This article explains how (and why) you must register your business and phone numbers for outbound SMS/MMS messaging in the USA.
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Do I need to register my USA numbers and business brand?
Any business that sends outbound messages on USA numbers needs to register their business and use case with the US operators in a centralized info-hub called The Campaign Registry, or TCR.
This needs to be done via the provider they are using, and CloudTalk can help you do this.
National operators in the USA have introduced strict parameters for businesses sending commercial messages from local and mobile numbers.
Ten digit-long code numbers (10 DLC) include standard local and mobile numbers
A2P means Application-to-Person. US operators now classify any type of business or commercial traffic originating through VoIP operators such as CloudTalk to be A2P traffic. This means that even if you're only sending conversational messages to your US-based customers, your numbers will be subject to A2P regulations.
What if I don't register my USA numbers and business brand?
CloudTalk's carriers are not able to send unregistered traffic to the USA from your USA 10DLC numbers, meaning if you are using an unregistered number, you will not be able to send any messages to the USA on CloudTalk.
A2P 10DLC USA Campaign Registry Process
Anyone who wants to send messages to the USA on local numbers will need to document their business information, use case, and evidence or description of their opt-in process in a central registry called TCR. CloudTalk can help you do this!
What is the Campaign Registry (TCR)?
The Campaign Registry, or TCR, is a carrier-neutral telecom information hub that is central to A2P 10DLC registration. It is the inter-carrier base where all sender information needs to be submitted. It is part of the industry-wide effort to protect consumers from scams, spam, and nuisance messaging. TCR verifies the individual parties sending business SMS to the United States (known as brands) and their specific use cases (campaigns).
Registering your brand and use case with TCR is now a requirement for all USA business messaging, and CloudTalk will register this on your behalf.
When major US carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon, etc) receive SMS traffic, they will detect if the traffic has been sent as part of a registered and verified campaign in TCR.
What information do I need to register my brand and campaign?
Registration with TCR is has three main parts. There is more information on each of these in the sections below.
First, you will need to register your brand. This includes the basic information about your business and the volume of messages that you will be sending. There will be a one-time brand registration fee from TCR.
You'll then need to create separate messaging campaigns based on the types of messages you will be sending. In the context of this registration "Campaign" refers to ANY use case, such as customer support or account management, and not just traditional sales or marketing campaigns.
There will be a one-time campaign registration fee and a monthly campaign fee from TCR. (in most cases, this is on $1.50)
Your campaign will need to include evidence of "opt-in" from your customers to receive messages.
How long will the registration process take?
As there are many brands looking to register with the USA Campaign Registry, the estimated time to register your brand and campaign is 4-6 weeks, so we recommend submitting your request to CloudTalk as soon as possible.
Please follow the guide below to register your numbers for A2P messaging in the USA for the highest outbound reachability.
Steps to Register
Reference this article to compile the necessary information for your business case.
Fill out this form to submit the details of your situation.
Our Numbers Support team will register the brand and campaign using TCR (the campaign registry) and our intermediary carrier of US numbers.
Certain industries and use cases are prohibited from using USA/CAN networks to send commercial SMS on a country-wide level by the national operators. (ex. CBD, vape, MLM companies)
Before beginning, this process, please double-check in our help center article that your SMS use case is not restricted based on USA carrier regulations.
1. Brand Registration: basic company information
1. Brand Registration: basic company information
This registration must be done by the business that the consumer believes they are interacting with when they submit their phone number. For example, if you're a BPO or business that is contracted to do support for another business, the business client would be who registers.
The volume of messages includes traffic for all numbers that will be used under your brand, not the volume for each individual number.
Type of Brand
The type of brand registration you will need depends on your use. Most CloudTalk customers fall within the Low-volume Standard brand.
Low-volume Standard Brand
Registration fee: $4
For sending fewer than 6,000 message segments per day to the US (2,000 message segments per day through T-Mobile)Full Standard Brand
Registration fee: $44For sending high volume messages between 6,000 and 600,000 message segments per day to the US (2,000 - 200,000 per day through T-Mobile)
Sole Proprietor Brand (only available for the USA and Canada)
Registration fee: $4
For individuals or small businesses without a Tax ID (EIN)
Required Information for Your Brand
From the Business
Business Name
Physical Address (Street, City, State/Province/Region, Postal Code, Country)
Business Identity (Direct Customer or ISV/Reseller/Partner)
Business Type (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/Corporation /Co-Operative/LLC/Non-Profit)
Company Status (Private/Public)
Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
Business Registration Number & Type
must be the EIN for all US-based companies
other business identifiers for non-US companies
Industry
Website
Regions of Operations
From an Authorized Representative of the Business
For the fastest verification, this should be someone with a publicly verifiable connection to the company such as a LinkedIn, company website, state or country business register.
First and Last Name
Email
Title
Phone Number
Job Position (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO)
TCR Registration Fee
There will be one-time brand and campaign registration fees and a monthly campaign maintenance fee from TCR. This will be charged directly to your CloudTalk account and reflected on your next invoice.
Most CloudTalk customers, ones sending under 6,000 messages per day, will be eligible for the Low-volume Standard Brand and Low Volume: Mixed Use Campaign, for which the fees will equate to $19.00 in one-time registration fees, and $1.50 per month.
You should know that all fees related to 10DLC registration and maintenance are industry fees from TCR and USA carriers, and CloudTalk does not take any markup or admin fee for this service.
2. Campaign Registration: your messaging use case
2. Campaign Registration: your messaging use case
Associated Fees
One-time campaign registration fee: $15
Monthly campaign fee: $1.50—$10.00 (depending on use case)
Low Volume: Mixed Use: Recommended option for Low-volume Standard Brand CloudTalk users
Monthly fee: $1.50The Low Volume Mixed Campaign use case can be used to send messages of multiple use cases, such as Customer Care and Delivery Notification.
Due to the lower cost, it is recommended for Low Volume Standard Brand and Standard Brand customers who don't need high message throughput
Throughput rate is the rate at which you can send messages at a given time. It is measured per phone number, in message segments per second (MPS). The low volume standard rate is 1.25 MPS for Verizon, T-mobile, and AT&T.
Other Campaign Type Fees List (continued)
Sole Proprietor: Mixed Use: $2 monthly fee
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): $10 monthly fee
Any authentication or account verification such as one-time password (OTP)
Account Notification: $10 monthly fee
Notifications about the status of an account or related to being a part of an account
Customer Care: $10 monthly fee
Support, account management, other customer interaction
Delivery Notification: $10 monthly fee
Information about the status of a delivery
Fraud Alert Messaging: $10 monthly fee
Messaging about potential fraudulent activity such as spending alerts
Higher Education: $10 monthly fee
Message campaigns from colleges, universities, and other educational institutions
Marketing: $10 monthly fee
Promotional content such as sales and limited-time offers
Mixed: $10 monthly fee
A campaign that covers multiple use cases such as Customer Care and Delivery Notifications, likely to have lower throughput and a higher cost per message
Polling and Voting: $10 monthly fee
For customer-based polling and voting, such as customer surveys (not for political use)
Public Service Announcement: $10 monthly fee
PSAs to raise audience awareness about a given topic
Security Alert: $10 monthly fee
Notification of a compromised system (software or hardware related)
General Campaign Requirements
Campaign Description
Describe what you will be using this campaign for and thoroughly explain the objective or purpose.
This should be 2-3 sentences long—adding only one or two keywords like "Taking orders" or leaving this section blank will result in a rejection from TCR.
Sample Messages
Provide two examples of messages that you will be sending with this campaign.
Ensure that the sample messages include your business name.
It must be the same company name that is declared in the Brand Business information.
Sample messages should reflect actual messages to be sent within the campaign, typically the first message sent out to initiate contact
Ensure consistency with the use case and campaign description - Traffic not fitting into the campaign's use case may be subject to filtering or blocking.
Use brackets to indicate templated fields like customer or agents' names, in sample messages, but besides fields like this, do not use placeholder text for the body of your sample messages.
"Hello [customer name]..."
Provide Opt-out messaging in at least one of the sample messages, if applicable:
"To stop receiving messages from {your business name} please reply with the word STOP."
If your messages will include external embedded links or phone numbers, these must be included in the sample message.
Message contents
Specify if messages will include embedded links and/or phone numbers.
Opt-in Message Flow
This should be a written description that explains how consumers or end-users provide consent to receive messages (40-2048 characters).
The Opt-in Message flow is the most crucial step of A2P 10DLC Registration. Read more in the section below.
3. Opt-in Requirement
3. Opt-in Requirement
What does 'opt-in' mean?
Documented consent from the consumer to the sender to receive messages, before the sending of those messages is crucial to successful A2P registration. If you do not already have an established, documentable opt-in flow, you will need to create one for the purpose of this registration.
The Opt-in Message Flow needs to list all methods by which your customers can opt-in to the messaging campaign (receiving messages from your business). If multiple opt-in methods can be used for the same campaign (i.e., signing up on the website, entering their number in a contact form, hitting a key in the IVR), then they must all be listed.
The Call to action must be explicitly clear and end users must be explicitly aware they are agreeing to receive messages from your business related to the declared campaign type.
Opt-in Documentation Examples
Examples of proper opt-in documentation from our TCR intermediary:
"Customers opt-in specifically when signing up on our website {add your website URL} and inputting their phone number. They must check a box in the sign-up form that they agree to receive messages from us. Opt-in on our website is a self-service process and occurs at samplecompany.com/signup. Our privacy policy also states that customers' numbers will not be shared with other parties [link to privacy policy which includes the statement of non-sharing].
Customers also can opt-in in-person by requesting SMS contact within the store and writing their contact number on a paper form, including a notice that they agree to receive messages from us. "Customers fill out a registration form in our app where they submit their phone number. This form states "By submitting this form, you authorize {Company Name} to send text messages with offers and other information. Message/data rates may apply. Consent is not a condition of purchase. [link to privacy policy which includes the statement of non-sharing]."
Examples of inadequate descriptions which will be rejected by TCR:
X "Customers sign up online"
X "Customers made an order"
X "The customer messages us first and we reply"
List of All Opt-in Methods
Website opt-in (recommended for the easiest setup if you need to create a flow)
For online sign-ups, provide the website URL where opt-in occurs.
It must be the same company name and website that is declared in the Brand Business information.
The Opt-in Location must have opt-in language and links to the privacy policy section. These need to include:
opt-in language that makes it evident that the customer understands they may receive SMS from you
message frequency
“message and data rates may apply” disclosure
accessible link to the privacy policy with a statement of non-sharing of customers' mobile numbers
Privacy Policy must include
statement of non-sharing of customers' mobile numbers
If there is a general statement of non-sharing of personal information, it must specifically list a phone number as a form of personal information.
Simple example: "By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from {Company Name}. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. {Company Name} will not share your number with any other parties. [link to privacy policy which includes the statement of non-sharing] ”
In-app or in-product opt-in
If the opt-in method or form is behind username/password logins, or if it's within an app or other non-publicly accessible websites, you will need to host the image of the opt-in form on your website or server and generate a link to it. Please provide a hosted link to the image of your opt-in form.
Non-digital opt-in
This is for if the consumer can opt-in through an in-person, paper, or other non-electronic submission.
If the opt-in method is in a store, on a paper form, or by way of other websites not publicly accessible, you will need to host the image of the opt-in form on your website or server and generate a link to it. Please provide a hosted link to the image of your opt-in form.
SMS opt-in
If your customers opt-in and opt-out through SMS, you must include opt-in, opt-out, and help messages and keywords—see the next section.
SMS Opt-in Requirements
This section is only required if your customers opt-in and opt-out via text message.
Opt-in Keywords (max 255 characters)
If end users can text in a keyword (i.e., Subscribe, Start, OPTIN, UNSTOP, IN) to start receiving messages from your campaign, those keywords must be provided.
This section is mandatory if in section 4, Opt-In Message Flow, indicates that customers can opt-in to your campaign via SMS.
If you do not support opt-in via text, please leave this blank.
Opt-in Message (20-320 characters)
If consumers may enter a keyword to start receiving messages from your brand, the full message must be provided.
The opt-in response message must include:
the Brand name
confirmation of opt-in enrolment to a recurring message campaign
clear description of how to opt-out (requirements 3-4)
clear description of how to get help (requirements 5-6)
Opt-out Keywords (max 255 characters)
If end users can text in a keyword (i.e., STOP, END, UNSUBSCRIBE) to stop receiving messages from your campaign, those keywords must be provided.
If you do not support opt-in and opt-out via text, please leave this blank in the sign up form.
Opt-out Message (20-320 characters)
If consumers can opt-in via SMS, then an advanced opt-out is also required to stop receiving messages from your brand, and the full opt-out message must be provided.
The opt-out response message must again include:
the Brand name
confirmation of opt-out success
Help Keywords (max 255 characters)
If end users can text in a keyword (i.e., ISSUE, FIX, RESOLVE, INQUIRY) when they need help, those keywords must be provided.
If Advanced Opt-in / Opt-out was specified in earlier steps but help keywords and messages are not provided, the campaign will be rejected.
Help Message (20-320 characters)
If consumers can opt-in and opt-out via SMS, then an advanced help message is also required, and the full opt-out message must be provided.
If Advanced Opt-in / Opt-out was specified in earlier steps but help keywords and messages are not provided, the campaign will be rejected.
SMS Opt-in/out Message Examples
Examples of proper SMS opt-in messages from our TCR intermediary:
Opt-in Message: “You are successfully opted In for messages from {Company Name}. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”
Opt-out / Stop Confirmation Messages: "You have successfully been unsubscribed from {Company Name}. You will not receive any more messages from this number."
Help Messages: " {Company Name}: Please visit www.acmecorporation.com to get support. To opt-out, reply STOP."
Generic SMS opt-in message examples that will result in a rejection:
X Opt-in Message: “You opted in for messages”
X Opt-out / Stop Confirmation Messages: “Opt-out successful. You will not receive any more messages from us.
X Missing Help Messages: If Advance Opt-out was enabled but a help message is not provided, the campaign will be rejected.
What if I don't have an "OPT-IN" Workflow?
Even if you are only messaging existing contacts or don't believe your use case requires an opt-in, evidence of consumer consent (opt-in message flow, opt-in URL) is mandatory to register a brand and campaign. You must do this in order to be eligible for 10DLC registration and use SMS/MMS.
If you don't have an established opt-in workflow, you will need to adapt the copy on your website, order forms (online or printed), privacy policy, and terms of service to explicitly gain customer consent for receiving messages.
More About the Opt-in Requirement
Proof of consumer opt-in is a mandatory requirement set by external operators in the USA. It is not a policy which is able to be influenced by our team at CloudTalk.
Our role is to guide you through the process and send your request to external carriers and TCR. If we cannot document a place where the consumer agrees to receive messages from your business, the campaign request will be rejected.
We are happy to help advise you on the easiest way to integrate the A2P opt-in requirements into your specific company workflow. This can be as easy as adding:
lines on the contact and terms of service sections of your website, informing customers that when they reach out to your helplines, they are consenting to receive a follow-up SMS, as well as a statement of non-sharing for mobile numbers, message frequency, and “message and data rates may apply” disclosure, and a link to a privacy policy which includes the statement of non-sharing of customer information.
if your customers leave their information in person at a physical location, a check box on a paper order form, saying the customer understands they will receive SMS updates on the status of their order
a recording within the IVR, where the customer can press a key to consent to receive a follow-up message after the call
Have more questions? We have answers. Reach out to our Support team—we're always happy to help!