If your appointment reminders or promo texts suddenly stop arriving, A2P 10DLC is usually why. It’s the US carriers’ system for vetting business texting, and since unregistered traffic is now filtered or blocked, every small business that texts customers from a software platform needs to go through it. Here is the process without the jargon.
What A2P 10DLC is
- A2P — application-to-person: texts sent by software (a CRM, booking tool, marketing platform), not typed one by one on a phone.
- 10DLC — a standard 10-digit long code, i.e. a regular local phone number.
Registration tells the carriers who you are and what you’ll send, through a central registry (The Campaign Registry). In exchange, your messages are trusted and delivered.
Why registration matters
- Unregistered business traffic is filtered or blocked by US carriers.
- Registered senders get better deliverability and higher throughput.
- It forces a clean consent process — which also protects you under the TCPA.
Step 1: register your brand
Your messaging provider submits your business details. Have these ready, exactly as on official records:
- legal business name and EIN (as they appear with the IRS),
- business address, website and industry,
- a contact person with email and phone.
Sole proprietors without an EIN have a separate, more limited registration path.
Step 2: register your campaign
A campaign describes one kind of messaging. You’ll provide:
- the use case — e.g. customer care, account notifications, marketing, or mixed;
- a description of what you send and why;
- two or more sample messages, written exactly as you’ll send them, with your business name;
- how people opt in — the web form, checkbox wording, or keyword — with a link or screenshot;
- your opt-out and help responses.
Why campaigns get rejected
- Opt-in isn’t visible or is bundled into general terms.
- Sample messages don’t name the business or don’t match the use case.
- The website is missing, under construction, or has no privacy policy.
- Business name or EIN doesn’t match official records.
- Content falls into restricted categories without the right approvals.
Opt-in, STOP and HELP
- Collect consent clearly: say what they’ll receive, roughly how often, and that message and data rates may apply.
- Honor STOP (and similar words) immediately and send one confirmation.
- Reply to HELP with your business name and how to reach you.
- Your privacy policy should state that mobile numbers and consent aren’t shared with third parties for marketing.
Registration covers deliverability, not every legal requirement. Federal (TCPA) and state rules on consent and quiet hours still apply — Florida, for example, has its own telephone solicitation law.
After approval
- Send only what the campaign describes; register a new campaign for a new use.
- Keep opt-in records — when and how each number agreed.
- Watch opt-out and error rates; spikes hurt your reputation with carriers.
WW CRM puts two-way texting, mass campaigns and keyword auto-replies on the same customer record as your calls and appointments.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need A2P 10DLC registration to text customers?
If you send business texts from a regular 10-digit US number through a software platform, yes. US carriers filter or block unregistered application-to-person traffic, so registration is effectively required for messages to be delivered.
How long does A2P 10DLC approval take?
It varies with the provider and how complete the application is — from a few days to several weeks. Rejections, usually over unclear opt-in or mismatched business details, reset the clock, so getting it right the first time matters most.
Does my business information have to match exactly?
Yes. The legal business name, EIN and address should match what the IRS and your state registration show. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons brand registration fails.