What is 10DLC?


10DLC stands for "10 digit long code," or the phone numbers that ThruText uses to send personalized messages to individual people. "10DLC" is being used as shorthand for a new system that wireless carriers (like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) are implementing to protect the SMS and MMS channels from spam and junk messaging for their US-based customers. Overall, we support the goals of the 10DLC system, which are to register, verify, and track organizations and their texts to ensure that high-quality messages reach their intended recipients. Note that the carriers are each approaching 10DLC differently, which means that some compliance steps may be required to deliver messages to one carrier but not another.


Who are The Campaign Registry and Campaign Verify?

  • The Campaign Registry (TCR) is the information hub that allows the registration of 10DLC messaging campaigns. They work with carriers, vendors, and industry partners to establish common standards for A2P 10DLC messaging. This is the organization that is administering 10DLC.
  • Campaign Verify is the 10DLC vetting partner responsible for verifying political campaigns, PACs, and parties (527 organizations). If you are one of these three organizations, you must register with Campaign Verify separately to send messages to some carriers.


How is GetThru approaching 10DLC?

We are an official "Campaign Service Provider" with The Campaign Registry, which means that we can help our customers comply with the new 10DLC system so that you can continue texting with confidence. GetThru manages the fees for applying for Brand Registration and Use Cases on our client's behalf. Our goal is to minimize the burden of 10DLC compliance by making it as easy as possible to enter the necessary information inside ThruText. Once you do, we will pass that information along to TCR and, in turn, to the wireless carriers. 


What do ThruText clients need to do?

  • All ThruText accounts need an Account Owner to complete Brand Registration. We've created a user permission role in GetThru called "Account Owner." Account Owners must enter information into our Brand & Use Case Registration page. This short form will provide TCR with basic information about your organization, like your organization's legal name and Employer Identification Number (EIN).
  • Some ThruText accounts will need a Campaign Verify Token. If your organization is a 527 non-profit (a political campaign, PAC, or political party), you will need to register with Campaign Verify. Once registered, you will receive Campaign Verify (CV) token, which you will add to your ThruText account on the same page as Brand Registration before registering for the "Political" use case.
  • All ThruText accounts must register a Use Case. You will also need to establish which use case you will use for your ThruText account. Use Cases are the 10DLC term for general types of texting campaigns, like "Charity," "Higher Education," or "Political." Any Admin can fill out the Use Cases form, and we recommend applying for "Charity" or "Political" if your organization can. After applying for a use case, it is sent to Manual Vetting. 
  • All new use case registrations must pass Manual Vetting. As part of the use case registration process, a third-party vetting team reviews your organization's website. They look to ensure that your organization's website contains a mechanism where a user can opt-in to receive text messages as well as a privacy policy that describes how your organization collects, uses, and shares personal information. This process is estimated to take 1-8 business days, so we recommend building that into your timeline for outreach. Take our quiz to find out if your website meets the requirements for manual vetting.
  • A small number of high-volume ThruText accounts may require a Special Business Review. T-Mobile has additional compliance measures for high-volume texters to receive an exemption from their daily message limits. If you believe you may need a Special Business Review due to the high number of texts you plan to send (over 250k in one day), please get in touch with [email protected].
  • See this page if your organization is outside of the United States.


Applying Use Cases to ThruText campaigns

Once you complete Brand Registration and register your Use Case, you must apply the appropriate use case to each ThruText campaign you launch.


What about 10DLC and opt-ins?

For more on this topic, visit this support article.