10DLC

Each 10DLC campaign is either approved or declined following a meticulous vetting process by a third-party vetting partner. Read more about the vetting process here. 

If your campaign is declined, you will receive feedback as to why it was not approved and have an opportunity to adjust and resubmit your campaign. The table below provides the reasons why a 10DLC campaign might be declined along with detailed descriptions and the next steps you can take to resolve these issues. 

This post addresses how to set up email alerts for 10DLC brand and campaign submissions. For more comprehensive information on 10DLC registration, see our A2P 10DLC page.

All 10DLC registrations — brands or campaigns — require approval from TCR and carriers. By default, any brands or campaigns that you create are sent for review. A brand or campaign will be approved or rejected. Avoid rejection by following Plivo’s 10DLC registration guidelines. The review process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Read more about the campaign review process here.

Set up alerts in Plivo’s console to receive an email notification each time a brand or campaign is approved or rejected. 

To set up these alerts, navigate to messaging > alerts.

• By default,  email alerts are set to “disabled.” Toggle the button to enable the email alerts. 
• Add the email recipients to whom you wish to send status alerts. You can add up to 10 recipients. Enter valid email addresses to avoid any email delivery issues.
• Click on “Save Changes” to start receiving email alerts. 

You can always disable the alerts or update the list of recipients in this section. Plivo will send alerts for the following status updates:

• Brand 
  • When the brand registration is complete
  • If the brand registration fails
  • When brand vetting is complete
• Campaign
  • When the campaign registration is approved by the carriers
  • If the campaign registration is declined by Plivo or the carriers

Things to keep in mind before linking numbers to your campaign

• You can not link more than 49 numbers to a campaign.
• Sending the same content across multiple source numbers specifically to evade content filters is called snowshoeing. This practice violates all carriers’ acceptable use policies. A snowshoeing violation may result in suspension of the campaign.
• Numbers can only be linked to a campaign that has been approved by carriers (the “Registration Status” should be “active”). 

To start linking numbers to a campaign, navigate to the Campaigns section and click on the campaign for which you want to link numbers. Ensure that “Registration Status” is “active” before proceeding.

Navigate to the “Numbers” tab for that campaign. You will be able to see the list of numbers already linked to that campaign. To link more numbers to the campaign, click on “Add New Numbers” and select one of the following two options:

1. Link Phone Numbers: This option will bring up a new page that shows all the US long codes in your account that are not linked to any campaign.  When you’ve selected one or more numbers, click “Link Numbers”. The console will return to the previous page and show the status of your newly linked numbers as “Processing”. The status will change to either “Linked” or “Failed”, depending on the response from the carriers — typically within 48 hours.
2. Upload via CSV: The other way to add numbers is by uploading a CSV file. The file should contain a single column with the header “Numbers,” followed by cells that contain only the digits of the numbers to be linked. The CSV file may contain no more than 49 numbers.

Unlink Numbers

On the numbers tab for a campaign, you can find the list of your linked numbers. You can click “Unlink Number” to make a number available for other uses.

This post addresses some common questions about 10DLC campaign registration on the console. For more comprehensive information, see our A2P 10DLC page.

Take these steps before registering your campaign

Before you register your campaign in the console, take the following steps to avoid any issues or delays. 

• Review the costs associated with 10DLC campaign registration. Make sure you have a standard account with sufficient Plivo credits to cover these costs. Learn more here.
• Campaigns can only be created for verified brands. Ensure that your brand is verified before creating a campaign.
• The Campaign Registry (TCR) and carriers expect businesses to provide details in a certain format. Make sure you have reviewed our 10DLC registration guidelines. 

How do I register a campaign? 

To register a campaign for your brand, visit the Messaging Page, click on Campaigns in the left menu, and click on “Create Campaign”.

First, select the brand for which you want to create your campaign. By default, the most recently created brand will be selected. Switch brands by clicking “Choose Another Brand”. Click on “Save and Continue”. 

Next, provide details about your campaign. Provide information in the format laid out in our guide to avoid the risk of rejection. Click on “Save and Continue”. 

Finally, select the correct attributes for your campaign. 

Click “Submit Campaign” to send the registration request to TCR.

How long does campaign registration take and how can I check the status of my registration?

You can check the status of your campaign registration in the console. Refer to this article to learn how long it takes to register a campaign.

This post addresses some common questions about 10DLC brand registration on the console. For more comprehensive information, see our A2P 10DLC page.

Take these steps before registering your brand

Before you register your brand on the console, take the following steps to avoid any issues or delays. 

• Review the costs associated with 10DLC brand registration. Make sure you have a standard account with sufficient Plivo credits to cover these costs. Learn more here.
• The Campaign Registry (TCR) and carriers expect businesses to provide details in a certain format.  Review our 10DLC registration guidelines to avoid any compliance issues.
• Brand registration requires you to provide your company’s legal name and registration number. Copy that information from your registration document accurately.

In order to complete your brand registration, visit the messaging page and navigate to 10DLC section of the console. Brand registration involves two steps. 

• Step 1: Create a profile for your company. 
• Step 2: Complete 10DLC registration for your company.

Creating a profile for your company

Navigate to Profiles in the 10DLC section of the messaging page. Click on “Create Profile”. You will be asked to provide information about your company. 

Please provide accurate information for all the required fields. The fields marked as “optional” can be skipped. Once you have filled out the form, click on “Save and Continue”. 

Next, you will be asked to provide the address of your company. Once you have filled out this information, click on “Save and Continue”.

Finally, you will be asked to submit contact details. Once you have filled out the necessary information, click on “Submit Profile” to create your profile.

Once you have completed the profile registration, you can move on to create a brand for your company. 

Completing 10DLC registration for your business

Navigate to Brands in the 10DLC section of the messaging page and click on “Create Brand”.

First, select the profile for which you want to create a brand. By default, the most recently created profile will be selected. Switch profiles by clicking on “Choose Another Profile”.

Next, provide an alias for your brand. This alias can be your brand name or a nickname you use internally. Brand type can only be “Standard”. 

Finally, select the vetting option for your brand. Give consent to provide additional documents if required by TCR or the carriers.

Plivo recommends selecting the “Low Volume” option if your daily messaging volume won’t exceed 6,000 messages per day. If your daily messaging will exceed 6,000 messages per day, select the “Standard” option. Please note that the “Standard” vetting option has an additional cost of $40. 

Click “Submit” to send the registration request to TCR.

How long does brand registration take and how can I check the status of my registration?

Brands are generally registered within one day, but in some cases, it may take up to a week. You can check the status of your registration request on the console.

Carriers provide support for various methods through which opt-in consent can be obtained from users and followed up with further communication. In this section, we will discuss these support categories and the best practices associated with them.

Verbal Opt-in

In certain use cases, opt-in consent can be obtained through a verbal opt in, which occurs during a voice call. To ensure compliance with carrier regulations, it is essential that the call be recorded at the point where the user provides consent. This recorded consent can be produced in the event of an audit or information request.

For added security and compliance, Plivo recommends implementing a double opt-in process in this scenario. Here's how the flow works:

The business initiates a call to the user to request consent for receiving messages. This call is recorded and securely stored by the business or brand for future reference.

In addition to the verbal consent, the user is asked to send an opt-in keyword, serving as a confirmation of their consent.

Example:

Plivo's Customer: [Brand Name]  "Thank you for opting in to receive informational messages. Please respond with 'YES' to proceed further. Message and data rates apply. Text HELP for assistance and STOP to opt out of receiving messages."

End client: "YES"

This robust double opt-in process ensures strict adherence to the opt-in flow, mitigating any potential concerns in the future.

Web Form

A seamlessly integrated form on the business’s official website invites users to input their phone numbers and willingly subscribe to receive messages from the organization. It is imperative that the web form complies with established guidelines and incorporates the following essential components:

• A selectable checkbox that enables users to grant their consent.
• A direct link to the Terms and Privacy page, ensuring transparency and legal compliance.
• Clear disclosure of pricing information.
• An indication of the expected message frequency.

In the event that the opt-in screen is not publicly accessible and requires users to complete a sign-up or sign-in process, kindly provide a snapshot for reference purposes.

Here is a sample opt-in screen for reference

Paper Form

Individuals provide their consent to receive messages through a physical or paper-based format. They indicate their willingness to receive messages, whether they are informational updates, marketing materials, or any other type of communication. 

For instance, consider a scenario where a patient visits a doctor's clinic, completes a comprehensive form, and provides consent to receive messages pertaining to their medical records.

Text / Keyword

Opt-in keywords afford users the opportunity to subscribe to SMS marketing messages from a brand by sending a specific keyword via text to their designated number. Brands have the flexibility to choose their desired keyword and configure the process meticulously to ensure the precise capture and processing of opt ins for subsequent message distribution.

It is of utmost importance that Plivo customers maintain strict adherence to carrier guidelines and ensure that consent is duly obtained from the user before initiating any communication. Failure to do so may lead to an audit and potential suspension of traffic. Review our Best Practices for A2P Messaging in the US for additional information

Businesses must comply with carrier guidelines for 10DLC texting campaigns. Maintaining compliant traffic means adhering to best practices and ensuring prohibited content remains absent from campaigns.

The Campaign Registry (TCR) and telecom carriers conduct audits of 10DLC traffic to confirm adherence to usage and traffic standards. They also look for deviations from a campaign's stated purpose or content.

Carriers notify Plivo about any discrepancies between observed traffic and campaign registration information. In response, Plivo evaluates various aspects to determine campaign compliance.

• Use case explanation
• Message flow and call-to-action structure
• Sample message content
• Brand and website details
• Opt-in particulars
• Terms and Conditions and privacy policy page availability

If a carrier notifies Plivo of issues with a campaign, we may deactivate it in accordance with the audit findings. In more severe instances, carriers may opt to directly suspend the campaign; if that happens we’ll let you know.

When you send text messages using a number associated with a suspended campaign, the Messaging API will return the error “src number is not mapped to a campaign.”

To check the status of a 10DLC campaign, go to Messaging > 10DLC on the console, or use our 10DLC APIs to access information about campaign status and other details. Here’s sample output from a query on campaign status.

API and Sample Response

GET https://api.plivo.com/v1/Account/{auth_id}/10dlc/Campaign/{campaign_id}/

What happens if your campaign is suspended

When a carrier suspends a campaign (and in some cases a brand too) after an audit, Plivo is notified only after the deactivation, without any prior communication, and there’s no way to appeal the decision. In such cases, Plivo cannot allow the customer to re-create the suspended campaign. The same holds true when Plivo suspends a campaign.

Maintaining compliance and preventing campaign violations

To avoid traffic violations and prevent campaign suspension, be sure to adhere to these guidelines.

• Control your spam rate, as a surge in spam attracts carrier attention and may trigger an audit. You can assess spam rates by retrieving message detail records (MDR) from the console. Go to Messages > Logs and apply a filter using error code 30, and compare that to the total number of MDRs to get the spam rate. Try to keep the spam percentage at less than 1% on a weekly basis.
• Inbound messages should pertain strictly to campaign-related use cases. Messages must include either opt-in keywords or associated keywords like HELP or STOP. Monitor inbound messages to identify instances of phrases like "Stop this" or "I didn't sign up for this," as these may suggest messages were sent to unintended recipients.
• Send messages only to users who have opted in. Sending messages to parties who have not opted in is a severe violation. Suspicious traffic can prompt carriers to demand opt-in proof for compliance verification. In conjunction with carrier audits, end users have the option to report unsolicited messages through "7726" (“spam”) complaints. Such complaints are handled with the utmost seriousness.
• Deviating from the registered use case or from the provided samples can trigger audits. For instance, a campaign that’s designated for the OTP/2FA use case but delivers marketing content is in violation. Likewise, messages must precisely align with registered templates, and no deviation from the templates is permissible. Supply accurate details during registration, emphasizing content relevant to the brand.

By adhering to these guidelines, businesses can maintain compliance, minimize the risk of audits, and ensure smooth operation.

T-Mobile encourages customers to send all A2P messages over 10DLC numbers. To reduce misuse of this process, T-Mobile has introduced a $250 fee for any active campaign that has not been used to send traffic to T-Mobile users over a 60-day rolling period. The first rolling period started on December 1, 2022, and the first assessment was done on February 1, 2023. If any of your campaigns have not sent traffic to at least one T-Mobile user in the preceding 60 days, you will be charged this fee.

You can identify campaigns that lack linked numbers or have no usage towards T-Mobile destinations by exporting this information from console.

To avoid incurring this fee, Plivo recommends the following:

• If you intend to register a campaign, or keep one you’ve already registered, you should have at least one long code associated with it and send traffic to T-Mobile destinations. (You can use our Lookup API to determine which carrier any given number is associated with.)
• If you no longer intend to use a campaign, you should unlink all the numbers from the campaign and then deactivate it. You may not deactivate the brand for future usage as brand has no recurring fee associated with it.
• If you send very few messages from a campaign and wish to continue using that campaign, ensure you send at least one message to a T-Mobile destination each month.
• Perform a monthly audit of your messaging usage and proactively unrent numbers and deactivate campaigns that you longer intend to use.

Long code messaging in the US now requires businesses to register brands and campaigns for 10DLC. Carriers vet those registrations in an industry-wide effort to reduce spam and unwanted messaging and thereby improve trust in the SMS messaging channel. For an overview of the registration process, refer to our documentation. 

As part of 10DLC registration, you need to create campaigns for each of your use cases, which Plivo then submits to TCR and carriers for review. 

The carriers conduct a review for each campaign by examining the submitted details (such as use case description, message flow, and sample messages) to determine whether to approve the registration. While under review, campaigns are reported to be in “processing” status. 

If the carrier rejects a campaign after review, we change the status to “failed.” You may resubmit campaigns by updating existing information and/or providing additional information required by the carrier. For best results, follow our registration guidelines.

If a campaign satisfies the carrier’s criteria, we change the status to “approved.” At that time you can link phone numbers to the campaign for messaging.

How long does it take for a campaign to get approved by carriers?

All campaigns are manually reviewed by carriers and various aspects of the campaigns are examined closely. Campaign reviews now take between six and eight weeks. If one of your campaigns gets rejected and you're required to submit additional information, it will take the same amount of time to get the campaign approved.

Is there a fee for campaign vetting?

Starting February 1, 2023, carriers began charging Plivo $15 for every campaign vetted, and Plivo passes that fee along to our customers without any markup.

If your campaign gets rejected, you can work with our support team to understand the reasons and resubmit the campaign for review. Each submission will incur a $15 fee; to avoid additional fees, follow our guidelines before your initial submission. Plivo cannot guarantee that carriers will approve the campaigns upon resubmission.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC (10-digit long code) is a service offered by US carriers to explicitly allow application-to-person (A2P) SMS traffic over long code phone numbers. The term "10-digit long code" refers to standard US local phone numbers, which are 10 digits long, including the area code. Unlike short codes, long code numbers can be used to make and receive calls.

10DLC offers several benefits:

• High messaging throughput — up to 4,500 transactions per minute per operator
• Enhanced deliverability, because 10DLC use cases are approved by operators
• Cost savings compared to short codes

To create this sanctioned channel, US carriers require businesses to register their 10DLC numbers and the campaigns for which they use them. Registration lets carriers know who’s sending messages and what kinds of messages are being sent, so they can protect end-users from spam and unwanted messages.

Upon receipt of registration information, carriers’ verification and risk assessment evaluations are outsourced to an independent organization called The Campaign Registry. TCR evaluates each registration based on the information the registrant provides and assigns a “vetting score” to each registration. Vetting scores are calculated using an undisclosed algorithm that takes into account a brand’s past texting history, type of organization, and the type of messages the registrant plans to send. The vetting score determines the maximum throughput the carrier allows for a brand. 

Do I need to register for 10DLC?

If you’re sending A2P text messages to US recipients and not using toll-free or short code source numbers, you should register your brand and campaigns for 10DLC. Messages sent from numbers that are not associated with registered campaigns will not be delivered.

What are brands and campaigns?

The 10DLC ecosystem relies on two important declarations from the customer. A brand is the entity that a number represents. A campaign represents the type of messages the brand intends to send. The terms “campaign” and “use case” are often used interchangeably.

How can I register my brands and campaigns?

To register for 10DLC service, you must first register your brand, which involves providing information about the business that’s sending messages. Check our documentation on how to register, especially if you are a reseller that has to register your customers.

You can use the Plivo console to register your brands or campaigns or you can use our SDKs (now in public beta). The details you provide during registration are reviewed by TCR and carriers, so make sure you provide accurate information. Refer to our guidelines to avoid making mistakes when submitting information for 10DLC registration.

What are the associated costs?

Standard registration fees

Plivo recommends brands pay for additional vetting if their messaging volume exceeds 6,000 per day.

Because of all the fees involved for registering brands and campaigns, Plivo recommends recharging your account in advance to avoid any disruption to your services. Registering a standard campaign requires a minimum of $45 in account credits: $30 for registration charges for a quarter at $10 per month and a $15 campaign vetting fee. Registering a brand requires a minimum of $4 in account credits, or $44 if you opt for vetting

In addition to registration charges, each operator also imposes a termination surcharge for every message sent from a long code number that terminates in their respective networks. Surcharges are added on top of the standard cost per message as reflected on Plivo pricing page. You can find the total surcharge amount on your Plivo invoice in the Carrier Surcharge Fee section.

How long does it take for a campaign to be approved?

Campaigns are vetted by carriers, which causes delays. Current processing time is six to eight weeks.

Will the need to register for 10DLC affect my Plivo phone numbers?

No, 10DLC won’t cause any changes to your Plivo phone numbers. The change will only affect the cost and delivery quality for long code SMS messages. 

How do I use my existing numbers for 10DLC?

Once your brand and campaign registration is successful, you can link your existing numbers to a campaign using the Plivo console or Plivo SDKs. You can map up to 49 numbers to a campaign for a Standard brand registration.

What throughput can I expect after registering with 10DLC?

When you register your brand, The Campaign Registry must first identify your brand; if it cannot, you will not be approved for messaging without further action on your part. If your brand is not among the Russell 3000 companies, you will be placed by default in a low throughput tier. In either of those cases, you can apply to have a vetting organization verify your brand so you can potentially be assigned to a higher throughput tier. Carriers leverage third-party vetting partners such as Aegis Mobile, Campaign Verify, and WMC Global to verify brands. Plivo lets you specify that you want to be vetted when you register your brand for a one-time fee of $40.

US operators have defined messaging throughput tiers in terms of transactions per minute (TPM)  and transactions per day (TPD). Throughput is allocated to campaigns depending on their vetting score. See our guide on A2P messaging throughput in the US for complete information.

What is T-Mobile non-use fee and what are Plivo’s recommendations?

T-Mobile encourages customers to send all A2P messages over 10DLC numbers. To reduce misuse of this process, T-Mobile has introduced a $250 fee for any active campaign that has not been used to send traffic to T-Mobile users over a 60-day rolling period. The first rolling period started on December 1, 2022, and the first assessment was done on February 1, 2023. If any of your campaigns have not sent traffic to at least one T-Mobile user in the preceding 60 days, you will be charged this fee. Read about how to identify campaigns that might incur these fees and Plivo’s recommendations to avoid them.

What’s Plivo’s recommendation for resellers?

Resellers are businesses or platforms that provide services to other businesses. If you facilitate messaging for a brand or business that’s not your own, you can be classified as a reseller. If you only send messages related to your own brand, you’re not a reseller.

Resellers should register all their customers for 10DLC. Plivo does not support bulk registration on the console or through our API, so you should register each customer individually.

How to avoid 10DLC violations

Be sure that the information you provide during registration is complete and accurate, and includes a detailed description of your use case and sample messages. Operators use content-based filtering to check campaigns, so if the messages you send violate SHAFT guidelines or don’t adhere to the use case you provided during registration, your campaign may be suspended. In extreme cases, operators might decide to block an entire brand, leading to the suspension of all campaigns. 

T-Mobile imposes additional fees on some violations:

Can I migrate 10DLC brands, campaigns, and phone numbers from another provider to Plivo?

TCR and mobile network operators (MNO) don't allow you to reuse a campaign you created with one CPaaS with any other one, so you'll have to register your brand and your campaigns anew on the Plivo console or by using our APIs and SDKs. If, on the other hand, you created a campaign directly with TCR and haven’t used it elsewhere, you can share it with Plivo via a support ticket and we can import it for you.

When it comes to associating numbers with your campaigns, the easiest thing to do is rent new numbers through the console and associate them with campaigns. If you want to keep the numbers you’ve already been using with your other vendor, you can port them to Plivo. When a number is ported in by a different vendor, it automatically becomes unregistered from any 10DLC campaigns it was previously associated with. Once the port-in is complete, you can associate the newly ported numbers with your campaigns.

What if I have additional questions about 10DLC?

Please contact your customer success manager or our support team.