A2P Verification For SMS/MMS Sending (Overview)

Modified on Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 01:37 PM

FOR SENDING SMS/MMS WITH YOUR CRM ACCOUNT, PLEASE BEWARE & READ CAREFULLY!

Starting August 31, 2023, all A2P messages (ie. 'Application To Person' SMS/MMS messages) sent from unregistered ten-digit long code numbers to US numbers will be blocked. 

In other words, to send SMS/MMS via your CRM account with ten-digit long code numbers to US numbers, you are required to be A2P registered and verified!

A2P 10DLC registrations only affect ten-digit long code numbers (ie. local/national numbers; 305-123-4567, 786-123-4567 etc) sending messages to US phone numbers.

Alternatively, Toll-free numbers (ie. 866-123-4567, 888-123-4567 etc) follow a separate verification process (it's easier & cheaper!), read more here.

About A2P Compliance

Carriers are becoming increasingly sensitive to spam and AUP enforcement when it comes to SMS and Calls. To keep spamming in check and to protect the end customer (leads/contacts) they have created various regulations & compliance frameworks.

Ideally, following this framework will allow you to increase the deliverability and through-put of your SMS/MMS marketing campaigns, while paying less messaging fees and avoiding carrier spam filters.

This article will help explain which compliance you may need and how to get them.

Best Practice for Brand Registration - 
https://mylocalads.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169614-a2p-10dlc-brand-approval-best-practices

Best Practice for Campaign Submission - 
https://mylocalads.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169615-a2p-10dlc-campaign-approval-best-practices

Review A2P Vetting Process Changes (Announced Jan. 2023) - 
https://mylocalads.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169616-a2p-10dlc-campaign-vetting-changes-january-2023

Verify a Toll-Free number instead - 
https://mylocalads.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169618-toll-free-verification-for-sms-mms-sending-overview-

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Trust Center Onboarding Overview

Trust Center provides products that can improve customer engagement by increasing throughput and brand recognition. To access the available Trust Center products, please follow the steps below:

Click on Start Registration in A2P Brand and Campaign Registration (SMS) section, Ignore the Business Profile section

Determine A2P Brand needs

Does the business you’re registering have a Tax ID (E.g. EIN, CCN etc.)?*

Yes, the business I’m registering has a Tax ID (E.g. EIN, CCN etc.).
No, the business I’m registering does not have a Tax ID (E.g. EIN, CCN etc.).
- Only Business with valid US and Canada address are allowed to register A2P brand without a tax ID.
- check out A2P Sole Proprietor Brands Registration is Now Live!

You can find your US EIN on your IRS or previous tax return documents(W2, W9 or CP 575).

Brand and Campaign Details

Select the Campaign Use Case and enter a description for the same

Provide Production Sample Messages and select if the hyperlink and phone number will be shown in the SMS.

Provide details around end-user consents and opt-ins.

Click on Submit!

Business Profile, A2P Brand, and Campaign Registration Status

Once all the steps in the first 3 points are completed, the status for all the 3 registries will be fetched and shown below:

In this case, the Business Profile is approved and the Brand is submitted with a Pending Approval status.
In this case, the Business Profile, A2P Brand, and Campaign all three are registered and Approved status.

Pricing for A2P Brand and Campaign

These will be pass-through charges that would directly be sent to the TCR.
The sub-accounts will be charged a one-time brand registration fee of $4.41 and one-time campaign registration fee of $16.5375 in the case of Sole Prop and Standard Low Volume Brands.
The sub-accounts will be charged a one-time brand registration fee of $48.51 and a one-time campaign registration fee of $16.5375 in the case of Standard High Volume Brands.
The one-time camping fees of $16.5 and monthly campaign fees will be around $1.5 to $11.5 based on the campaign use case.

Sub-account level transactions charges:

Agency-level transaction charges

Please Note:

At times both the charges (one-time and monthly) will be grouped and you can see a charge as high as $15.5 USD.

Create a Messaging Service and link the Phone Numbers to it

We will automatically create the messaging service and link it to all the phone numbers available in the sub-account once the campaign is approved.

FAQ

What is the pre-requisite for A2P Standard registration?

The prerequisite to A2P registration is to create a business profile providing the EIN and additional business registration information. Make sure that all of your CRM Business Profile information is properly filled out. Visit Settings > Company Profile to make those changes.

Are there any charges associated with the Low Standard brand registration?

Yes, there is a one-time $4.41 USD and a monthly Campaign Fee ($1.5 USD to $11.5 USD). For most cases, we have seen this to be $2/month.

I am still unsure of what all this means. What do I do?

For now, if you are unsure about how A2P 10DLC compliance works, it will be the best strategy to stop using local & mobile numbers and start using Toll-Free numbers altogether as explained here.

What information would be required from the sub-account to move with the registration?

The sub-account will need a business registration EIN and some additional info like address, website and etc.

Is messaging to Canada or any other countries also affected by these changes?

No. Canadian mobile carriers may introduce registered A2P 10DLC solutions in the future, but at this time carriers have not announced any plans to do so.

For information about message sending in countries other than the US, we recommend checking out our country-specific SMS Guidelines pages to learn about any unique rules or restrictions in that country.

I have been sending SMS forever, what has changed?

A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) is a messaging framework introduced by the wireless industry in the United States to regulate and improve the delivery of Application-to-Person text messages. Think of your CRM account and software as the application that's sending SMS/MMS, and the Person involved can be anyone you decide to SMS/MMS via the CRM, using a 10-digit long-code number. This regulatory framework aims to address issues related to spam and unwanted messages on long codes while ensuring legitimate businesses can continue using text messaging for communication with their customers.

Does this apply to only marketing campaigns or does it apply to all SMS?

A2P 10DLC is applicable for all Application-to-Person texting like marketing SMS, reactivation campaigns, appointment reminders, prospecting, billing alerts, 2FA login codes, etc.

Can I still register my numbers after August 31,2023?

Yes, you can still complete your A2P 10DLC registration and get compliant after August 31, 2023. You may just notice that SMS/MMS sending is blocked (after Aug 31 2023) unless you are registered and verified.

How can I become A2P compliant?

Please refer to the following help articles:

LC Phone System Trust Center
A2P 10DLC Brand Approval Best Practices
A2P 10DLC Campaign Approval Best Practices

What happens if I or my clients can't perform the registration in time?

Unfortunately, your SMS traffic will cease to deliver to AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, ClearSky, etc. if you do not perform the registration. Please note this is not specific to LeadConnector Phone or enforced by us. This is done by the carriers and The Campaign Registry.

Is there a cost associated with the A2P 10DLC registration?

Yes, since January 2023 there is a fee charged by carriers and The Campaign Registry for vetting your brand & campaign applications. You can find the details of the fees associated with A2P 10DLC here.

I don't want to deal with all of this. Is there any alternative for me and my clients?

Yes, while we advise you to become compliant if you wish to continue sending SMS from local & mobile numbers in the USA, you could avoid A2P 10DLC altogether by switching to using Toll-free numbers.

Toll-free numbers also require registration but it is free and less complicated than A2P 10DLC.

Please refer to Toll-Free Number Registration for LC - Phone (US/Canada) to learn how you can switch to toll-free numbers and perform toll-free number registration. This is free and by using this you can avoid dealing with A2P 10DLC registrations and associated costs altogether.