10DLC FAQs

10DLC stands for 10-digit long code. A long code is a standard phone number and a 10DLC is a specific type of long code that US mobile network operators allow for A2P messaging.

A text-enabled landline (TELL) is a 10-digit number you can use for texting and voice. A text-enabled toll-free number (TETFN) is a 10-digit number you can use for text messaging. The TELL, TETFN, and 10DLC numbers are all types of long codes you can use for messaging, but they have different processes and regulations associated with them. 10DLC is the only type of long code now that US operators are approving for A2P messaging.

Yes, because US operators will stop allowing A2P traffic on the P2P network, and T-Mobile indicates they will eventually impose a $10,000 fine if they detect anyone sending messages from long codes and TELLs through grey routes. Long codes will not automatically switch to 10DLC.

Using OpenMarket's Numbers tool you can purchase and set up a brand new 10DLC, or you can contact your account manager if you want to convert a long code you're currently using to 10DLC.

We advise staying with your short code if you:

• Require reliable, high throughput
• Need delivery receipts
• Are using a vanity code that’s easy for your end users to remember

A shared short code is one that’s being used by more than one brand (business) to send messages. With only a few exceptions, you will need to switch to a wholly owned short code or a 10DLC.

Yes a 10DLC number can be voice-enabled. Contact your OpenMarket account manager if you need this capability.

• MMS — Yes
• Keywords — Yes
• Delivery receipts — No, network operators do not return these for messages sourced from 10DLCs
• Voice — Coming soon
• Concatenated (long) messages — Yes
• Branded Messaging — Yes we can enable this on your account
• Encoding — Yes, both Latin1/GSM-7 and USC2 (double-byte, 70 chars)
• Tiny URL whitelisting — Yes as part of our campaign registration process

1. Acquire a 10-digit number. You can either convert one you already own (however, there are limitations) or purchase one or multiple new numbers. The quickest is to buy a new number.
2. Register your brand. This means submitting basic information about your business or organization, such as the legal name and tax identifier. The Campaign Registry (TCR) is the organization that initially verifies your brand and will return a status to our system. The two most common statuses are Verified and Unverified. A Verified brand is automatically allocated throughput or daily message quota by AT&T and T-Mobile, and can submit campaigns. A brand with an Unverified status cannot submit campaigns until the brand is verified.
3. Submit a campaign brief. This means submitting information about the messages you intend to send using the 10DLC. It is the same information that AT&T and T-Mobile have required for short codes for many years.
   
4. Configure your 10DLC number. This involves assigning the number to your messaging application and configuring how you want our system to manage incoming (MO) messages for SMS, MMS, or both.

Our Numbers tool lets you do all four steps. You will need to work with your account manager if you want to convert an existing number to 10DLC.

It can take just minutes to buy a number, register your brand and campaign, and configure the number to use your messaging application. Processing of your brand and campaign outside of OpenMarket is typically efficient, and converting an existing long code to 10DLC will take longer.

Not if you are using either the v3/v4 HTTP API or v3/v4 SMPP. All of these integration methods support 10DLC messaging.

Yes, you can buy one or multiple numbers directly from our self-service tool.

Yes, our web tool lets you select multiple numbers and assign them to a specific campaign. However, it's currently difficult to add numbers after a campaign has been reviewed and approved, so you'll want to associate all of the 10DLCs with your campaign prior to submitting the campaign for approval.

Yes, 10DLC will work on all US operators in Puerto Rico, Guam, and other territories. Note that Verizon is not in Puerto Rico.

Yes, to end users in the US and US Territories.

This is a one-time step in which you provide information about your company or organization, such as legal name, size, type (public, private, or nonprofit), website address, and contact information. Once you submit the information, our system sends it to The Campaign Registry for verification. Verified brands can submit their campaigns tied to that brand and are automatically allocated throughput or daily message quota by some MNOs like AT&T and T-Mobile. If your brand is unverified, you cannot submit any campaigns until your brand is verified.

For more information see How Vetting Works.

The initial verification that happens as part of brand registration is free. If your brand has a Verified status but you're not satisfied with the default throughput allotted by your MNO, you can request vetting, of which there are two types. Standard vetting costs $40 per request and enhanced vetting costs $95. For more information see How Vetting Works.

Once you submit a vetting request through Numbers and it's been processed successfully by a third party, your score will appear in the Vetting Score table on the Brand details page.

US mobile network operators use the term, campaign brief, when referring to a campaign that uses a short code as the source number. A similar term, campaign use case, is used in the industry for a campaign that uses a 10DLC number as the originator. Here at OpenMarket and especially in our self-service tools, we try to avoid using both terms and prefer to simply say, campaign, meaning a specific mobile conversation between you and your customers.

Generally speaking, 10DLC is a good fit if you do not require high throughput (messages per second) and you do not need delivery receipts. Here are some examples:

• Two-factor authentication
• Appointment reminders
• Airline scheduling updates
• Ride-sharing updates

Fo r a complete understanding of the types of campaigns US operators find unacceptable, we encourage you to look through the AT&T A2P Code of Conduct, the T-Mobile Code of Conduct, and the CTIA Short Code Monitoring Handbook. Here are some of the campaign types that will likely not be approved without considerable scrutiny:

• Credit repair
• Debt relief
• Work-from-home and 'secret shopping'
• Loan advertisements
• Lead-generation campaigns that share information with third parties

Yes, you can. However, if you requested additional vetting after having submitted your campaigns, the new score won’t automatically change. You'll need to contact your Account Manager who will in turn contact TCR to request an update. OpenMarket is currently working with TCR on automating this process.

Throughput refers to the number of messages processed per second. If your campaign requires sending a high volume of messages at one time, then you need high throughput.

This has been the source of much confusion. Here's what you need to know:

• Verizon Wireless regards 10DLCs and short codes the same way, which means you shouldn't see a difference between the two in terms of throughput. They will not review your score or campaign brief.
• AT&T reviews the campaign brief to determine your throughput. AT&T has message classes, and depending on which message class you are in, your throughput can range from 0.5 to 200 messages per second. Classes A and B are low-risk use cases, such as 2FA, authentication, and customer care. Classes C and D are medium risk (e.g., marketing and mixed marketing), and E and F are high risk. If your brand is verified and listed with the Russell 3000 Index, you'll be automatically assigned the message class A/B. If your brand is a non-Russell 3000 entity, you'll be automatically assigned the message class E/F. If you are not satisfied with the allotted throughput, request third-party vetting for an improved score.
• T-Mobile and Sprint allot a maximum daily volume of messages to your business based on your brand registration. The range is large, from 2,000 messages a day to 200,000 a day. If your brand is verified and listed with the Russell 3000 Index, you'll be automatically assigned T-Mobile's Top tier (200,000 msg/day). If your brand is a non-Russell 3000 entity, you'll be automatically assigned T-Mobile's Low tier (2,000 msg/day). If you are not satisfied with the allotted throughput, request third-party vetting for an improved score.

If you want to try to get higher throughput, you have a few options:

• You can request vetting to see if you can improve your score.
• You can modify your campaign to ensure it reflects best practices. Feel free to leverage your account manager for ideas.
• Do not send messages that are out of compliance with network operator policies. This can result in termination of your campaign and noncompliance fees.

Spam is generally defined as content the end user has not consented to receive. This includes smishing and spoofing. For more information about spam, see What to Know about Spam Filtering.

Yes. And in addition to being filtered by OpenMarket, messages are subject to filters operated by mobile network operators and other mobile service providers.

If you are using our v3 or v4 Global SMS HTTP or SMP products, you will receive a 607 response code in the delivery receipt if the OpenMarket filter blocks your message. You'll receive a 561 response code if the AT&T spam filter blocks your message.

If you don't believe the messages should have been blocked (i.e., they are false-positive), submit a ticket to OpenMarket Support. They will work with our Spam Operations Team to make a determination. If the messages are judged to be spam, then you need to stop sending them immediately.