What 10DLC is
10DLC stands for “10-digit long code”, the ordinary local phone numbers businesses use to text. To cut spam, US carriers require businesses to register who they are (the brand) and what they'll send (the campaign) through a central registry before those numbers can send at normal volumes.
Unregistered traffic is heavily filtered or blocked, so registration isn't optional if you want your texts delivered.
Before you start
Have these ready. Mismatched details are the number one reason for delays.
- Your exact legal business name, as it appears on tax records
- Your tax ID (EIN for US companies, or your home country's business number)
- Registered business address, website and a support contact
- A clear idea of what you'll send and how people will sign up
Businesses without a tax ID can often use a lighter sole proprietor registration, with lower volume limits. Ask us which route fits.
Step 1: Register your brand
The brand record tells carriers who is sending. The registry checks your details against public records. Some brands also go through extra vetting, which can unlock higher sending limits.
Tip: copy your legal name exactly, including “Inc.”, “LLC” or “Ltd”. A trading name in place of a legal name is a common reason for failure.
Step 2: Register your campaign
A campaign describes one type of messaging, such as marketing, account notifications or customer care. You'll provide:
- Use case: the category that best matches your messages
- Description: who receives the texts and why
- Sample messages: realistic examples, including your brand name and opt-out wording
- Opt-in flow: exactly how people agree, such as a web form, keyword or checkout box
- Opt-out and help: confirmation that STOP and HELP work
Step 3: Get your website ready
Reviewers often visit your site. Before you submit, make sure it has:
- A privacy policy that says you won't share or sell mobile numbers for others' marketing
- SMS terms explaining message type, frequency, “Msg & data rates may apply”, and how to get help or stop
- If you collect numbers online, a visible signup form with that disclosure next to it
MCA and real estate campaigns
Both industries register and send successfully every day. Reviewers look harder at them, so the details matter.
Merchant cash advance and business funding
Carriers treat business funding as financial services and vet it more closely than most campaigns. To get approved and stay approved:
- Register as the funder. The brand must be the company that makes the offer. Brokers texting on someone else's behalf, or campaigns built on purchased or shared leads, are refused.
- Show first-party consent. Your application form should include an unticked SMS opt-in that names your company, the message types and frequency, plus “Msg & data rates may apply” and STOP/HELP wording.
- Keep samples factual. Offer updates, document reminders and funding status. Avoid “guaranteed approval”, “no credit check” or pressure wording.
- Separate what you send. Account updates to existing applicants and new offers are best registered as their own campaigns.
- Expect extra time. Additional vetting can add days to the review. Payday loans, debt relief and loan lead generation aren't allowed at all.
Real estate
Real estate campaigns are approved routinely when the opt-in is clear. Watch for these:
- Consent from your own forms. Website sign-ups, listing enquiries and open-house sign-ins, each with SMS disclosure. Cold texting scraped, purchased, FSBO or expired-listing numbers is a fast route to rejection and blocked numbers.
- Real samples. New listings, open houses, price changes and showing reminders, each with your brokerage name and opt-out.
- Use the right campaign type. Marketing for listings and open houses. Showing reminders and enquiry replies can sit in a separate customer care or mixed campaign.
After approval
Once your campaign is approved, your numbers are linked to it and you can send at your approved limits. Keep your messages within the use case you registered. If you start sending something different, register a new campaign.
And keep honouring consent: send marketing only to people who agreed, keep proof of that agreement, and stop as soon as someone opts out. US law also expects texts at reasonable hours in the recipient's time zone.
Common rejection reasons
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Business details don't match public records | Use your exact legal name, tax ID and address |
| Opt-in flow unclear or not shown | Describe each step and link to the form or a screenshot |
| Sample messages missing brand or opt-out | Start with your brand name and end with STOP wording |
| Website missing privacy policy or SMS terms | Add both and make them easy to find |
| Use case doesn't match the samples | Pick the closest category, or split into two campaigns |
| Funding campaign from a broker or shared leads | Register as the direct funder and only text your own opted-in applicants |
| Restricted content | Check carrier rules first: payday loans, debt relief and lead generation aren't allowed |
We pre-fill your brand and campaign, write sample messages and opt-in descriptions reviewers expect, check your website, and explain any rejection in plain English with a fix ready to resubmit.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Registry and carrier requirements change; confirm current rules before relying on them.