10DLC Compliance: Essential Rules and Best Practices

In the rapidly evolving landscape of business communication, there's a new player taking center stage: 10DLC. As a business owner, you might be asking yourself: What exactly is 10DLC? Why is it so important? And most critically, how can my business achieve compliance?

10DLC is a game-changer for the telecommunications world. In the United States, major carriers have introduced 10DLC compliance requirements to bolster message deliverability, reduce spam, and enhance end-user security.

If your business relies on A2P messaging, getting to grips with 10DLC is not just desirable—it's crucial. Non-compliance isn't an option if you want to maintain high deliverability rates and protect your brand's reputation.

In this post, we'll cut through the complexity and guide you through the process of achieving 10DLC compliance. We'll explain its benefits and the simple yet critical steps your business needs to take right now.

If you’re ready to make 10DLC compliance work for your business, let's get started.

Understanding 10DLC and its importance

10DLC is a type of long code number specifically designed for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging. It allows businesses to send text messages to customers using a dedicated 10-digit phone number. The introduction of 10DLC compliance by major carriers in the United States aims to improve the overall messaging ecosystem, offering increased deliverability, reduced spam, and enhanced end-user security.

Key benefits of 10DLC compliance

10DLC compliance might seem like just another box to tick off in your ever-growing list of business tasks. But it's far more than that. Embracing 10DLC compliance is about enhancing your business messaging strategy, improving your customer communication, and driving your business growth. This section of our post will explore the core benefits of 10DLC compliance and explain why it's more than worth your time and effort to ensure your business is fully compliant.

Higher deliverability rates

Deliverability rate refers to the percentage of your sent messages that successfully reach the intended recipients' devices.

Carriers have established stringent filtering mechanisms for A2P messaging to protect consumers from spam and fraudulent messages. Non-compliant or unregistered messages can easily be flagged by these filters, resulting in lower deliverability rates. This scenario can drastically affect your customer communication, potentially impacting customer engagement, satisfaction, and, ultimately, your bottom line.

Conversely, when you comply with 10DLC regulations and register your messaging campaigns, carriers recognize your messages as legitimate. Consequently, your messages are less likely to be marked as spam or blocked by carriers, thus ensuring higher deliverability rates.

Enhanced security

Under 10DLC regulations, businesses are required to register their company and each individual messaging campaign with The Campaign Registry (TCR). This process serves as a verification step, confirming the company and its messaging activities are legitimate. As a result, it reduces the chances of malicious entities sending spam or fraudulent messages through the 10DLC system.

Additionally, each registered campaign is assigned a trust score by TCR. This score is based on various factors, including the content and purpose of the campaign. A higher trust score indicates the messaging campaign is less likely to be a source of spam or fraudulent activities, further enhancing end-user security.

Through its registration process, 10DLC compliance protects consumers from potential threats and assures them of the credibility and legitimacy of your business's communication, building trust between your company and its customers.

More brand recognition

When your business complies with 10DLC regulations and obtains a dedicated 10-digit number, it creates a consistent identity for your messaging campaigns. This consistency is vital for brand recognition. Whether you're sending promotional messages, transactional alerts, or customer service updates, they all come from the same recognizable number.

As a result, your customers start to identify and associate this number with your brand. Over time, this recognition can breed familiarity and trust, significantly improving the effectiveness of your communication efforts.

Moreover, having a dedicated number adds a layer of professionalism to your communication. It signals to your customers that your business is established and trustworthy, further enhancing your brand's image and reputation.

Increased local presence

Similarly, the 10-digit number you receive includes an area code. You can select this code based on the geographic areas where your business operates or where your customers are located.

By choosing a local area code for your 10DLC number, your business can establish a local presence in the eyes of your customers. When customers receive messages from a number with a local area code, they may perceive your business as being local or having a local presence, even if your operations aren’t physically located in that area.

This local presence can increase the likelihood that customers will read and engage with your messages, as they may feel more comfortable and familiar with a local number. Additionally, it can enhance the perceived accessibility and reliability of your business, potentially leading to increased trust and loyalty among your customers.

6 steps to achieve 10DLC compliance

Navigating the path to 10DLC compliance might seem daunting given the complexities and ever-evolving nature of the telecom industry's regulations. However, achieving this compliance isn’t an insurmountable task. In fact, it's a systematic process that, when understood and followed correctly, can become a routine part of your business's operations.

In this section, we’ll demystify the process of achieving 10DLC compliance, breaking it down into manageable actions that will put your business firmly on the path to compliance. Let's dive in and explore the roadmap to 10DLC compliance.

1. Register your company with The Campaign Registry (TCR)

The first step to achieving 10DLC compliance is registering your company with TCR, an independent organization that oversees campaign registration and vetting. This process involves providing your company's details and obtaining a unique ID.

2. Register your campaigns

After registering your company, you’ll need to register each messaging campaign with TCR. This includes providing information about the content, purpose, and target audience of your campaign. TCR will then assign a trust score to your campaign, which can impact your messaging throughput.

3. Obtain a 10DLC number through a CPaaS provider

To obtain a 10DLC number, you’ll need to work with a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider. These providers can assist you in acquiring and provisioning 10DLC numbers for your campaigns

4. Configure Your 10DLC number

Once you’ve obtained a 10DLC number, you’ll need to configure it to work with your messaging platform. This step may involve setting up the appropriate routing, messaging templates, and API integrations.

5. Monitor your campaign performance

To maintain 10DLC compliance, it's essential to regularly monitor your campaign performance, including deliverability rates, opt-out requests, and carrier feedback. This information can help you identify and address any compliance issues that may arise.

6. Maintain records and documentation

As part of your 10DLC compliance efforts, it's crucial to maintain accurate records and documentation related to your messaging campaigns. This includes registration information, campaign details, and performance metrics.

Stay compliant with 10DLC regulations

10DLC compliance represents a significant evolution in the A2P messaging landscape. By adhering to these regulations, businesses can enjoy higher deliverability rates, enhanced security, greater brand recognition, and an increased local presence. These benefits combined can significantly improve the effectiveness of your business's communication efforts, leading to stronger customer relationships and, ultimately, increased growth and success.

With the right knowledge and resources, navigating the complexities of 10DLC compliance is a manageable process. The key is understanding the regulations, implementing the necessary steps, and choosing a reliable partner to guide you through the process.

Telnyx can be that trusted partner. As a leader in the telecommunications industry, we have a deep understanding of 10DLC regulations and a proven track record of helping businesses navigate the compliance journey. We offer comprehensive solutions for A2P messaging, ensuring not only that your business achieves 10DLC compliance but also that your messaging campaigns are as effective and successful as possible.

When you choose Telnyx, you're not just choosing a product—you're choosing a partner committed to helping you succeed in the rapidly evolving world of business messaging. With our expertise and support—not to mention our record of registering 10DLC numbers six times faster than competitors—you can rest assured that your business is well-prepared to leverage the power of 10DLC and excel in your communication efforts.

Contact our team to learn how Telnyx can help achieve and maintain 10DLC compliance and unlock the potential of your business messaging.