US Number Registration is a Federal Requirement

When sending SMS/MMS messages to US recipients, there are specific phone registrations and approvals that must take place. All businesses are required to partake in these registrations. Submissions are required, reviewed, and processed through the federal government. HighLevel has no part in the vetting or approval process after submission. It might feel like a lot but it is required and part of doing business - so let's make the best of it, together! Let's jump in and learn how to get our numbers registered.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• US Number Registration is a Federal Requirement
  • What is A2P 10DLC and the TCR?
  • Who Needs to Complete a Phone Registration?
  • How Long Does it Take to Get Approved?
  • Avoid Failures and Get the Fastest Approval Time Possible
• Types of Registration
  • The Registration Process
  • Registration Comparison Table
• FAQs
  • Is Cold Texting Allowed?
  • What if I do not have a valid Tax ID, how do I register my phone number?

What is A2P 10DLC and the TCR?

A2P10 DLC is a phone number registration process mandated by the United States government, specifically through The Campaign Registry (TCR). It is a required registration process for any business or individual engaging with a U.S. audience via outbound SMS. The purpose is to ensure legitimacy and adherence to guidelines when sending marketing and promotional text messages.

• “A2P” is short for Application to Person. In this case, HighLevel is the application, and the recipient you wish to send SMS or MMS to is the person.
  
  

• “10 DLC” is short for 10 Digit Long Code. This is both the number of digits US phone numbers contain as well as the name of the new standard.
  
  

• "The Campaign Registry (TCR)" works with North American mobile operators and companies that are in the messaging business to register Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging Campaigns. The registry supports a sanctioned A2P 10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) text messaging Campaign ecosystem and provides visibility into the messaging source and content, allowing mobile carriers to provide a more reliable and simple messaging service for Campaign Service Providers (CSPs) and Brands

Who Needs to Complete a Phone Registration?

 Anyone sending an SMS or MMS to a U.S. audience.

How Long Does it Take to Get Approved?

Regardless of the registration type, it can take 4 to 6 weeks to receive the results. Many submission results do return much sooner than 4 to 6 weeks - but we cannot guarantee any time frame for submission results. Many factors impact the vetting process and HighLevel has no control over the speed of submission review. After submission, it is up to The Campaign Registry (TCR) to determine approval status based on your submission information. It's important to be detailed before submitting to save time and avoid a failed submission.

Avoid Failures and Get the Fastest Approval Time Possible

HighLevel has no part in the vetting or approval process after submission. However, we do try our best to help you provide a detailed and accurate submission to ensure a review can take place.

PRO TIP: Reviewing common reasons for failure BEFORE submitting your Brand or Campaign will help avoid common failure reasons and ensure the fastest approval time possible. Submitting accurate information during your first submission will assist in a faster review.

Types of Registration

There are four main types of Phone Registration and each have a specific use-case and pros and cons. We will learn more about each in the "Registration Comparison Table" below.

Toll-Free Number
Many users find the Toll-Free (TF) Registration process simpler. In addition, TF has no Tax ID requirement, has no registration fees, and no daily sending limit. However, Toll-Free numbers may have lower open/pick-up rates compared to local ones.

Sole Prop
Sole Props allow businesses without a Tax ID and with only one employee to get a local number. Customers with EIN number and/or with two or more employees are NOT ELIGIBLE for Sole Prop. Requires a US or Canada business address. Daily sending limit is 3,000 segments. Only allowed one phone number.

Low Volume Standard

Best for businesses with a Tax ID and who are sending less than 6,000 segments a day. Daily sending limit is 6,000. 

Standard

For businesses with a Tax ID who are sending more than 6,000 segments per day. No daily sending limit though some restrictions may apply for sending above 200,000 daily segments.

We will learn more about each in the "Registration Comparison Table" section below.

The Registration Process

There is a three-step process to having your numbers vetted and approved before you can send SMS. Let's get a quick rundown of the process. 

In-App registration process, learn more here: Trust Center

1. Brand Registration - The client will submit business information to be reviewed. Failed or rejected Brand Submissions will need to be updated and resubmitted. Your Brand Submission must be approved before your Campaign submission is vetted.
2. Campaign Registration - After your Brand is approved, your Campaign Submission is reviewed. A campaign submission provides the TCR with the specifics of your messaging and business usage of SMS/MMS. Failed submissions will need to be updated and resubmitted.
3. Carrier Propagation - After Brand and Campaign approval, it can take up to 3 business days or longer for all carriers to receive this new information. While you can get sending immediately following approval, you may find some messages will fail - appearing with an error code saying no A2P approval is found. Rest assured! This is normal and common as it can take several business days for all carriers to receive your registered information. If the issue persists for more than 4 business days, contact HighLevel Support.

*Please note: Toll-Free Number registration is a simpler process requiring only one submission, unlike the other types which require Brand and Campaign submissions.

Pro Tip: Submit both a Toll-Free then a Non Toll-Free Number registration to try to get sending faster! Number Registration can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to complete --> However, we have seen Toll-Free Number approval in as little as two days (though we cannot guarantee any timeline for approval). Start by submitting a Toll-Free Number Registration first, then submit your Sole Prop, Low Volume Standard, or Standard Campaign as well. This approach often results in allowing you to get sending as soon as possible. After your Sole Prop, Low Volume Standard, or Standard Campaign is approved, you can switch to sending from your new local number.

Registration Comparison Table

Below we will compare and contrast the types of registrations to help you choose the best one for your business needs. Let's jump in!

Note: A Tax ID is a US EIN or a valid International business registration number. 

A Tax ID is required for Low Volume Standard or Standard. Don't have one? check out this FAQ below.

• Prices are subject to change from time to time based on industry and provider changes.

• Brand, Registration & Campaign Fees are applied at the time of submission and vetting. 

  Learn more about registration pricing and fees here: Pricing and Fees for the A2P 10DLC Service

• Registration fees do not include Phone Number, Voice, SMS, and MMS charges, which are charged separately and can be found here: HighLevel Pricing Guide > LC Phone System Pricing.
  
  

**LC Messaging Policy, Segments & Sending Limits

• Sending limits shown are still subject to LC Messaging and Ramp Up Policy.

• Sending limits are based on daily sending to US numbers and are subject to other sending limits as imposed by carriers, such as T-Mobile hard limits.

• Avoid suspensions: When sending SMS, you must maintain an Opt-Out rate of less than 3%. If you surpass this amount, messaging will be temporarily suspended for 24 hours. Learn more: Avoiding SMS Suspension

• What is a Segment? Limits reflected are based on Segments. Segments are how text messages are processed and sent. A text message can have 2 or more segments per text. Learn more: What the Heck is a Segment by Twilio

  • Learn how to Calculate the Cost of an SMS/MMS

  • Find the number of segments in a message with this Segment Calculator. Use the image below to see where segments are notated in the Segment Calculator. You can click the image to enlarge it.

• Is Cold Texting Allowed? No, learn more in the FAQ below.

Forbidden Messaging and Use-Case Categories

• Some business use cases and messaging content is prohibited.
• Businesses submitting a registration for prohibited categories will not be approved.
• Businesses sending SMS/MMS messages with prohibited content within it, regardless of approved campaign or not, may result in the revoking of approved campaigns, carrier fines, and more. Learn more: Forbidden message categories for SMS and MMS in the US and Canada

Additional HelpDocs

• Fixing Failed A2P and Toll-Free Number Registrations

• Trust Center

• Common Unsuccessful SMS errors

FAQs

Is Cold Texting Allowed?

Cold Texting is when someone sends an SMS to a recipient who did not opt-in or agreed for you to message them. In other words, you are sending an SMS to someone who did not want to receive a message from you. This breaks TCR guidelines, carrier guidelines, and LC Phone messaging policy. If you have not received explicit consent to message someone via SMS, do not message them. Those found cold messaging may not be approved for increased sending limits and are at a high risk for SMS Suspension.

What if I do not have a valid Tax ID, how do I register my phone number?

Toll-Free will be the best option to begin with, for any user, especially those without a Tax ID and/or without a US or CA Business Address.

Many Businesses attempt a Sole Prop after a US or CA Business Address.

In addition, some businesses choose to get a Tax ID or International Business Registration and then attempt Low Volume Standard or Standard. There are always restrictions and acquiring a US and CA Business Address or valid Internation Business Registration does not guarantee approval.

Consulting legal counsel is always the best option when navigating legal needs.

When submitting my Contact or Business Phone (OTP), can I reuse a number or use my HighLevel Number?

You cannot use a number purchased within the HighLevel platform (or CPaaS phone number such as one obtained from Twilio.)

Please provide a mobile number that you have access to confirm OTP verification.

Only US/Canadian numbers will be accepted.

You cannot use the same mobile number to register more than 3 Sole Proprietor brands.

This limit is managed at the TCR level.

Is MMS messaging affected by A2P 10DLC?

Yes, MMS messaging via long code is subject to carrier fees as part of A2P 10DLC. We also expect registered MMS traffic to ultimately benefit from reduced carrier filtering. However, long code MMS messaging remains subject to throughput limits due to limited carrier capacity. A shortcode is still the best option for high-volume MMS use cases in the United States.

Is WhatsApp messaging affected by A2P 10DLC?

No. WhatsApp messaging is unaffected by any of these changes. WhatsApp messages are transmitted over the Internet rather than through carrier networks like SMS and MMS.

What if your address has changed since you received the CP 575 form?

Suppose your address has changed since you received the CP 575 form, which is the form issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to assign an Employer Identification Number (EIN). In that case, updating your address with the IRS is important to ensure they have your current contact information.

To update your address with the IRS, you can follow these steps:

1. Fill out Form 8822, "Change of Address," which is the official form to notify the IRS of your new address. You can obtain this form from the IRS website or by contacting the IRS directly.
2. Provide your updated address information on Form 8822, including your EIN, old address, and new address.
3. Sign and date the form.
4. Mail the completed Form 8822 to the appropriate IRS address as specified in the form's instructions. Make sure to send it to the correct IRS office based on your location and the type of entity you are (e.g., individual, corporation, partnership).

By updating your address with the IRS, you ensure that they have accurate information for your business and can send important correspondence and documents to the correct address.

It's also a good practice to update your address with any other relevant entities, such as your state or local tax authorities, business partners, and service providers, to ensure they have your current contact information.

What is a Trust Score, and how does it affect me?

When you complete the registration of your Brand and Campaign(s) for A2P Messaging through the LC Phone Console, that information is sent from LC Phone to The Campaign Registry (TCR), a 3rd party at the center of this new registration system. LC Phone automatically submits your Brand for secondary vetting, which uses a reputation algorithm to review specific criteria relating to your company and assign a Trust Score to determine your messaging throughput and T-Mobile daily message limits.

How do Trust Scores influence message throughput?

Trust Scores are grouped into three levels, from lowest to highest. Your Trust Score level and Campaign Type will determine the message throughput allocated to your campaign use case.

For details, see Message throughput (MPS) and Trust Scores for A2P 10DLC in the US.