10DLC brings major changes to the way businesses use SMS
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Last updated
Last updated
Recently, the major American cell phone carriers launched a new sales model for SMS called 10-digit long code (10DLC). This new model is intended for businesses that use application-to-person (A2P) SMS communication. For Plum Voice, this means all our customers that use local numbers for SMS.
The goal of this page is to:
Explain what 10DLC is
Address how 10DLC impacts Plum Voice customers
Explain the 10DLC registration process
Provide a timeline for 10DLC implementation
Mobile carriers designed 10DLC to enable businesses to send bulk SMS using local phone numbers. Under 10DLC, carriers will not allow unregistered 10-digit local phone numbers to send bulk A2P messaging. Businesses must use other number types for bulk messaging, such as short codes and toll free numbers, or register their 10-digit numbers under 10DLC. 10DLC provides a way for businesses to use local numbers with higher throughput (the number of messages per second) and deliverability.
Note: Throughput can vary significantly based on multiple factors.
Type | Format | Throughput (per second) | Supports Voice | Provisioning Time | Registration | Notes |
Short codes | 4-, 5-, 6-digits | 100-500 | No | Weeks/ Months | Yes | Unsupported by Plum |
Toll-free numbers (TFNs) | 800-class number | up to 200 | Yes | Days | Yes (for some use cases) | |
Local long codes | 10-digit | 1 | Yes | Minutes | No | A2P violates CTIA messaging guidelines |
10DLC | 10-digit | up to 30 | Yes | Days |
As a new initiative, there remains many unknowns about 10DLC and the processes around it. Plum Voice is working with carriers to clarify expectations and requirements related to 10DLC. We will pass along important information to you when we have it.
We appreciate your cooperation with the registration process and your patience with the transition. We will continue to refine our procedures and processes related to 10DLC to ensure minimal impact on our customers.
Toll-free SMS numbers are not subject to 10DLC registration requirements, but they have their own separate registration requirements.
One key aspect of 10DLC is the need to register companies and their SMS use cases. The registration process and fees associated with 10DLC are, in part, designed as a roadblock for SMS spammers.
‼️ Once carriers begin to enforce 10DLC compliance, unregistered SMS traffic may be subject to new, and increased levels of filtering, blocking, or fines. ‼️
The short answer: You don’t. Plum handles the registration process for you. You simply need to provide the necessary information to Plum.
The long answer: The carriers have set up a registration process called The Campaign Registry. You can read The Campaign Registry FAQs here.
The two key entities for registration purposes are Brands and Campaign Service Providers (CSPs). In this model, you, a Plum Voice customer leveraging Plum’s platform to automate SMS, are considered a Brand. Plum Voice is considered a CSP.
Plum Voice, is responsible for providing The Campaign Registry with accurate Brand information.
☑️ To reiterate, at this time you SHOULD NOT register your company directly with The Campaign Registry. Plum Voice will handle 10DLC registration.
We have established a secure process using Google Forms for collecting and storing customer information for 10DLC registration.
For each Brand (i.e., business) we need the following information:
Legal company name
Physical address
Country of registration
Employer ID Number (EIN) / Tax ID
Type of company (public/private/charity or NPO)
Website address
Vertical (See list)
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.
Brands can choose from the following list of verticals. Select the one that most closely resembles your business.
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
In addition to Brand information, you need to include details about each campaign (i.e., use case) you plan to run.
Campaign Type
Phone number(s) for that campaign
Sample message that the campaign will send
Campaign lifecycle (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.
Each SMS-enabled phone number can be associated with only one campaign type.
The following tables list the available use cases for 10DLC registration.
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 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. |
As of February 1, 2021, all long code SMS and MMS terminating on AT&T and T-Mobile have moved to 10DLC, however, carriers have not begun enforcing 10DLC rules.
The carriers instituted a grace period until June 1, 2021 for businesses to register for 10DLC. On June 1, carriers will begin filtering, blocking, and fining unregistered SMS traffic.
Carriers report that it can take several days to provision 10DLC numbers. Therefore, you should plan to send your registration information to Plum Voice as soon as possible to mitigate any issues.
Plum Voice will begin offering SMS capabilities on TFNs soon. Contact your account manager to learn more about this option.
