US Phone Number Registrations

Modified on Thu, 10 Oct at 3:38 PM

US Number Registration is a Federal Requirement
When sending SMS/MMS messages to US recipients, there are specific phone registrations and approvals that must take place. All businesses are required to partake in these registrations. Submissions are required, reviewed, and processed through the federal government. The platform has no part in the vetting or approval process after submission. It might feel like a lot but it is required and part of doing business - so let's make the best of it, together! Let's jump in and learn how to get our numbers registered.

What is A2P 10DLC and the TCR?
A2P10 DLC is a phone number registration process mandated by the United States government, specifically through The Campaign Registry (TCR). It is a required registration process for any business or individual engaging with a U.S. audience via outbound SMS. The purpose is to ensure legitimacy and adherence to guidelines when sending marketing and promotional text messages.

“A2P” is short for Application to Person. In this case, the software is the application, and the recipient you wish to send SMS or MMS to is the person.

“10 DLC” is short for 10 Digit Long Code. This is both the number of digits US phone numbers contain as well as the name of the new standard.

"The Campaign Registry (TCR)" works with North American mobile operators and companies that are in the messaging business to register Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging Campaigns. The registry supports a sanctioned A2P 10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) text messaging Campaign ecosystem and provides visibility into the messaging source and content, allowing mobile carriers to provide a more reliable and simple messaging service for Campaign Service Providers (CSPs) and Brands.

Who Needs to Complete a Phone Registration?
Anyone sending an SMS or MMS to a U.S. audience.

How Long Does it Take to Get Approved?
Regardless of the registration type, it can take 4 to 6 weeks to receive the results. Many submission results do return much sooner than 4 to 6 weeks - but we cannot guarantee any time frame for submission results. Many factors impact the vetting process and the platform has no control over the speed of submission review. After submission, it is up to The Campaign Registry (TCR) to determine approval status based on your submission information. It's important to be detailed before submitting to save time and avoid a failed submission.

Avoid Failures and Get the Fastest Approval Time Possible
The platform has no part in the vetting or approval process after submission. However, we do try our best to help you provide a detailed and accurate submission to ensure a review can take place.

PRO TIP: Reviewing common reasons for failure BEFORE submitting your Brand or Campaign will help avoid common failure reasons and ensure the fastest approval time possible. Submitting accurate information during your first submission will assist in a faster review.

Types of Registration
There are four main types of Phone Registration and each has a specific use-case and pros and cons. We will learn more about each in the "Registration Comparison Table" below.

Toll-Free Number
Many users find the Toll-Free (TF) Registration process simpler. In addition, TF has no Tax ID requirement, has no registration fees, and no daily sending limit. However, Toll-Free numbers may have lower open/pick-up rates compared to local ones.

Sole Prop
Sole Props allow businesses without a Tax ID and with only one employee to get a local number. Customers with EIN number and/or with two or more employees are NOT ELIGIBLE for Sole Prop. Requires a US or Canada business address. Daily sending limit is 3,000 segments. Only allowed one phone number.

Low Volume Standard
Best for businesses with a Tax ID and who are sending less than 6,000 segments a day. Daily sending limit is 6,000.

Standard
For businesses with a Tax ID who are sending more than 6,000 segments per day. No daily sending limit though some restrictions may apply for sending above 200,000 daily segments.

We will learn more about each in the "Registration Comparison Table" section below.

The Registration Process
There is a three-step process to having your numbers vetted and approved before you can send SMS. Let's get a quick rundown of the process.

Brand Registration - The client will submit business information to be reviewed. Failed or rejected Brand submissions will need to be updated and resubmitted. Your Brand Submission must be approved before your Campaign submission is vetted.
Campaign Registration - After your Brand is approved, your Campaign Submission is reviewed. A campaign submission provides the TCR with the specifics of your messaging and business usage of SMS/MMS. Failed submissions will need to be updated and resubmitted.
Carrier Propagation - After Brand and Campaign approval, it can take up to 3 business days or longer for all carriers to receive this new information. While you can get sending immediately following approval, you may find some messages will fail - appearing with an error code saying no A2P approval is found. Rest assured! This is normal and common as it can take several business days for all carriers to receive your registered information. If the issue persists for more than 4 business days, contact the software Support.

*Please note: Toll-Free Number registration is a simpler process requiring only one submission, unlike the other types which require Brand and Campaign submissions.

Pro Tip: Submit both a Toll-Free then a Non Toll-Free Number registration to try to get sending faster!

Number Registration can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to complete --> However, we have seen Toll-Free Number approval in as little as two days (though we cannot guarantee any timeline for approval). Start by submitting a Toll-Free Number Registration first, then submit your Sole Prop, Low Volume Standard, or Standard Campaign as well. This approach often results in allowing you to get sending as soon as possible. After your Sole Prop, Low Volume Standard, or Standard Campaign is approved, you can switch to sending from your new local number.

Registration Comparison Table
Below we will compare and contrast the types of registrations to help you choose the best one for your business needs. Let's jump in!

Note: A Tax ID is a US EIN or a valid International business registration number.

	Toll-Free Number	Sole Prop	Low Volume Standard	Standard
Best For…	Any user. Many enjoy the simpler registration process, no registration fees, and no daily sending limit. No Tax ID required.	One-person businesses without a Tax ID. US or CA Business Address required. Those with 2 or more employees or an EIN are NOT ELIGIBLE.	Businesses with a Tax ID and are sending less than 6000 segments per day.	Businesses with a Tax ID and are sending more than 6,000 segments per day.
Potential Cons	Toll-Free tends to have lower open/pick-up rates when compared to local numbers.	3000 daily sending limit.** Only permitted one number. Cannot use SHAKEN/STIR or CNAM.	6000 daily sending limit.** Requires Tax ID.	Most expensive registration fees.* Requires Tax ID.
One-Time Registration Fees	None*	$4.41 one-time Brand + $16.54 one-time Campaign*	$4.41 one-time Brand + $16.54 one-time Campaign*	$48.51 one-time Brand + $16.54 one-time Campaign*
Monthly Campaign Fee	None*	$2.21/month*	$1.70/month*	$12/month*
Number of Phone Numbers Permitted	One per registration. Multiple allowed.	Only one.	More than one.	More than one.
Daily Sending Limit (Segments)	None.**	3,000 (1,000 limit to T-Mobile).**	6,000 (2,000 limit to T-Mobile).**	None. (with 200,000 limit to T-Mobile).**
Registration Information Required	Business name, business address, and business contact information.	Contact information, including a US or CA Business Address. Those with 2 or more employees or an EIN are NOT ELIGIBLE for Sole Prop.	Business information, including valid Tax ID information.	Business information, including valid Tax ID information.

Help Docs

Toll-Free Number Registration
(1) Brand Registration
(2) Sole Prop Campaign Registration
(1) Brand Registration
(2) Standard Campaign Registration
Help Docs are the same as Low Volume to the left.

*Additional Pricing Information
Prices are subject to change from time to time based on industry and provider changes.
Brand, Registration & Campaign Fees are applied at the time of submission and vetting.
Learn more about registration pricing and fees here: Pricing and Fees for the A2P 10DLC Service.
Registration fees do not include Phone Number, Voice, SMS, and MMS charges, which are charged separately and can be found here: the software Pricing Guide > LC Phone System Pricing.

LC Messaging Policy, Segments & Sending Limits
Sending limits shown are still subject to LC Messaging and Ramp Up Policy.
Sending limits are based on daily sending to US numbers and are subject to other sending limits as imposed by carriers, such as T-Mobile hard limits.
Avoid suspensions: When sending SMS, you must maintain an Opt-Out rate of less than 3%. If you surpass this amount, messaging will be temporarily suspended for 24 hours. Learn more: Avoiding SMS Suspension
What is a Segment? Limits reflected are based on Segments. Segments are how text messages are processed and sent. A text message can have 2 or more segments per text. Learn more: What the Heck is a Segment by Twilio
Learn how to Calculate the Cost of an SMS/MMS
Find the number of segments in a message with this Segment Calculator. Use the image below to see where segments are notated in the Segment Calculator. You can click the image to enlarge it.

Is Cold Texting Allowed? No, learn more in the FAQ below.

Forbidden Messaging and Use-Case Categories
Some business use cases and messaging content is prohibited.
Businesses submitting a registration for prohibited categories will not be approved.
Businesses sending SMS/MMS messages with prohibited content within it, regardless of approved campaign or not, may result in the revoking of approved campaigns, carrier fines, and more. Learn more: Forbidden message categories for SMS and MMS