Starting August 31, 2023, all A2P messages sent from unregistered ten-digit long code numbers (Local and National numbers) to US numbers will be blocked.

Carriers are becoming increasingly sensitive to spam and AUP enforcement when it comes to SMS and Calls. To keep spamming in check and to protect the end customer (leads/contacts) they have created various regulations & compliance frameworks. 

This article will help explain which compliance you or your client may need and how to get them.

Trust Center Onboarding Overview

Trust Center provides products that can improve customer engagement by increasing throughput and brand recognition. To access the available Trust Center products, please follow the steps below:

1. Click on Settings > Phone numbers > Trust Center

2. Click on Start Registering Now

3. Click on Continue

 Select the Campaign Use Case and enter a description for the same:

List of campaign use case types for A2P 10DLC registration

Maximum 3 tries exhausted

(This example shows a rejection for an account with an EIN)

If you are getting this error "Maximum 3 tries exhausted you will need to contact support and send a copy of your CP575 form.

We will need to make sure the legal business name and number submitted on the business profile matches exactly with the form. Once that's matched but still rejected, This is the only form TCR refers to. NOTE: If you're registering a US entity, please enter the exact legal business name as registered with the EIN, which can be found on the CP 575 EIN Confirmation Letter.

An exact match between the legal business name and the EIN as displayed on CP 575 is required for the Brand to be successfully registered. Please do not use the legal business name found on the W2 or W9 forms as they may be different from what you have on the CP 575 notice. If you've misplaced your CP 575 notice, you may request a 147c letter from the IRS and use the information there for registration.

Please note that your full legal business name may span multiple lines on your CP 575 / 147c letter. If that is the case, you must input all the lines above the address line (which constitutes your full legal business name) instead of just using the first line.

 Once that's done, we will send that form for Brand approval.

Example:

Pricing for A2P Brand and Campaign

• There will be a one-time registration fee of $4.41 

• The one-time camping fees of $16.54 and monthly campaign fees will be around $2.50 to $12 based on the campaign use case.
  
  ***you can view your transactions by going to Settings> Company Billing> View Details***

Please Note: 

At times both the charges (one-time and monthly) will be grouped and you can see a charge as high as $20.95 USD.

Create a Messaging Service and link the Phone Numbers to it

We will automatically create the messaging service and link it to all the phone numbers available in the account once the campaign is approved.

FAQ

What is the pre-requisite for A2P Standard registration?

The prerequisite to A2P registration is to create a business profile providing the EIN and additional business registration information.

Are there any charges associated with the Low Standard brand registration?

Yes, there is a one-time $4.41 USD and a monthly Campaign Fee ($2.50 USD to $12 USD). For most cases, we have seen this to be $2/month.

I am still unsure of what all this means. What do I do?

For now, if you are unsure about how A2P 10DLC compliance works, it will be the best strategy to stop using local & mobile numbers and start using Toll-Free numbers altogether. 

What information would be required from me to move forward with the registration?

You will need a business registration EIN or you can register as a Sole Proprietor. You will need to provide some additional info like address, phone number, email, etc. 
You will need to have a website no matter how you register.

Is messaging to Canada or any other countries also affected by these changes?

No. Canadian mobile carriers may introduce registered A2P 10DLC solutions in the future, but at this time carriers have not announced any plans to do so.

For information about message sending in countries other than the US, we recommend checking out our country-specific SMS Guidelines pages to learn about any unique rules or restrictions in that country.

I have been sending SMS forever, what has changed?

A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) is a messaging framework introduced by the wireless industry in the United States to regulate and improve the delivery of Application-to-Person text messages. It aims to address issues related to spam and unwanted messages on long codes while ensuring legitimate businesses can continue using text messaging for communication with their customers.

Does this apply to only marketing campaigns or does it apply to all SMS?

A2P 10DLC is applicable for all Application-to-Person texting like marketing SMS, reactivation campaigns, appointment reminders, prospecting, billing alerts, 2FA login codes, etc. 

How long do I have to complete the registration?

The deadline to complete your A2P 10DLC registration and get compliant is August 31, 2023. If you signed up after August 31st, you will must complete the registration process before you can send out any messages

How can I become compliant?

Please refer to the following help articles:

•  LC Phone System Trust Center

• A2P 10DLC Brand Approval Best Practices

• A2P 10DLC Campaign Approval Best Practices

What happens if I or my clients can't perform the registration in time?

Unfortunately, your SMS traffic will cease to deliver to AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, ClearSky, etc. if you do not perform the registration. Please note this is not specific to HighLevel or enforced by us. This is done by the carriers and The Campaign Registry.

Is there a cost associated with the A2P 10DLC registration?

Yes, since January 2023 there has been a fee charged by carriers and The Campaign Registry for vetting your brand & campaign applications. You can find the details of the fees associated with A2P 10DLC here.

I don't want to deal with all of this. Is there any alternative?

Yes, while we advise you to become compliant if you wish to continue sending SMS from local & mobile numbers in the USA, you could avoid A2P 10DLC altogether by switching to using Toll-free numbers.

Toll-free numbers also require registration but it is free and less complicated than A2P 10DLC.

Please refer to Toll-Free Number Registration for LC - Phone (US/Canada) to learn how you can switch to toll-free numbers and perform toll-free number registration. This is free and by using this you can avoid dealing with A2P 10DLC registrations and associated costs altogether. 

Additional Info

1. - The opt-in process now requires express written consent with a checkbox. The consent language must include who is sending the messages, message frequency, terms/rates, clear opt-out instructions, and a link to the privacy policy.

2. - Privacy policies cannot indicate that user data will be sold or shared with third parties for marketing purposes. This is a common reason for campaign rejections recently.

3. - Opt-in and opt-out methods should match. If opting in via 10DLC, the opt-out should also use 10DLC.

4. - Unregistered 10DLC traffic is becoming much more expensive and filtered compared to registered traffic. We recommend registering 10DLC campaigns rather than relying on unregistered traffic.

5. - Human review is still required at the carrier level for campaigns. Clear communication of use cases is important for approval.