A2P 10DLC Registration

Everything you need to know about SMS compliance — before we send your first review request.

What Is A2P and Why Does It Matter?

A2P stands for Application-to-Person messaging. In plain English — it means your business is sending automated text messages to customers. The US government, through The Campaign Registry (TCR), now requires every business doing this to register before a single text can go out.

Is it another government compliance requirement? Yes. Is it annoying? Absolutely. Is it required? Without exception. Carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon will block your messages entirely if you skip this step.

This is not optional. Unregistered SMS messages get blocked by carriers automatically — meaning your review requests never reach your customers.

What Type of Registration Do You Need?

There are two registration paths depending on your business structure. We determine which one applies to you during onboarding.

Sole Proprietor — No EIN / One Employee

• One-time fee: $23.95 · Monthly fee: $2.00/mo
• Daily limit: 3,000 messages
• One phone number only · No Tax ID required
• Must have a US or Canadian address. Not eligible if you have an EIN or 2+ employees.

Low Volume Standard — Has EIN / Under 6,000/day (Most Common)

• One-time fee: $23.95 · Monthly fee: $1.50/mo
• Daily limit: 6,000 messages
• Multiple numbers permitted · EIN required
• Best option for most small businesses with a Tax ID.

High Volume Standard — Has EIN / Over 6,000/day

• One-time fee: $27.95+ · Monthly fee: $10.00/mo
• Daily limit: Unlimited
• Multiple numbers permitted · EIN required
• For high volume senders only. Most local businesses never need this tier.

Per-Message Carrier Fees

In addition to registration fees, carriers charge a small fee for every message sent. These are pass-through costs billed at cost — we do not mark these up.

• AT&T — $0.003 per SMS
• T-Mobile — $0.003 per SMS
• Verizon — $0.003 per SMS
• US Cellular — $0.01 per SMS

* All fees current as of August 1, 2025. Carrier fees are subject to change. Phone usage rates apply separately.

What Your Website Must Have Before We Can Submit

Hard Stop: A2P registration requires a fully live, functional website. No placeholder pages. No "coming soon" pages. No standalone form links. Carriers review your actual website as part of the approval process.

This is one of the most common reasons businesses get rejected. Your website must be live and complete before we submit anything.

1. Live Homepage — Clearly explains your services. Business name consistent throughout.
2. Contact Page with Compliant Form — Must use your full website URL — not a standalone form link. Phone number field must be OPTIONAL, not required. Two separate SMS consent checkboxes — both unchecked by default.
3. Terms of Service Page — Must mention SMS messaging, opt-out instructions, and carrier liability disclaimer. Must be publicly accessible — no login required.
4. Privacy Policy Page — Must state that no mobile information is shared with third parties for marketing. Must mention SMS data collection and opt-in consent records. Must be publicly accessible — no login required.

Don't have a website yet? We build carrier-compliant websites for local service businesses — including a Privacy Policy and Terms of Service with all required SMS compliance language already written in. Ready to submit on day one. Learn More →

Your Contact Form Must Be Compliant

Carriers review your opt-in form as part of the approval process. The form must meet exact requirements or your campaign will be rejected.

1. Two Separate Checkboxes Required — Checkbox 1 (Non-Marketing): for appointment reminders, service updates, and scheduling. Checkbox 2 (Marketing): for promotional messages and special offers.
2. Both Checkboxes Unchecked by Default — Users must actively choose to opt in. Pre-checked boxes will get your campaign rejected.
3. Phone Number Field = Optional — Users must be able to submit the form without a phone number. Required phone fields = rejection.
4. Explicit Consent Language — Each checkbox must include "Message types include:" followed by a specific list of message types, plus STOP/HELP instructions and message & data rates disclosure.
5. Opt-In Confirmation Message — After form submission, users must receive a confirmation SMS under 320 characters that matches the carrier-approved format.

Terms of Service & Privacy Policy Requirements

Terms of Service Must Include:

• Program name and description
• STOP opt-out instructions
• How to rejoin after opting out
• HELP support instructions
• Carrier liability disclaimer
• Message and data rates disclosure
• Link to your Privacy Policy
• Legal compliance statement

Privacy Policy Must Include:

• No mobile data shared with third parties for marketing
• SMS opt-in data never shared with any third parties
• Text messaging originator opt-in data kept confidential
• How to opt out of SMS
• Carrier information
• TCPA compliance statement

We provide carrier-approved template language for both your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service as part of onboarding.

These templates are provided as a starting framework only and are not legal advice. We strongly recommend having your own attorney review all documents before publishing to ensure compliance with applicable law and the specific needs of your business.

T-Mobile Violation Fines

T-Mobile enforces strict content policies on all SMS traffic. Violations result in immediate message blocking and fines that are passed through to the sender. These are not our fines — they come directly from T-Mobile.

• $2,000 — Tier 1: Phishing, smishing, or social engineering content
• $1,000 — Tier 2: Illegal content (must be legal in all 50 states)
• $500 — Tier 3: SHAFT violations — sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco content

We only send compliant review request and service notification messages. As long as you're using our system as designed, none of these apply to you.

Timeline Expectations

A2P registration is not instant. Plan for this timeline before your first review request goes out.

1. Brand Registration Submitted — We submit on your onboarding call. Approval: 1–7 business days.
2. Campaign Registration Submitted — Submitted after Brand is approved. Approval: 4–5 business days per review. Resubmissions are FREE if rejected.
3. Carrier Propagation — After approval, carriers need up to 3 business days to update. Some messages may show errors during this window — this is normal.
4. SMS Goes Live — Total timeline: approximately 2–4 weeks from onboarding call. We monitor the entire process and keep you updated.

From our own experience submitting A2P registrations — plan for 3–4 weeks and budget for at least one resubmission. The good news: resubmissions are completely free.

How We Handle Registration For You

You never touch the registration portal. We handle everything — you just provide the information we need.

1. Onboarding Call (15 minutes) — We collect your business details and EIN or SSN live on the call. Nothing sensitive is stored in any form or document.
2. We Set Up Your Dedicated Account — Your business gets its own dedicated, secure account — completely separate from all other clients.
3. We Submit Registration — Brand registration and Campaign registration submitted on your behalf. We monitor approval status daily.
4. We Go Live — Once approved and carriers have propagated, your first review request goes out. You start building your reputation.

A2P Registration Costs Summary

All registration and carrier fees are pass-through costs billed at cost. We do not mark these up.

* Fees current as of August 1, 2025. Subject to change by carriers and TCR. Phone usage rates apply separately. All fees billed at cost — zero markup.

Ready to Get Registered?

We handle the entire A2P process for you. Book a free audit and we'll walk you through exactly what your business needs to get compliant and start sending.

Book a Free Audit →