10DLC Compliance for Small Businesses in 2024

Is your small business considering using a 10DLC number to send text messages to customers? Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC stands for 10-digit long code, which is a standard 10-digit phone number used to send Application-to-Person (A2P) messages. This type of messaging is used by businesses to contact their customers through an application or software linked to a 10DLC number. At Grasshopper, these numbers are known as “local” numbers. Local numbers allow businesses to send text messages to individual customers as a channel to promote products and drive engagement. However, when using a 10DLC number for A2P messaging in the U.S. and Canada, businesses must follow specific standards established by mobile carriers. Such requirements are established to protect consumers from spam or scam messages that pose various risks.

What is A2P messaging?

A2P is any communication method that involves sending messages from a software or virtual phone solution to a customer’s mobile device. It’s unlike Person-to-Person (P2P) communication, where messages are directly exchanged between two individual mobile users.

What is 10DLC compliance?

Businesses are required to register their 10DLC numbers with the Campaign Registry (TCR) before sending out messages. These measures are in place to ensure businesses follow best practices, maintain integrity, and provide consumers with a positive messaging experience. Carriers will be blocking unregistered traffic this year. Complete your 10DLC registration by September 1, 2024 to ensure your text message deliverability.

Why does your small business need to be 10DLC compliant?

Any business that sends A2P messages using an unregistered 10DLC number incurs increased per-message fees, with SMS fees at $0.012 and MMS fees at $0.021 per message from June 1, 2024, onwards. Grasshopper has also been notified that carriers will be blocking unregistered traffic this year. The best way to ensure your text messages get delivered is to complete your 10DLC registration by the September 1 deadline.

Additionally, in 2024 carriers began issuing fines for messages containing prohibited SHAFT (sex, hate, firearms, tobacco) content even if the message delivery has been blocked. Depending on severity, fines can be as high as $10,000 per violation so it is essential to understand and avoid prohibited content. To learn more about prohibited SHAFT content and other ineligible use cases for SMS campaigns, visit our support page here.

Every business owner must register their 10DLC number to ensure messages are delivered as expected. Complying with 10DLC regulations can also further benefit small businesses by improving customer response rates and accelerating growth.

Higher delivery rates

A registered 10DLC number supports large volumes of text messages and increases the open rate as standard 10-digit numbers are better recognized by customers due to familiar area codes. The capacity to handle a higher volume of messages also ensures that your text messages swiftly reach the right audience at the right time – avoiding any delays or annoying lags.

Better security

TCR enforces 10DLC compliance to protect customers from robocalls and spam texts, while also making consumer opt-ins and opt-outs for texting an industry standard. Once you complete the registration form, TCR will assess your campaign and assign it either a verified or an unverified status. This vetting process assures customers that any verified messaging campaigns are legitimate and trustworthy.

Increased legitimacy and credibility

Businesses of any size or industry are facing increasing pressure to comply with 10DLC regulations. This is because privacy and consent have become a top priority for customers. Adhering to these regulations protects customers from both unwanted communication and fraud, which ultimately increases customers’ trust in your small business.

How can you become 10DLC compliant?

Step 1: Obtain a 10DLC number

To obtain a 10DLC number you can contact a business phone or virtual phone system provider. Start a free trial with Grasshopper to get a local number in any city of your choice now.

Step 2: Register your company as a brand

You must register your company as a brand with TCR. This registry was created by mobile carriers to act as a central database that keeps track of the businesses using 10DLCs and their intended purposes.

Grasshopper has made this process easy by allowing users to directly register with TCR through its admin portal. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Sign in at https://nuui.us.grasshopper.com/carrierregistration.
2. Select Register Brand.
3. Enter the following company information:
   • Organization type
   • Legal company name
   • Company name
   • Tax ID number/EIN
   • Tax country
   • Business address
   • Support email
   • Support phone
   • Website
   • Industry
4. Carefully review and verify that the information is correct.
5. Select Submit Brand.

To learn more about the brand registration process, please refer to our comprehensive support page here.

Step 3: Register your 10DLC SMS campaign

Once brand registration is complete, you will need to register your SMS campaigns by providing additional information about the intended use case and customer base. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Sign in to your Grasshopper account
2. Select Register SMS.
3. Include the following information:
   • Phone number
   • Use case type that best fits your SMS campaign:
     • More than 6000 texts/day
     • Less than 6000 texts/day
   • Describe what messages you will be sending and for what purpose. Learn more about ineligible use cases here.
   • Explain how you gained end-user consent (opt-in) to receive text messages from your business. Provide proof of obtaining contacts’ permission through a link or screenshot. Read our blog to learn more about opt-in.
   • Enter an example of 2-3 messages that will be sent as part of the campaign.
4. Carefully review and tick the applicable checkboxes.
5. Select Submit.
6. Repeat for other SMS campaigns. If your SMS campaign registration has failed, you can correct any mistakes and resubmit the application. Do note that fees will be charged for any additional registration attempts. Visit our support page for more information.

What are the fees for 10DLC compliance?

Here’s a breakdown of the fees that will be incurred for each step of the registration process:

• Brand registration application fee = $4
• Campaign registration application fee = $15 per Campaign (manual vetting fee)
• Monthly cost = $2–10/month per campaign (varies based on each use case)

Do note that all payments associated with 10DLC registration are passed directly to TCR. Grasshopper does not charge any additional fees.

10DLC compliance is quick and easy with Grasshopper

Do you need to register for 10DLC compliance but feel overwhelmed by the process and documentation? Grasshopper is here to help make the registration process efficient and simple by providing direct access to TCR through its admin portal.

There are multiple resources and support documents available to guide you through each step of the registration process. If you need extra help, you can also reach out to our 24/7 support services for assistance.

The time has come for your small business to broaden its messaging reach with 10DLC compliance. Learn more now [https://support.grasshopper.com/].