10DLC Registration Best Practice and Guide

10DLC Registration Best Practice and Guide

10DLC Registration Overview

What is 10DLC?

10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code, a type of phone number used in the U.S. for sending Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS and MMS messages. It’s a standard 10-digit number (like a local phone number), but it’s registered and approved for higher-volume business messaging.

Why 10DLC Registration is Required

Due to regulations from U.S. mobile carriers (e.g., AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile), all businesses that send A2P messages via 10DLC must register:

  • To prevent spam and protect consumers

  • To ensure higher deliverability of messages

  • To avoid carrier filtering or penalties

And registration does have its rewards: Stats show that a verified business is considered safer and more trustworthy by consumers, which increases their likelihood to buy by nearly 30%.

Notes
Note: 10DLC Registration is not limited to marketing campaigns only. All businesses or organizations that are using software to SMS mobile phones are required to submit their A2P Campaign.
Warning
Please be aware that outbound texting is restricted until your 10DLC Campaign receives approval. For more information, please send an email to info@yakchat.com or you may refer to this article Outbound SMS Disabled for Unregistered 10DLC.

Brand Registration Best Practices

  1. Remember the brand is the message sender - the EIN and company information should reflect the message sender, not necessarily you as the reseller.
  2. Website - some online presence is necessary here; social media presence is acceptable. Opt-in and opt-out information should be displayed clearly and conspicuously on the website.
  3. Phone number and email - these should use the brand's domain, and the phone number should be found on the company website/social media page.
  4. Must meet the other requirements set forth by TCR to be at least a Verified Brand.
  5. External Vetting is only required if you need to obtain higher throughput than your brand currently allows
  6. We'll be unable to support consumer information sharing with third parties.

Campaign Registration Best Practices


The answer to each field in the 10DLC form is important because content attributes need to be correct while setting up your campaign. These fields cannot be changed, so a brand-new campaign will have to be submitted. Any incorrect entries on the form will result to delay in Campaign Approval. To guide you on what to enter in each field, please click on each section below.

10DLC Form Submission Guide

Click on each form field to know more information and see examples 

Use Case Desciption

Use Case Description

Must be able to tell the intended purpose of the overall messages. Your description
should answer the questions:
  1. Who you are
  2. Who do you want to reach
  3. Why you are sending out messages to
  4. Message Frequency sent to all contacts (ie 10/day, 50/week, 100/week or message frequency may vary)
Good Examples  
Example 1: "Joey Car Dealership, based in New Jersey, sells new and used cars at the retail level. Messages are sent to customers of the dealership's service center for appointment reminders, repair updates, satisfaction follow-ups and online bill payments. Message frequency may vary."

Example 2: "YakChat Ltd provides secure, enterprise-grade messaging solutions that enable organizations to send and receive SMS and MMS messages directly within Microsoft Teams and other unified communication platforms. Messages are aimed at clients in sectors such as healthcare, education, local government, and enterprise support for SMS sales and marketing. Message frequency is 100/week."

Standard 10DLC Use Cases

1. Customer Care / Customer Support

  • Two-way conversations for support, troubleshooting, or responding to customer inquiries.

  • E.g. “Thanks for contacting support! How can we help you today?”

2. Account Notifications

  • Notifications related to a user’s account (balance updates, password resets, fraud alerts).

  • E.g. “Your account password was changed. Reply HELP for support.”

3. Delivery Notifications

  • Alerts about shipping, order status, or delivery times.

  • E.g. “Your package is out for delivery today.”

4. Fraud Alerts / Suspicious Activity

  • Notifications warning customers about potential fraud.

  • E.g. “Suspicious login detected. Reply YES if this was you.”

5. 2FA / OTP (One-Time Passcode)

  • Sending security codes for login or transaction verification.

  • E.g. “Your verification code is 482917.”

6. Marketing / Promotional

  • Promotional offers, coupons, or sales campaigns.

  • E.g. “Save 20% on your next purchase. Reply STOP to opt out.”

7. Higher Education

  • Messaging from universities, colleges, or educational institutions.

  • E.g. “Class registration opens next week.”

8. Polling / Voting

  • Surveys, polling, and non-political voting.

  • E.g. “How would you rate our service? Reply 1-5.”

9. Public Service Announcements

  • Informational messages for public interest, not marketing.

  • E.g. “Severe weather alert in your area.”

10. Charity / Non-Profit

  • Messaging for registered charitable organizations.

  • E.g. “Thank you for supporting our food drive.”

11. Political

  • Messages from political candidates or organizations (requires special vetting).

  • E.g. “Vote for [Candidate]! Learn more at our website.”

12. Emergency Services

  • Urgent alerts impacting health or safety.

  • E.g. “Evacuate immediately due to wildfire in your area.”

13. Sweepstakes / Contests

  • Promoting contests or giveaways.

  • E.g. “Enter to win a free iPad! Reply YES to join.”

14. Security Alerts

  • Notifications about system or account security issues.

  • E.g. “New device logged into your account.”

Call to action/message flow (Opt In Consent)

As of November 17, 2022, you're required to provide a clear, concise, and conspicuous description of how an end user signs up to receive messages. Opt-in must be 1 to 1, can't be shared with third parties, and can't be implied. It also can't be obscured within the Terms & Conditions and/or other agreement(s). 

10DLC compliance is about consent, not forced collection. Under 10DLC rules (and broader telecom compliance), the key is that users freely consent to receive SMS messages.

Forcing people to provide a phone number can be seen as conditioning a service on providing consent, which might violate privacy laws (like TCPA in the US) if it’s not truly optional. It is the message flow that vetting is looking for (which is the phone number field not mandatory and the opt in language with a tick box whether they enter their phone number or not.

Examples of how to get users to opt in:
Call To Action/Message Flow: Opt In Guidelines
  • Entering a phone number through a website
    • Example: Customers opt-in by visiting www.examplewebsite.com and adding their phone number. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from the example brand. The phone number field must not be required. It is a form of a force opt in when it is mandatory to enter their phone number.
    • Note: If using a website to collect opt-in, please provide a direct link to the submission form in the CTA/Message Flow field. If this is missing, the campaign will be rejected.
  • Clicking a button on a mobile webpage
    • Note: Please provide a website link in the CTA/Message Flow field if this is where the opt-in is being collected.
  • Sending a message from the consumer’s mobile device that contains an advertising keyword
    • Example: Consumers opt-in by texting START to (111) 222-3333.
    • Important: You will need to explain how the consumer/recipient is informed to text the keyword/initiate the text messaging conversation. Acceptable explanations of how the consumer is informed include:
      • a link to a webpage where the keyword opt-in is advertised
      • an attached screenshot of the keyword opt-in advertisement
  • Signing up at a point of sale (POS) or another message sender on-site location
    • If the opt-in is collected verbally, you must provide a copy of the opt-in script read to the consumer
  • Opting in over the phone using interactive voice response (IVR) technology



Call To Action: Opt In Collected Methods
Example
Website/Online opt-in
"By submitting this form and signing up for texts, you consent to receive marketing text messages (e.g. promos, cart reminders) from [Company Name] at the number provided, including messages sent by autodialer. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency may vary. Unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP or clicking the unsubscribe link (where available). Reply HELP for help. Privacy Policy [link] & Terms [link]."



Keyword Opt-in

"By texting START to [phone number], you consent to receive marketing text messages from [Company Name]. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency may vary. Unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP or clicking the unsubscribe link (where available). Reply HELP for help. Privacy Policy [link] & Terms [link]."


Verbal opt-in
"[Company name] will be collecting opt-in verbally from their customers. The customers will be able to opt in to receive messages either in person at their physical location, or over a phone call if the customer calls. When a customer is registered for the first time, they are asked to provide the phone number, and staff is trained to ask If the customer would like to opt in to SMS-based billing notifications. They will be verbally informed that "Message and data rates may apply", "Message frequency may vary", and they can "text HELP for support or more information and STOP to unsubscribe at any time."

They will also be informed that their phone number will not be shared with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes. Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions links are required.

SMS Text Confirmation sent to contact after the verbal opt in:

[Dave - YakChat] Hey, [Andrew]! We spoke on the phone recently and you indicated you’d like to receive SMS messages from 4253850385. Message and data rates may apply. To opt out, reply STOP. For help, reply HELP. You may view our Terms and Privacy Policy.
Consumer-Initiated Messaging

Initiating the text message exchange in which the message sender replies to the consumer only with responsive information. (please explain how the end user finds the number (and/or keyword) to initiate the text message exchange and give opt-in. Is it posted somewhere? A poster? A website? A business card that tells the end user they can text them)

Representative: "By starting a text conversation with [Company Name] by texting [phone number] you are agreeing to receive [use case/s] from [Company Name]. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency may vary. Unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP or clicking the unsubscribe link (where available). Reply HELP for help. Privacy Policy [link] & Terms [link]."


Paper Form
An in-store visitor completes a physical form that collects their phone number and their consent to subscribe to your texting campaign.




Sample messages
You must display messages that are unique and provide examples of content you may send so we can tell what the interaction may look like. The sample messages should align with the overall campaign description. We would ideally want to see the identification of who is sending the message (a brand name or sender name), meaning it shouldn’t be a generic description along with generic sample messages where the use case can’t be determined without additional research. Please make sure at least one sample message has Opt-Out language.

Good Example  
Bad Example 
Hello John Doe, this is a reminder about your appointment with John’s Car Dealership on April 2nd, 2021, at 10:00 AM. Please reply YES to confirm your attendance or NO if you are not able to make it. Let us know when you would like to reschedule your appointment. Thank you!
Thanks for leaving a rating on Google Business. We would like to learn more about your experience. I will contact you soon..

Good evening, Church family, we are having an in-person worship service tomorrow at 10:30 am. We will also be streaming the service over Facebook Live for those unable to attend. Reminder: tomorrow is the day to bring the donation boxes.
I received your question. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Hi (First Name)! This is Ramiro with YakChat. We’d love to invite you to visit our booth at the upcoming Conference, which is taking place virtually and in person from Nov 9-13! Tickets are available now. There will be panels relating to voice, messaging, and 911! Register at www.yakchat.com. Will we see you at the conference this year?
There’s a little favor I would like you to help me with, please.

Reminder from Dr. Smiles, DDS, Hi Jim, we look forward to seeing you at 3:00 pm tomorrow for your cleaning. Reply OPTIONS for Notification Options, or STOP to disable SMS notifications.
**Leaving the Sample message blank**
Visit https://brandedurl.com/optout/ for options or reply with STOP to disable SMS notifications.


Opt-out message
Good Example  
Bad Example 


"[Insert Business Name:] You have an appointment for Tuesday at 3:00 PM, reply YES to confirm, NO to reschedule. Reply STOP to
unsubscribe."


Notes
Note: Acceptable opt-out language is End, stop, unsubscribe, and Arret (French) must be
separated by spaces.

Luke's Pizza: Use discount code CHEESE for 10% off of your online order. Stop2End

Notes
Note: Unacceptable opt-out language: Stop2End

Warning
Why is it bad? There must be spaces separating each word and the word "reply" should be included before the stop keyword (ex, Reply stop to end).
Privacy Policy

All message senders must have an acceptable Privacy Policy when registering 10DLC campaigns. The most important aspect of the Privacy Policy mandates clearly describing how consumer data will be used and shared (if applicable), and how consumers can contact the message sender. A compliant Privacy Policy for 10DLC messaging should include the points below to help ensure that campaign registration and vetting are successful.

Please also ensure you are linking to your privacy policy and terms and conditions in the Campaign Details section when registering your campaign. This will allow for quicker location of these items resulting in a more streamlined vetting process. 

Privacy Policies are reviewed during vetting to ensure consumer data isn't transferred among various organizations. To successfully address these requirements, we recommend adopting and including a process in the Privacy Policy that demonstrates senders will refrain from sharing information consumer data.

Required Language
 SMS Policy

Mobile information will not be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
In the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, the term “third party” is defined as any entity that is not the sender (brand or message originator) or their direct service providers necessary to operate the messaging campaign, such as messaging platforms, aggregators, or carriers. To clarify: 
​
A third party is any external organization that does not play a direct role in managing, operating, or facilitating the SMS/MMS messaging campaign, nor do they have a necessary function in message delivery.
All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent;
→ Any information about whether you agreed to receive text messages (opt-in data) is not included in the data that might be shared.
Terms & Conditions

All message senders must have compliant Terms & Conditions made available to their consumers/recipients. This document must be provided as a part of the campaign registration. Often, the Terms & Conditions are found on a brand's website. If the brand does not have a website, you can attach a hard copy as a PDF in the campaign registration.

The Terms & Conditions page must contain the following details:

  • Types of messages the consumer can expect to receive
  • Message frequency disclosure
  • "Message and data rates may apply" disclosure
  • Customer care contact information (Text HELP for help, contact [support email address] for support, etc.)
  • Opt-out information (Text STOP to cancel)

Required Language 

"Messaging Terms & Conditions

You agree to receive [your use case/s] (e.g. appointment reminders, account notifications, etc.) from [Brand/Company Name]. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. For help, reply HELP or email us at [support email address]. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP."



Prohibited SHAFT-C content

The following types of content are not allowed on 10DLC: Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco (cannabis, CBD, etc.)
Notes
Note: This content is not allowed to be on the customer's website at all.
Info
Example: If a chiropractor's office has CDB Oils on its website, this is prohibited, and the campaign will be denied, even if not directly related to CBD marketing.

Common Rejection Reasons

  • Call to Action (CTA)
  • Opt-out message
  • SHAFT-C content
  • Lack of a website or online presence
  • Non-compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines
  • Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions
  • Campaign and Content attributes
  • Sole Proprietor campaign
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Additional Information

How to submit the 10DLC registration?

You may submit your 10DLC registration through this link YakChat 10DLC Registration Form

How long does 10DLC registration take?

Once you've completed submitting the form, we'll submit it for review via our SMS provider. For more information, please refer to this link: The 10DLC vetting process


Additional Articles

  1. Two-factor authentication (2FA) process for 10DLC Registration
  2. 10DLC Registration: What You Must Do and (Crucially), How You Do it