10DLC

10DLC (10-digit long code) is the US system for sending business text messages from ordinary 10-digit phone numbers, the same format people use for personal lines. It sits between person-to-person texting and high-volume short codes. To use it, a business registers its brand and each messaging use case (campaign) before sending, so carriers can see who is behind the traffic.

#Why does 10DLC exist?

For years, 10-digit numbers were meant for people texting each other. Businesses that wanted volume leased short codes, and some sent bulk traffic from long codes anyway, often unidentified. Carriers answered with filtering, which blocked legitimate messages too.

The industry's answer was a sanctioned lane for business traffic on 10-digit numbers. CTIA's Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023) describes this "Non-Consumer" traffic on 10-digit NANP numbers and the consent, opt-out and registration practices expected of it.

#How does 10DLC registration work?

Registration runs through The Campaign Registry (TCR), a central hub used by the major US carriers. The parties it describes:

• Brand: the company the recipient believes is sending the message.
• Campaign Service Provider (CSP): the messaging provider that registers brands and campaigns on your behalf.
• Campaign: one use case, such as account notifications, 2FA codes or opted-in marketing, with sample messages and a description of how people opt in.
• Mobile network operators: they review campaigns and set limits on throughput and daily volume.

Your provider submits the brand and campaign details, links your sending numbers to the campaign, and passes on any carrier fees. Vetting results affect how many messages per second or per day you can send.

#What happens if you don't register?

Carriers may filter, throttle or block unregistered business traffic from 10-digit numbers, and some providers refuse to send it at all. Messages that do get through may carry extra carrier fees. Registration doesn't remove filtering. Content that looks like spam, or campaigns that don't match their registration, can still be blocked.

#How does 10DLC compare with other US sender types?

#Why check the recipient numbers too?

Registration covers the sender. Deliverability also depends on who you send to. Messages to landlines, disconnected numbers or numbers that have been reassigned to someone new count against your sending reputation, and complaint rates can get a campaign suspended.

The US and Canada carrier lookup returns the current carrier and line type for North American numbers. That lets you remove landlines, flag VoIP numbers and estimate per-carrier fees before a send. The global carrier lookup does the same for other countries. Inconclusive answers are free. MobileValidate supports messaging to people who asked for it, and must not be used to build lists for unsolicited texting. See A2P SMS for the wider picture.