TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is A2P 10DLC and the TCR?
  • What do I need to do?
  • Types of Registration
  • The Registration Process
  • Registration Comparison Table
  • Avoid Failures and Get the Fastest Approval Time Possible
  • Required information for United States A2P 10DLC registration
    • Standard and Low Volume Standard Brands
• FAQs
  • Is Cold Texting Allowed?
  • What if I do not have a valid Tax ID, how do I register my phone number?
  • When submitting my Contact or Business Phone (OTP), can I reuse a number or use my HighLevel Number?
  • Is MMS messaging affected by A2P 10DLC?
  • Is WhatsApp messaging affected by A2P 10DLC?
  • What if your address has changed since you received the CP 575 form?
  • What is a Trust Score, and how does it affect me?
  • How do Trust Scores influence message throughput?
  • Can I buy new phone numbers to use this A2P 10DLC service?
  • What pricing and fees are associated with the A2P 10DLC service?
  • How long does it take to get registered?
  • Once I complete registration, how do I ensure my phone numbers use 10DLC?
  • What message-sending throughput (MPS) do I get?

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, HighLevel 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

What do I need to do?

If you do not send any messages to users in the United States using long code numbers, you do not need to do anything. If you send messages to the United States using long code numbers, you have the following registration options based on your Tax ID status, volume, and use case:

Types of Brand Registration

There are four main types of Phone Registration and each have a specific use-case and pros and cons.

NOTE: Sole Prop Registration are currently unavailable until further notice.

How does A2P 10DLC work?

There are two important requirements under the new A2P 10DLC system:

1. Businesses must identify who they are to the carrier networks (Brand registration).

2. Businesses must register what type of messages they send, i.e., notifications (Campaign registration). 

Registration is done entirely through LC Phone System Trust Center. We have integrated with The Campaign Registry (TCR) to meet carriers' requirements while making it easy for businesses to onboard. 

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. 

In-App registration process, learn more here: Trust Center

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 HighLevel Support.

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. 

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

A Tax ID is required for Low Volume Standard or Standard. Don't have one? check out this FAQ below.

• 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: HighLevel 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?

  • 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.
    

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 in the US and Canada

Avoid Failures and Get the Fastest Approval Time Possible

HighLevel 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.

Required information for United States A2P 10DLC registration

Standard and Low Volume Standard Brands

Sole Proprietor Brands

Sole Proprietor registration is available now. The following requirements will apply.

No Tax ID (EIN): To qualify for Sole Proprietor registration, you must not have an EIN (Employer Identification Number). Any business with a Tax ID (EIN) is not eligible and should instead register for a Low Volume Standard Brand.

US or Canada only: Sole Proprietor Brands are limited to individuals in the US and Canada.

Information required for registration:

• Brand or business name
• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Mobile phone number (in US or Canada)
• Physical address (in US or Canada)

Each mobile phone number can only be used to validate up to 3 brands. Each email or physical address can only be used to validate up to 10 brands. This limit applies for all A2P registrations within the ecosystem, even brands registered outside of LeadConnector.

FAQs

Is Cold Texting Allowed?

Cold Texting is when someone sends an SMS to a recipient who did not opt-in or agreed for you to message them. In other words, you are sending an SMS to someone who did not want to receive a message from you. This breaks TCR guidelines, carrier guidelines, and LC Phone messaging policy. If you have not received explicit consent to message someone via SMS, do not message them. Those found cold messaging may not be approved for increased sending limits and are at a high risk for SMS Suspension.

What if I do not have a valid Tax ID, how do I register my phone number?

Toll-Free will be the best option to begin with, for any user, especially those without a Tax ID and/or without a US or CA Business Address.

Many Businesses attempt a Sole Prop after a US or CA Business Address.

In addition, some businesses choose to get a Tax ID or International Business Registration and then attempt Low Volume Standard or Standard. There are always restrictions and acquiring a US and CA Business Address or valid Internation Business Registration does not guarantee approval.

Consulting legal counsel is always the best option when navigating legal needs.

When submitting my Contact or Business Phone (OTP), can I reuse a number or use my HighLevel Number?

You cannot use a number purchased within the HighLevel platform (or CPaaS phone number such as one obtained from Twilio.) Please provide a mobile number that you have access to confirm OTP verification.

Only US/Canadian numbers will be accepted.

You cannot use the same mobile number to register more than 3 Sole Proprietor brands.

This limit is managed at the TCR level.

Is MMS messaging affected by A2P 10DLC?

Yes, MMS messaging via long code is subject to carrier fees as part of A2P 10DLC. We also expect registered MMS traffic to ultimately benefit from reduced carrier filtering. However, long code MMS messaging remains subject to throughput limits due to limited carrier capacity. A short-code is still the best option for high-volume MMS use cases in the United States.

Is WhatsApp messaging affected by A2P 10DLC?

No. WhatsApp messaging is unaffected by any of these changes. WhatsApp messages are transmitted over the Internet rather than through carrier networks like SMS and MMS.

What if your address has changed since you received the CP 575 form?

Suppose your address has changed since you received the CP 575 form, which is the form issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to assign an Employer Identification Number (EIN). In that case, updating your address with the IRS is important to ensure they have your current contact information.

To update your address with the IRS, you can follow these steps:

1. Fill out Form 8822, "Change of Address," which is the official form to notify the IRS of your new address. You can obtain this form from the IRS website or by contacting the IRS directly.
2. Provide your updated address information on Form 8822, including your EIN, old address, and new address.
3. Sign and date the form.
4. Mail the completed Form 8822 to the appropriate IRS address as specified in the form's instructions. Make sure to send it to the correct IRS office based on your location and the type of entity you are (e.g., individual, corporation, partnership).

By updating your address with the IRS, you ensure that they have accurate information for your business and can send important correspondence and documents to the correct address.

It's also a good practice to update your address with any other relevant entities, such as your state or local tax authorities, business partners, and service providers, to ensure they have your current contact information.

What is a Trust Score, and how does it affect me?

When you complete the registration of your Brand and Campaign(s) for A2P Messaging through the LC Phone Console, that information is sent from LC Phone to The Campaign Registry (TCR), a 3rd party at the center of this new registration system. LC Phone automatically submits your Brand for secondary vetting, which uses a reputation algorithm to review specific criteria relating to your company and assign a Trust Score to determine your messaging throughput and T-Mobile daily message limits.

How do Trust Scores influence message throughput?

Trust Scores are grouped into three levels, from lowest to highest. Your Trust Score level and Campaign Type will determine the message throughput allocated to your campaign use case.

For details, see Message throughput (MPS) and Trust Scores for A2P 10DLC in the US.

Can I buy new phone numbers to use this A2P 10DLC service?

Buying new numbers is unnecessary if you already use long code numbers. Following the registration process will enable your existing numbers to use the new A2P 10DLC service.

What pricing and fees are associated with the A2P 10DLC service?

For an overview of registration costs and per-message carrier fees associated with A2P 10DLC, please see the pricing and fees associated with the A2P 10DLC service.

How long does it take to get registered?

A2P 10DLC registration is a multiple-step process that includes registering a Business Profile, a US A2P Brand, and a Campaign use case.

Brand registration can typically be completed in a few minutes if you've collected all the required information. For example, when registering a US-based business, you should ensure your Employer Identification Number (EIN) is ready when you begin registration. However, in the event that there is a discrepancy with the information you provide, a manual review may be required for Secondary Vetting, which can take up to 7 days. To avoid this, please see A2P 10 DLC Brand Approval Best Practices

Once I complete registration, how do I ensure my phone numbers use 10DLC?

Once your Brand(s) and Campaign(s) are approved, you must link each of your A2P Campaign Use Cases to a Messaging Service and add phone numbers to that Messaging Service. Any numbers that you add to that Messaging Service will be automatically associated with the Campaign that you linked to that Messaging Service.

What message-sending throughput (MPS) do I get?

Message throughput (MPS) will be allocated per registered Campaign Use Case. For many customers, A2P 10DLC will offer much higher throughput than the traditional 1 MPS for long code messaging without requiring additional numbers to get higher throughput.

For details, see Message throughput (MPS) and Trust Scores for A2P 10DLC in the US.