What is 10DLC?

10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is a phone number format that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) text messages using standard 10-digit local phone numbers. Unlike short codes (5-6 digits) or toll-free numbers, 10DLC numbers look like regular local phone numbers, which can increase trust and response rates.

Why 10DLC Matters

Prior to 10DLC, businesses had two main options for A2P messaging:

Short codes: Expensive ($500-$1,000/month) with long provisioning times (8-12 weeks)

Unregistered long codes: Low throughput and high filtering risk

10DLC provides a middle ground with:

Lower costs than short codes

Higher throughput than unregistered numbers

Better deliverability through carrier trust

Local presence with area-code matching

10DLC Registration Process

To use 10DLC for business messaging, you must:

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

2. Register your campaign describing your messaging use case

3. Get carrier approval from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon

4. Associate phone numbers with your approved campaigns

Approval Timeline

Industry standard approval time is 2-4 weeks. DMText processes 10DLC registrations in an average of 36 hours, significantly faster than competitors.

10DLC Throughput Rates

Throughput varies by trust score:

Low trust: 2,000 messages/day

Standard trust: 10,000 messages/day

High trust: 200,000+ messages/day

Common Rejection Reasons

Incomplete business information

Mismatched EIN/business name

Prohibited content types

Unclear messaging use case

Missing sample messages