A2P 10DLC: what it is and why it's mandatory
A2P 10DLC stands for "Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code." In plain English: when a business (not a regular consumer) sends SMS from a regular 10-digit phone number, US carriers require that business and its messaging campaigns to be registered with The Campaign Registry (TCR).
Why it exists
Combats SMS spam and fraud
Gives carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) visibility into who's sending what
Allows higher throughput limits for legitimate business senders
Mandatory - not optional - since 2022, with progressively stricter enforcement
What happens if you don't register
| Stage | What carriers do |
|---|---|
| Initially (small volume) | Some messages slip through, others are filtered to spam |
| After several hundred sends | Carriers progressively block your messages without notice |
| After accumulated violations | Your number is permanently flagged — even after registering, deliverability is damaged |
| At any point | AT&T may charge you a "Pass-Through Fee" of $0.005/message until registered |
Two parts to register
Brand Registration: identifies your business to carriers. One-time fee, $4. Required once per business.
Campaign Registration: describes how and why you'll text customers (use cases, sample messages). $10/month per campaign. Required for every distinct messaging use case.
How long does it take
Brand: typically approved in 1–3 business days
Campaign: typically approved in 1–10 business days, sometimes longer if rejected and resubmitted
Allow 1–4 weeks total before sending production SMS
WARNING — Don't bulk-send before approval
Sending hundreds of SMS while waiting for approval is the fastest way to flag your number. Wait. If you must communicate during the wait, use individual one-to-one messages from your Intellivizz inbox — they're treated more leniently than bulk patterns.
