A2P messaging throughput in the US depends on the type of service (SMS or MMS) and type of number that you use.
Throughput for toll-free numbers and short codes
Toll-free and short code number throughput is set at a per-number level. You must verify your toll-free numbers to avoid running into sending limits.
| Number Type | SMS | MMS |
| Toll-free | 25 per second | 2 per second |
| Short code | 100 per second | 100 per second |
These limits are imposed by the carriers. If your use case requires higher throughput for toll-free or short code numbers, contact your customer success manager or our support team.
Throughput for long codes
Long code throughput depends on your 10DLC registration.
SMS
SMS throughout is defined at a campaign level and depends on your vetting score, as shown in this table. If your brand receives a score of 80, for example, then each campaign under that brand can send up to 4,500 messages per minute towards AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon numbers.
|
Use Case Type |
Vetting Score | AT&T TPM | T-Mobile* TPM | Verizon TPM |
| Dedicated, Mixed/Marketing | 75–100 | 4,500 | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| Dedicated, Mixed/Marketing | 50–74 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 |
| Dedicated, Mixed/Marketing | 1–49 | 240 | 240 | 240 |
| Low-Volume | 1–100 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| Brands that skip secondary vetting | 0 | 240 | 240 | 240 |
*Including T-Mobile, Sprint, and Metro by T-Mobile
Smaller carriers (<5% of US messaging volume) have not explicitly declared their throughput assignment details but we expect them to be in similar ranges for a given vetting score.
MMS
Unlike SMS throughput, which depends on vetting score and campaign type, MMS throughput has been defined at a per number level by the operators. Each number linked to a campaign can send up to 50 messages per minute per operator. For a higher throughput, you can link multiple numbers in the same campaign.
T-Mobile TPD restrictions
T-Mobile (including Sprint) also has a limit on the total daily number of SMS and MMS messages (TPD) a brand can send toward its subscribers. Like TPM, this limit varies with the vetting score assigned to a brand. T-Mobile’s TPD limit takes into account both SMS and MMS messages; in other words, the daily limit is shared across SMS and MMS services. This means that even if you are vetted for throughput of 4,500 TPM towards T-Mobile, any messages sent after the 200,000 limit will fail.
|
Use Case Type |
Vetting Score | T-Mobile TPD |
| All | 75–100 | 200,000 |
| All | 50–74 | 40,000 |
| All | 25–49 | 10,000 |
| All | 1–24 | 2,000 |
What happens if I reach the daily T-Mobile quota for my brand?
You can check your T-Mobile TPD cap on the console. After you reach the limit T-Mobile allots to your brand, any more messages sent to T-Mobile by the same brand will fail for the rest of the day (days are defined as begin in the Pacific (PT) time zone). Once a day is over, you can again send messages towards T-Mobile.
Traffic toward AT&T, Verizon, and other operators is not affected by the T-Mobile quota.
What if the throughput I’m assigned is not sufficient for my messaging volume? Can I increase my throughput?
Plivo recommends opting for vetting during the brand registration process to unlock higher throughputs. If, even after your business is vetted, your allocated throughput (TPM) isn’t high enough, you can appeal your vetting score by working with our support team. If your appeal is rejected and your daily messaging volume toward T-Mobile is higher than the TPD you’ve been allocated, you can request T-Mobile conduct a Special Business Review (SBR) to gain access to higher daily volumes.
If your campaign requires linking more than 49 numbers, T-Mobile requires you to submit a Number Pool Request (NPR).
T-Mobile charges a fee for each SBR or NPR. Plivo passes on carrier fees to its customers without any markup. Before submitting an SBR or NPR request, you must have a brand and campaign registered with TCR.
To submit an SBR or NPR, please contact your customer success manager or our support team.