10DLC FAQs Answered by the Experts

A2P 10DLC Q&A with messaging experts from Sinch & The Campaign Registry (TCR).

10DLC conversational messaging solutions are still pretty new, so it’s only natural to have questions. 

Don’t worry though, to help you navigate the 10DLC space and build a rock-solid migration strategy we’ve got some tools to help you out. 

Take a look at our webinar: 10DLC: The future of conversational messaging where we share 10DLC status updates, compare 10DLC with Toll-Free Numbers and dedicated Short Codes, cover best practices, most common use cases, and commercials.  

      Watch the webinar

If you’re looking for something a little more in-depth, check out our Step-by-step guide to 10DLC messaging that outlines a 5-step process of moving P2P Long Codes and Shared Short Codes over to 10DLC. 

After watching, be sure to check out our 10DLC webinar takeaways.

      Download the guide

Still got questions? Then our Q&A blog, with advice from Sinch and TCR experts, is here to save the day. We caught up with Jonathan Vimont, Director of US Messaging at Sinch, Nikki Shahnavaz, US Product Manager at Sinch, and Stefan Heller, VP of Business Development at The Campaign Registry (TCR) to address some FAQs.  

What is 10DLC, and what features does it support? 

10–Digit Long Codes are a carrier sanctioned cost-effective solution for businesses to send local A2P text messaging, using 10-digit (non-wireless) local numbers available in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). Brands and businesses can use a single or pool of local numbers for their messaging campaigns to engage with customers and create brand recognition. Features supported on 10DLC include: 

• Voice 
• MMS 
• Keywords – opt–in/out or set special keywords 
• Concatenated messages 
• Shortened URL – carriers will filter generic or public URLs such as Bit.ly 

10DLC does not support handset DLR; only SMSC DLR is available. 

How long does it take to get a 10DLC live?* 

There are three common scenarios with various timelines depending on the complexity of the process. In all scenarios, vetting can be done either by Sinch or by the customer directly via the TCR portal/API.  

1. Customer submits registration form to Sinch and requests numbers: 1-3 business days 

• Sinch registers brand & campaign(s) via TCR 

• Sinch procures and provisions 10DLC 

2. Customer has existing numbers and wants to port/migrate to Sinch: 3-5 business days 

• Customer purchases Long Codes and provides them to Sinch 

• Sinch schedules migration with a current provider 

• Sinch registers 10DLC campaign via TCR 

3. Customer handles 10DLC procurement and campaign registration but would like to use Sinch as their secondary provider: 3-5 business days 

• Customer registers brand and campaign(s) via TCR and selects Sinch as their ‘provider’ or Direct Connect Aggregator (DCA) 

• Customer provides Sinch with the list of 10DLCs and NetNumber ID (NNID) (if holding their own NNID**) 

• Sinch reviews and approves the campaign(s) and sets up the numbers 

In all scenarios, vetting can be done either by Sinch or by the customer directly via the TCR portal/API.  

* The provided timelines will be significantly reduced in April 2021 due to automation of the registration and number procurement process by the end of Q1. 

**It could take up to 14 business days to provision a new customer’s NNID with the carriers. 

How much throughput will I get per 10DLC?* 

Throughput is determined by the carriers based on who is sending the message (the brand) and what is being sent (the use case and vertical), not on the amount of numbers/10DLCs associated with a campaign. 

The table below explains how AT&T and T-Mobile/Sprint define each message tier and map trust scores. Verizon is also working on defining its process. 

Carriers require a ‘special business review’ request; in case a brand is not satisfied with the defined TPM or message quota. It costs $5,000 USD to submit a non-refundable review. 

*Please note that Russell 3000 enterprises are exempt from vetting. 

My previous messaging provider has already vetted my brand. Do I need to go through the process again? 

No, if your brand has already been vetted, Sinch can import the existing vetting trust score into your campaign. However, to register your brand, basic company details are still required. 

Please note that if you do not wish to be vetted at all, your campaign will automatically fall into the T/Low class, resulting in very limited throughput. 

Is there any benefit to having a single use–case campaign vs a mixed use–case campaign? 

A single use-case campaign refers to ‘standard’ use-cases such as notifications, alerts, OTP, but sometimes brands decide to file notifications and marketing traffic together under one campaign: which we refer to as a ‘mixed-use/marketing campaign.’ 

Typically, single use-case or standard campaigns receive higher throughput and lower surcharges than mixed use-case campaigns. This is designed to incentivize declaring a single use-case, as this type of campaign provides the greatest transparency for the market.

How to migrate my existing numbers to 10DLC?

Getting new numbers is the most simple option and is recommended to avoid any hiccups and downtimes. However, if you need to keep your current numbers for any specific business reason (e.g. customer support, brand equity), we can help you port them. It’s possible to provision your landlines and long codes as 10DLC.

When is the deadline to move legacy Long and Shared Short Codes to 10DLC? 

Carriers would like all A2P Long Code SMS messaging traffic to be registered and moved to sanctioned 10DLC routes by June 1st, 2021. Starting March 1st, AT&T is planning to increase the passthrough fee on non-registered traffic. Heavy filtering and blocking will also be implemented by the major carriers on ‘grey routes’*. As a reminder, please note Shared Short Codes that are not controlled by a single message sender/content will be at risk of termination.

*The routes used for the delivery of unauthorized international A2P traffic.

What are the non-compliance fees associated with 10DLC? 

Below are the announced carrier non-compliance fees and their definitions: 

• Text Enablement Fee: $10,000 USD if a company or a message sender text-enables a 10-digit NANP telephone number and sends messages before verification of message sender ownership 
• Grey Route: $10 USD per message for each 10DLC message sent by a message sender via a P2P route
• Program Evasion: $1,000 USD for each unique instance of a violation (snowshoeing, dynamic routing, spam filter evasion, unapproved campaign service)
• Content violation: $10,000 USD for the third and any subsequent notification of a violation from the same content provider