10DLC, Explained: What It Is, Why It Exists, and How Virtual Guardians Gets You Compliant

dougkreitz8
6 days ago
3 min read

If your business texts from any non-mobile number (landline, VoIP, cloud phone like Webex/Zoom/Teams/RingCentral, etc.), 10DLC rules apply—no exceptions. 10DLC (“10-Digit Long Code”) is the U.S. carrier-sanctioned standard for business (A2P) texting that requires you to register your brand and your messaging use case(s) before sending to U.S. mobile subscribers.

Where 10DLC Came From (The Short Version)

Carriers introduced 10DLC to curb spam, increase trust, and prioritize legitimate business messaging. Formal guidance and codes of conduct started rolling out around 2020, with industry-wide enforcement following in 2021–2023 and beyond. Today, 10DLC is the sanctioned path for A2P messaging using standard 10-digit numbers.

Who Must Register (Yes—That Means You)

If you send SMS/MMS to U.S. numbers using any long-code (non-mobile) number—whether it’s through Webex Calling, Zoom Phone, Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, Twilio, or similar—you must register. All major U.S. carriers require it and gate throughput/deliverability accordingly.

The Two Things You Register

1) Your Brand – Your legal entity (name, EIN, address, website). Brand verification must be “Verified” before you can register campaigns.

2) Your Campaign(s) – Your use case (e.g., customer care, marketing, notifications, mixed), with sample messages, opt-in/opt-out details, and HELP/STOP replies.

How Virtual Guardians Handles Registration (via Context Register)

To make this painless, we route customers through Context Register, Sabrhub’s 10DLC compliance portal. It’s purpose-built to capture the exact brand and campaign data carriers expect and streamline approval.

What you’ll need on hand

Company details: Legal name, EIN/Tax ID, address, website/URL.
Point of contact: Name, email, phone.
Campaign use case: Customer care, order updates, marketing, 2FA, or “Mixed.”
Sample messages: Include your brand name and at least one example with opt-out language (e.g., “Reply STOP to opt out. Reply HELP for help.”).
Opt-in/Message flow: Where/how subscribers consent (web form, checkout box, signed agreement, keyword, etc.). Be specific.
Required policies: Public Privacy Policy and Terms pages that explain how you handle subscriber data and program terms. (Carriers expect clear language and accessible links.)
Registration Fee: $50
Texting Monthly Cost: $3/month/number

Step-by-step in Context Register

Create your account (email & password) at the VG portal above.
Add/verify your Brand (company identity, EIN, address, website). Status must show Verified before campaigns can be approved.
Create your Campaign: choose use case, paste 2–3 realistic sample messages (include your business name + STOP/HELP), describe your opt-in path, and link your Privacy Policy & Terms.
Submit for vetting (The Campaign Registry). Some carriers perform additional checks and assign throughput tiers.
Assign numbers to the approved campaign (we’ll map your existing Virtual Guardians numbers).
Send compliantly (include brand identification; honor STOP/HELP; message only opted-in contacts).

Common Reasons Campaigns Get Rejected (and How We Prevent Them)

Vague opt-in flow (“users sign up somewhere”) → Provide the exact page/checkbox/keyword and screenshots if available.
Missing STOP/HELP in samples → Add them to at least one sample message.
No/weak Privacy Policy or Terms → Publish accessible, plain-English pages; state how you use mobile numbers and that you don’t sell/share opt-in data except to deliver the service.
Brand not Verified → Ensure EIN/legal name exactly matches IRS records.

What to Expect After Approval

Better deliverability & stability vs. unregistered traffic.
Carrier pass-through fees still apply (registration and per-message), but registration helps ensure messages aren’t throttled or silently dropped.

Ready to Register?

Start here: https://www.virtual-guardians.com/product-page/10dlc-registration. If you’d like Virtual Guardians to complete the process for you, we’ll prepare your policy language, message samples, and campaign application, then assign your numbers once approved.

Sources & further reading

The Campaign Registry: What 10DLC is and how brand/campaign verification works.
Context Register overview.