Frequently asked questions
UPDATE (2/2/22): Effective March 1, 2022, AT&T and T-Mobile's 10DLC policies will include new updates. AT&T will slow unregistered messaging traffic on its routes down to P2P throughput rates. T-Mobile will begin enforcement of campaign registration/migration fees and increase fees for toll-free messaging. Both AT&T and T-Mobile will increase fees for unregistered messaging traffic.
General FAQ
What is 10DLC?
10DLC (ten-digit long code) is a number type newly sanctioned for business application-to-person (A2P) SMS messaging. U.S. mobile carriers are shifting their long code messaging capabilities to 10DLC to establish a low cost, high-volume, and carrier-supported A2P messaging ecosystem.
Why 10DLC?
After 10DLC numbers were sanctioned for A2P SMS in 2017, U.S. mobile carriers have been developing 10DLC plans in part to combat spam messaging on their networks. 10DLC numbers require subscriber registration, and subscribers may only assign one messaging campaign per number. These measures allow carriers to verify who is sending what on their networks.
Businesses must register who they are and what their messaging campaign is to receive a 10DLC number. 10DLC numbers provide registered subscribers with considerable throughput, messaging speed, and deliverability. In this way, businesses can maintain customer engagement while allowing carriers to protect consumers from unwanted messaging.
Which carriers have adopted 10DLC?
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular have all launched their own independent 10DLC plans. Verizon and US Cellular have not announced any plans to adopt 10DLC registration requirements as of yet.
Are new numbers needed to use 10DLC service?
There is no need if you are already using long code numbers for A2P SMS. Completing the registration process is necessary to have these existing numbers use 10DLC routes.
Are toll-free numbers (TFNs) affected?
No, TFNs are not subject to 10DLC. Only long code numbers are affected although a similar registration structure for TFN may be coming in the future.
Does 10DLC apply to my business?
Carriers require any A2P traffic sent via local long codes to be registered for 10DLC. The Plum DEV and Fuse products (as of Fuse 7.5) include SMS features, so 10DLC applies to you if your business uses DEV or Fuse to send SMS messages via local long code.
If 10DLC applies, what should I know?
Here are a few known key details:
Registration is required. Carriers require businesses to register their Brands (business) and Campaigns (message use cases) in advance to send A2P messages via 10DLC routes. Unregistered 10DLC traffic can incur penalty fees, message filtering, and blocking.
Throughput is determined after registration. Throughput is no longer tied to how many numbers an SMS campaign uses. Carriers determine this through review of your business and SMS campaign. See Throughput for more information.
10DLC programs vary by carrier. Carriers have their own policies for 10DLC traffic on their networks.
Additional fees apply. Carriers are charging new fees for 10DLC traffic, which we at Plum have incorporated into our pricing. See 10DLC Fees for more information.
The rollout of 10DLC is currently ongoing. Carrier requirements may change over time as more details are finalized.
What do I need to do?
10DLC registration is required for customers using Plum products to send SMS messages via long code.
What if I don't register? Registering for 10DLC is important to avoid higher carrier surcharges, lower throughput, added fees, message blocking, or any other compliance measures that carriers are taking against unregistered A2P traffic.
AT&T has announced that unregistered 10DLC traffic will eventually be blocked from its networks at a later date. T-Mobile has announced increased fees for unregistered traffic and added fees for noncompliance with its 10DLC practices described in T-Mobile's Code of Conduct.
Effective March 1, 2022, AT&T will also slow unregistered messaging traffic on its routes down to P2P throughput rates, and T-Mobile will begin enforcement of campaign registration/migration fees. Both AT&T and T-Mobile will also increase fees for unregistered messaging traffic following this date.
Read on to learn about Plum's registration process.
Registering for 10DLC
How do I register?
Plum Voice will handle the 10DLC registration process for you. Under 10DLC, Plum Voice is a "Campaign Service Provider" (CSP) responsible for providing customer registration information to The Campaign Registry (TCR), a third party vendor selected by several U.S. mobile carriers to manage their 10DLC campaign registries. You only need to provide your information. Our experts will take care of the rest.
IMPORTANT! Customers should register through Plum Voice ONLY for A2P campaigns using Plum products.
What info is needed?
To complete 10DLC registration, Plum Voice needs information about
your business ("Brand") that will be sending messages, and
your unique use case ("Campaign") for these messages.
Details follow below.
Brand info. For each Brand (i.e., business), we will need the following info:
Legal company name
Physical address
Country of registration
Employer ID Number (EIN) / Tax ID
Company type (public/private/charity or NPO)
Website address
Vertical: the space or market your company works in. See the following list for selections.
Stock symbol (Public company only)
Stock exchange (Public company only)
Contact details: name, email, and phone number of individuals who can respond to carrier inquiries about the brand.
Verticals are listed as follows. Select the one that most closely resembles your business/Brand:
Agriculture
Communication and Mass Media
Construction and Materials
Education
Energy and Utilities
Entertainment
Financial
Gambling/Lottery
Government
Healthcare
Hospitality and Travel
Information Technology
Insurance
Manufacturing
Non-Government Organization
Real Estate
Retail
SMS Campaign info. For each Campaign (i.e., use case) you plan to run, we will need the following info:
Campaign use case (see SMS Campaign Use Cases for listings and details)
Phone number(s) for that campaign
Sample message that the campaign will send
Campaign life cycle (open-ended vs start/end dates)
For example, if you use SMS for two-factor authentication (2FA) and account notifications, those should be set up as two separate campaigns.
Where do I submit my Brand and Campaign info?
Click here to begin filling out our 10DLC registration form. Once you complete and submit this form, we can begin the 10DLC registration process for your business.
Have any questions about the form? Email us at [email protected]. We're here to help!
My business has already been registered and vetted for 10DLC with another messaging partner. Do I still need to register with Plum Voice?
Yes, you do. Under 10DLC, each CSP must register the brands and campaigns that they work with, even if a brand has been previously registered through another CSP.
Can I register multiple campaigns?
Yes. Only one (1) 10DLC number may be assigned per campaign, however.
What happens once I submit the 10DLC registration form?
We will submit your Brand and Campaign information to TCR for registration on your behalf. TCR will conduct an identity check to verify submitted Brand information, then assign a Brand Identity Status of "Verified" or "Unverified". Once your registration has been processed, we will notify you by email from our support ticket system.
Identity Check. TCR's identity check will verify the following Brand information:
EIN / Tax ID
Legal company name
Legal company address
TCR's identity check will also return the following information, used to assign messaging classes/tiers:
Whether a business is tax-exempt or not (if the business registered for 10DLC as a non-profit)
Whether a business is part of the Russell 3000 list. This is used to determine the messaging class/tier assigned to the Brand's Campaign.
IMPORTANT: Brand Identity Status is determined by how accurate your submitted information is. TCR has stated that typos and outdated info can significantly affect your assigned status.
What does the "Verified" status mean for me?
Having the "Verified" status is required for a business to use A2P 10DLC routes.
Verified brands will be able to run A2P messaging campaigns on 10DLC. Throughput levels will be determined by the Brand's vetting results or whether the Brand is on the Russell 3000 list.
Once you are Verified, you will be assigned to a default messaging class/tier, which has set throughput, daily messaging limits, and more based on each carrier. If you require a higher messaging class/tier, we can request an optional "Vetting" process for your brand.
What is Vetting?
Vetting is an optional process conducted by TCR's external vetting partners. It is a deeper verification of your submitted business identity information. This process will return a Vetting Score, which is used to further determine which messaging class/tier will be assigned to your Campaign. Messaging classes/tiers determine throughput. The higher your Vetting Score, the higher your throughput will likely be. Vetting costs $40.
There is no guarantee that your Brand will be assigned a higher messaging class/tier after vetting. The Vetting Score your brand receives will determine your messaging class/tier.
What does the "Unverified" status mean for me?
Unverified Brands will not be able to run messaging campaigns on 10DLC. However, if a previously registered Brand is found to be Unverified, then its existing Campaigns will be given a 45-day grace period to resubmit corrected Brand information and receive the Verified status.
How can I avoid the Unverified status?
The best practice is to send Plum Voice a copy of your official IRS W-9 form.
TCR has stated that the accuracy of submitted information can significantly affect the identity check's results. In particular, TCR's identity check will check whether a Brand's submitted EIN/Tax ID and legal company name match.
If your Brand does receive the Unverified status, you may still attempt to receive the Verified status by resubmitting for an additional identity check.
What if my business is already registered?
Previously registered Brands (i.e., registered before July 29, 2021) will receive an automatic identity check without incurring any additional fee(s). TCR will notify us if your Brand does not pass the check. In this case, an additional identity check would be needed.
Are Brand Scores still used?
As of July 29th, 2021, Brand Identity Status (Verified and Unverified) has replaced Brand Scores in the 10DLC registration process. Brand Scores will no longer be used to determine 10DLC access. If a Brand undergoes vetting, Vetting Scores will be included in determining messaging class/tier.
SMS Campaign Use Cases
What use cases can I choose?
Campaign use cases can be divided into standard and special use cases. Special use cases require additional vetting and may take time before they are usable.
The following tables list standard and special use cases:
Standard Use Cases
Campaign Use Case
Description
2FA
Authentication and verification (e.g., one-time passcode or two-factor authentication).
Account Notifications
Standard notifications for account holders about a user's account.
Customer Care
Customer care interactions, including support and account management.
Delivery Notifications
Delivery status of a product or service.
Fraud Alert Messaging
Notifications about potential fraudulent activity detected on a user's account.
Higher Education
Messaging from colleges, universities, school districts, and other education institutions.
Low Volume Mixed
For Brands that have multiple use cases and only need very low messaging throughput. Examples include test or demo accounts, small businesses (e.g., single doctor's office, single pizza shop, etc.).
Marketing
Messaging that includes marketing and/or promotional content.
Mixed
Messaging campaigns containing 2 to 5 standard use cases such as 2FA and Account Notifications. Likely to have lower throughput and higher cost per message sent.
Polling and Voting
Nonpolitical surveys, polls, and voting campaigns (e.g., customer surveys).
Public Service Announcement
Informative messaging to raise public awareness of an important issue.
Security Alert
Notifications about a compromised system (software or hardware) and action(s) that a user needs to take
Special Use Cases
Special use cases may qualify for increased messaging throughput, reduced carrier fees, or both compared to standard use cases. Certain special use cases require additional steps and/or approval processes, and may take additional time to clear.
Carriers are still finalizing details on special use cases. We will update this table as we receive more information.
Campaign Use Case
Description
Agents; Franchise; Local Branches
Agents, franchises, or offices of the same brand vertical that require individual, localized numbers per agent, franchise, or office.
Carrier Exemption
Exemption by carrier. Must have a previous agreement with your carrier(s) for this special use case.
Charity
Messaging to give help to and raise money for those in need. Must be a registered charity.
Conversational
Peer-to-peer, app-based group messaging with pooled/proxy numbers. Supports personalized services and non-exposure of personal numbers for enterprise or A2P communications.
Emergency
Notification services supporting public safety and health during national or regional emergencies (e.g., natural disasters, armed conflicts, pandemics, etc.)
Platform Free Trial
Enables testing of a platform's services. Must be a pre-approved Campaign Service Provider (CSP). Must demonstrate spam-mitigation and controlled onboarding of developers. Low throughput.
Political
Campaigns must be verified. Messaging as part of organized effort to influence decision-making of a specified group.
Social
Communication between public figures/influencers and their communities. Restricted and limited; requires business case review.
Sole Proprietor
Limited to entities without an EIN/Tax ID.
Sweepstakes
Messaging about sweepstakes.
Have any other questions?
Feel free to contact our support team anytime. We're here to help!
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