Lately, some of my clients have been facing difficulties with texting, which was not an issue in the past. This has arisen due to a new compliance standard that has been introduced and is now being enforced.
In June of 2021 the 10DLC (10-digit long code) compliance was established. The enforcement of 10DLC compliance started with a soft enforcement date on June 18, 2024, and full enforcement began on July 10, 2024. As a result, some users have found they can no longer send or receive text messages. This applies to both SMS (Short Messaging Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) text messages. SMS: Limited to text only, with a maximum of 160 characters per message. It is suitable for sending simple text messages, alerts, or notifications. MMS: Allows for multimedia content, including images, videos, audio files, and GIFs, in addition to text. This makes MMS more versatile for sending richer, more engaging messages.
The Campaign Registry (TCR), oversees 10DLC, and functions as the central hub for registering 10DLC messaging campaigns. Major mobile network operators like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon created TCR to combat spam texting and verify the legitimacy of business messaging use cases. It works with carriers, vendors, and industry partners to establish standardized practices for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging. By facilitating campaign registration, TCR provides transparency into the messaging source and content, aiming to enhance the security and trustworthiness of business texting. This process ensures that only authorized messages are sent, reducing spam and increasing customer trust.
Recent issues with 10DLC compliance have primarily revolved around the complexities and delays in the registration process, as well as the enforcement of compliance deadlines:
Registration Delays: Many businesses have faced significant delays in getting their 10DLC campaigns approved. Some users have reported being in a pending status for several months, which has affected their ability to send SMS/MMS messages. This situation is particularly challenging for businesses that rely on timely communication, as their messaging capabilities are paused until approval is granted.
Complexity of Compliance: Navigating the 10DLC registration and compliance process can be complex, especially for small businesses. The requirement to provide detailed business information, secure explicit customer consent, and follow specific content guidelines can be overwhelming. This complexity may disadvantage smaller businesses or delay their marketing initiatives.
Enforcement of Deadlines: Compliance deadlines have been strictly enforced, preventing businesses from sending messages if they are not registered by the specified dates. This has caused frustration among businesses that feel they were not given sufficient notice or support to meet these deadlines.
Impact on Non-Business Entities: Individuals or entities lacking traditional business identifiers, such as an EIN or a website, have encountered difficulties in the registration process, complicating their ability to comply with 10DLC requirements.
These challenges highlight the necessity for businesses to carefully plan and manage their 10DLC registration and compliance processes to avoid disruptions in their messaging capabilities. If your business plans to send text messages, you must register with The Campaign Registry (TCR), which oversees 10-digit long code (10DLC) messaging.
Registration with TCR is mandatory for businesses, whether the messages are part of a campaign or individual text, using A2P 10DLC to communicate with customers, requiring adherence to guidelines set by regulatory authorities. TCR's goal is to protect consumers from spam by serving as a centralized database that regulates SMS messaging. This registration helps mobile carriers identify legitimate senders and filter out potential spam messages by ensuring that only authorized and registered campaigns can send messages, While TCR helps regulate and reduce spam, it does not directly filter or block messages, relying instead on registration and compliance to maintain message integrity.
The costs associated with The Campaign Registry (TCR) registration include several fees related to brand and campaign registration:
Brand Registration Fees:
A one-time brand registration fee of $4 is required for registering your business with TCR.
A brand reverify fee of $4 is charged if there is a need to resubmit due to discrepancies or missing details.
A brand identity status appeal fee of $10 is applied for manual review if the brand registration is not verified initially.
Campaign Registration Fees:
A one-time campaign vetting fee of $15 is charged for each submission of a messaging campaign.
Monthly campaign fees vary depending on SMS usage:
Low volume campaigns (less than 15,000 messages per month) incur a monthly fee of $1.50, with a minimum three-month commitment.
Standard campaigns (more than 15,000 messages per month) have a monthly fee of $10, also with a minimum three-month commitment.
·An unregistered campaign fee of $25 may be charged if phone numbers are not registered within a specified period.
These fees are intended to cover the costs of managing registrations and ensuring compliance with mobile carriers' regulations.
To register with The Campaign Registry (TCR), you need to provide detailed information about your business and the messaging campaigns you intend to run. Here is a list of the required information:
Brand Information
Legal Company Name: The official name of your business.
Doing Business As (DBA) or Brand Name: If applicable, the name under which you operate.
Country of Registration: The country where your business is registered.
Type of Entity: Specify if your business is publicly traded, private, nonprofit, or government.
Tax ID Number/EIN: Your business's tax identification number.
Company Address: The physical address of your business.
Business Website: Your company's website URL.
Stock Symbol and Exchange: If your company is publicly traded, provide this information.
Vertical/Industry: The industry in which your business operates.
Company Size: The size of your business in terms of employees or revenue.
Support Email and Phone Number: Contact information for customer support.
Campaign Information
Campaign Description: Detailed information about the messaging campaign, including the use case and message content.
Opt-In Process: A description of how you obtain consent from recipients to send them messages. This includes detailing the opt-in method and providing samples of the messages to be sent.
Call-To-Action: As of October 2022, a description of the opt-in process, requiring a minimum of 40 characters, must be included.
Providing accurate and complete information will help ensure a smooth registration process and compliance with mobile carrier regulations.
If you are continuing to struggle with the issues, reach to your phone provider and see what they may be able to do to assist you, although most providers are equally frustrated by the whole process and have little or no control over expediting your application. If you have further questions about this program feel free to reach out to Genesis Business Advisors at info@GenesisBusinessAdvisors.com.
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