Introduction

US carriers are implementing new requirements for A2P (application to person) messaging using 10 Digits Long Codes, also known as 10 DLC. This standard provides many benefits to our customers, including supporting higher messaging speeds and better deliverability.

The regulation is required for anyone using an application or API to send SMS or MMS traffic from a US/CA number (+1 country code LVN) into the US network. The per-requisite of 10DLC compliance is that organizations register a Brand and the appropriate Campaigns for their messaging use cases in order to get the approvals and appropriate throughputs to enable their businesses.

Before You Begin

Before creating any Campaign, make sure that your Brand has been properly vetted:

Standard brands

• If you plan to use only Low Volume mixed campaigns, no vetting is required
• If you plan to create political campaigns, a political vetting may be required
• For all other campaigns, a standard vetting is required

Sole Proprietor brands

• Sole Proprietor brands can only create Sole Proprietor campaigns
  • A Sole Proprietor brand can only a one active campaign at a time
  • Sole Proprietor brands and campaigns are not compatible with external vets

Note the following information related to campaigns:

• Messages sent through 10DLC campaigns must adhere to the use case of that campaign
• Resellers are required to create Brands & Campaigns for each of their customers*
• Numbers cannot be shared across brands or campaigns (shared short-codes are deprecated)
• Campaigns created on TCR platform can be shared with Vonage and imported (via a ticket)

* Some of your customers may already have an existing Brand. If so, they can create a Campaign for your services & share that campaign with Vonage CSP from the TCR platform. Then open a support ticket to import the campaign.

Campaigns Overview

Campaigns allow carriers to determine the purpose of the messages originating from the numbers assigned to that campaign. Campaigns have a minimum duration of three months. They do not expire until cancelled, and are billed monthly after the first three months. The TCR does not allow for refunds, so when cancelling a campaign, we will keep it active until the end of the period already paid. Campaign applications are sent to all US carriers for approval. Once they have all approved the campaign (which can take up to 7 days), you can link numbers to the campaign.

Campaigns contain information such as:

• Campaign name (label) & description
• Use case
• Throughput qualifications agreed for each carrier
• Sample messages (used by carriers to check adherence to the use case)
• Subscribers opt-in/out records (requirement of 10DLC for most campaigns)
• Number(s) linked to the campaign
• Other features (age gate, number pooling, links—requires vetting, controlled content)

Campaign Types

• Standard Campaigns: Basic use cases that usually do not require additional review.
• Special Campaigns: Some of these use cases require pre/post MNO approval*. Some use cases require pre-approval from Vonage (ie. Social Media). Requirements for special campaigns differ from use case to use case and registration may require more time.

* MNO: Mobile Network Operator

Vetting and Approval Requirements

• All campaigns require a standard vetting except Low Volume mixed and Sole Proprietor
• Agents & Franchises campaigns require Post campaign registration with AT&T
• Carrier Exemptions campaigns require Post campaign registration with AT&T
• Charity campaigns require the brand to be registered as a Non-Profit entity
• Conversational Messaging campaigns require Post campaign registration with AT&T
• Emergency campaigns require Post campaign registration with AT&T
• Political campaigns require a Non-Profit brand. A political vetting will be required, depending on the status of the brand.
• Political campaigns also require Post campaign registration with T-Mobile
• Social campaigns require a Pre approval with Vonage and a Post campaign registration with AT&T
• Sweepstakes campaigns require a Post campaign registration with AT&T and T-Mobile
• Government campaigns are exclusively reserved for US-based governmental agencies

Requirements for all campaigns

All 10DLC campaigns are required to provide the following information:

• The 10DLC brand ID owning that campaign
• An approved use-case (the brand must qualify to create campaigns of this use-case)
• Sample messages (minimum 20 characters per sample)
• A description of the campaign (40 characters minimum)
• Agreement to the 10DLC "Terms and Conditions" - Coming soon
• If more than 2 phone number linked to the campaign -> Number Pool options is true
• Message Flow (aka. Call-to-action - minimum 40 characters) - Required soon
  This is a description of how the recipients agreed to receive messages for this campaign
• Subscriber Opt-In
• Subscriber Opt-In Keywords & Message (only if opt-in via messages) - Required soon
• Subscriber Opt-Out
• Subscriber Opt-Out Keywords - Required soon
• Subscriber Opt-Out Message (minimum 20 character) - Required soon
• Subscriber Help
• Subscriber Help Keywords - Required soon
• Subscriber Help Message (minimum 20 character) - Required soon

For more details on Campaign requirements, please check our latest update here.

Subscriber Information and Message Content

Each campaign registered for 10DLC requires a full Brand and Campaign use case analysis in order to determine registration approval. There may be additional data and message content types that will require additional approvals, like embedded links within the message content. Subscriber management is another key area which will see more requirements from carriers.

Registering a Campaign

• Log onto our dashboard
• Make sure that your brand has the appropriate vetting status
• Select the Use Case

There are two main categories:

Standard: Covers most use cases and content types.

Special: More complex or unusual use cases and requirements such as political, emergency traffic, and trial accounts.

The definitions are clear, however there are some that most likely need a little more explanation:

Standard - Mixed: It would be easier to create only “Mixed” campaigns. This may be seen as avoidance of following guidelines of specifying traffic so this use case should be used with caution.

Standard - Low Volume Mixed: This use case is for small or high risk businesses. No vetting is required for this use case. Vetting cannot increase the throughputs agreed for this use case.

Special - Large CSP Trial: Only relates to a Service Provider such as Vonage. If there is a valid case for one of our customers such as if they are a trading customer this could be selected.

Special - Conversational Messaging (Proxy): It’s important to note with 10 DLC carriers are seeing any communications from a business to a subscriber to is not traditional P2P and must be registered for 10 DLC.

Special - Charity: Note that this may only be available to a “not for profit“ brand entity type.

Special - Political: This use case may require a political vet. Sole proprietor brands can create political campaigns, but the political vets available to them are restricted to "tribal", "local" and "state" level vets.

Special - Sole Proprietor: This use case was created at a later stage to accommodate single individuals without EIN / Tax ID. Sole Proprietors are not allowed to apply for standard vetting or throughput limits increase. SP is limited to a single brand & campaign, linking maximum 1 number with a very low throughput.

After selecting the use case, the right price will be populated on the top of the page. Click Done to move to the next step.

• Carrier Qualification

On this step you can see if the campaign is qualified by the carriers and the throughput provided for each of them.

Click Done to move to the next step.

• Campaign Details

You can set a name for the campaign together with the use case description.

Click Done to move to the next step.

• Message Samples

Approval and delivery through the MNO can be dependent on whether the submitted content during campaign registration matches the content that is actually sent which why messages samples are required.

Minimum Number of Use Cases - Minimum number of message examples for approval

Maximum Number of Use Cases - Maximum number of message examples for approval

Please do not use templated messages in this field as it can cause rejection from carriers.

Click Done to move to the next step.

• Providing Subscriber and Message Information

One of the components of 10 DLC is having clearer management of subscriber information and participation. Mobile Network Operators (MNO) may need to review values submitted and The Campaign Registry API may return responses defining what is required and what must not be used based on brand and campaign.

• Subscriber Approval and Help

The following items may be required for approval.

Message Flow:

Description of the process by which subscribers enrolled to receive messages from the campaign

Subscriber Opt-in (incl. keywords and Message if appicable):
Record that the subscriber has opted into the receiving the messages

Subscriber Opt-out (including keywords and message):
Does the subscriber have the ability to opt-out of receiving messages through keywords

Subscriber Help (including keywords and message):
Is there a 'help' mechanism through MO help key words such as 'HELP', 'INFO'

Terms and Conditions: - Coming Soon

The customer has read and agrees with the 10DLC Terms and Conditions

• Message Content

The following content could determine if a campaign is approved.

Age Gated: Is message content age gated?

Direct Lending: Do the messages contain any direct lending or loan arrangement content?

Embedded Link: Is there a call-to-action link/URL to be embedded in all messages sent?

Embedded Phone: Is there a call-to-action phone number to be embedded in all messages?

• Number Management

Required to determined if a campaign can be misused.

Number Pool: If you plan to link more than 49 numbers to a single 10DLC Campaign, it needs to be specified as using a Pool as this can be seen as trying to snowshoe. Please make sure the "Number Pool" option is ticked in, and contact your Account Manager or open a support ticket providing the information required. More details on this here.

Click Done to complete the last step and then click Review details to review all the submitted details and make sure they are correct before registering the campaign.

Click Register and pay to register your campaign.