari help?
Our team can work with you to help identify the best options for your organization. Reach out to us at help@sakari.io with any questions or to explore the option of getting a Toll-Free number.
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