Benefits of Adopting & Consequences of Noncompliance
A2P 10DLC Registration
There have always been rules and regulations regarding sending SMS marketing messages, but there are some new important requirements you may not be aware of. In order to cut down on the number of spam messages, U.S. wireless carriers, the Federal Communications and Commission (FCC), and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMC) are requiring businesses to register their numbers with The Campaign Registry (TCR). Local and toll-free numbers used by businesses to text end users for everything from notifications and surveys to marketing and promotions must be registered.
What Information Do I Need for A2P 10 DLC Registration?
In order to successfully register your business properly, there are several key pieces of information, including:
- Business Information: Businesses need to provide the legal name, physical address, contact information, and any relevant identifiers or registration numbers associated with the business entity.
- Campaign Use Information: Businesses must also specify the purpose and intended use of their A2P messaging campaigns. You will need to outline the types of messages that will be sent, whether promotional, informational, transactional, or for any other specific purposes.
- Opt-In and Opt-Out: Regardless of whether the business intends to use opt-in messaging, they are still required to provide a clear opt-out mechanism for recipients. This means including opt-out keywords such as “STOP,” “UNSUBSCRIBE,” or any other standard keywords that allow recipients to stop receiving messages.
Benefits of A2P 10DLC Registration
A2P 10DLC registration is helping to create a more reliable communication ecosystem and offers many benefits for businesses, including:
- Improved Message Delivery: Registered numbers receive favorable treatment from mobile carriers meaning messages being sent from registered numbers aren’t as likely to be flagged as spam, resulting in higher deliverability rates. With better delivery rates, businesses can effectively reach their target audience and ensure their messages are received in a timely manner.
- Enhanced Credibility: A2P 10 DLC registration signifies that a business has undergone the verification process and complied with the requirements at hand. This enhances the trustworthiness of the business in the eyes of customers.
- Streamlined Opt-In and Opt-Out Process: A2P 10 DLC registration requires businesses to establish a clear opt-in and opt-out mechanism for recipients. This helps build a positive user experience by allowing users who wish to stop receiving messages to easily opt-out, promoting customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Business Identity Protection: Registration also helps businesses safeguard their reputation and protect themselves from potential misuse or unauthorized use of their brand or identity.
What Are The Consequences of Not Completing A2P 10DLC Registration?
Failure to complete A2P 10DLC registration will result in significant consequences and penalties. The Participating Carrier Requirements strictly prohibit the sending of Unregistered and/or Non-Migrated traffic, and the 10DLC delivery hub retains the right to take action to ensure compliance, including:
- Suspension: If your number is not properly registered with the Campaign Registry, the 10DLC delivery hub could take action against you including suspension, termination, or blocking non-sanctioned messages to maintain compliance with carrier requirements.
- Ban: Mobile carriers have the right to ban businesses that use unregistered A2P 10DLC numbers. If you are banned, it will affect your ability to communicate via SMS with customers and impact your brand reputation.
- Message Delivery Block: Messages that are sent from unregistered numbers may also be blocked by mobile carriers. This results in your intended recipients likely not receiving the messages resulting in your SMS campaigns being ineffective and missing out on potential business opportunities.
- Financial Penalties: Mobile carriers and the campaign registry have the power to impose fines on those who fail to comply with A2P 10DLC registration requirements. These fines may be as high as $10 per message as well as additional monthly fees. If you’re running large SMS campaigns, this could lead to heavy fines.