In the United States, a business that sends texts from an ordinary local number through an app or a phone service has to register with the mobile carriers first. The scheme is called 10DLC, for ten-digit long code, and it is the reason a new business number sometimes cannot text on its first day. It is a form and a short wait, and sole proprietors have their own simpler version of it.
What it is and why it exists
The carriers want to know who is behind a text before they deliver it, so that people receive fewer messages from senders nobody can identify. Registration records two things: the brand, which is who you are, and the campaign, which is what you intend to send and how people agreed to receive it. Both are filed with an industry body called The Campaign Registry, usually by your phone service on your behalf.
Texts from a number that is not registered can be filtered or blocked by the carriers, often without any error reaching the sender. A registered number is treated as a known business.
What does and does not need it
- Texting customers from a local number in a business phone app or phone system needs registration
- Calls do not. A new number can make and take calls straight away
- Texting from the SIM in your own mobile phone, as a person, is not part of this scheme
- Toll-free numbers have a separate process, called toll-free verification
What a sole proprietor needs
There is a registration type for people without an EIN. It asks for your legal name, your address, a mobile number and an email address used to confirm your identity, and a description of what you will send with one or two example messages. It allows one number and a modest daily volume, which suits most people who work for themselves. You do not need an LLC.
What makes an application go through
- Describe real messages. "Appointment confirmations and replies to customer enquiries" with an example is better than a general statement
- Say how people come to be texted by you: they texted or called you first, or they gave you their number and asked to be contacted
- Include how to stop. An example message that ends with "Reply STOP to opt out" answers a question the reviewer will otherwise ask
- Make the details match. The name and address should be the ones your other records carry
What it costs and how long it takes
The registry and the carriers charge small fees: a few dollars to register the brand, a one-time review fee of around $15 for the campaign, and a monthly fee of about $1.50 to $2 for a low-volume or sole proprietor campaign. Phone services pass these on in different ways. Some charge them to you as a setup fee and a monthly line item, and some include them in the plan, so it is worth asking before you sign up.
Review usually takes from a day to a week or so, and a rejected application can be corrected and sent again.
How it works on Neuron
Registration is part of setting up your Neuron line. You are asked for the details in the app or on the web as you go, and Neuron files them, so you do not have to learn the registry yourself. Calls work on your number from the start. You can start free.
Frequently asked questions
What does 10DLC stand for?
Ten-digit long code, which is an ordinary local phone number. 10DLC registration is the process US carriers require before a business texts from one.
Do I need 10DLC registration to text my customers?
If you text them from a local number through a business phone app or phone system in the United States, yes. Texts from an unregistered number can be filtered or blocked.
Can I register without an EIN?
Yes. The sole proprietor registration uses your name, address and contact details and does not need an EIN.
How long does 10DLC registration take?
Usually from a day to a week or so. A rejected application can be corrected and resubmitted.
Does registration apply to phone calls?
No. It applies to text messages. Calls work as soon as the number is yours.
