What is A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC stands for Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code. It’s a U.S. messaging system that allows businesses to send SMS/MMS from standard 10-digit phone numbers, similar to normal local numbers, but with higher throughput and better deliverability than traditional long codes.

Why are businesses required to do carrier registration?

Businesses are required to register for A2P 10DLC because U.S. mobile carriers want to verify who is sending messages and what type of content they’re sending. This verification helps prevent spam and fraud, protects consumers, and ensures that only legitimate businesses use the messaging system. Registration also allows carriers to assign the proper message throughput and trust levels, which improves deliverability and reduces the chances of messages being blocked. Without registration, carriers treat the traffic as unverified and potentially harmful, so they heavily filter or even stop those messages from going through.

Who needs to register?

Who needs to register will depend on how you’d like to use Ringo:

• For calling and sending SMS/MMS messages - yes you need to do carrier registration

• For WhatsApp only use - no, you don’t need to register with 10DLC, however you need to do your WhatsApp Setup to be able to send message templates.

How long does registration take?

The total registration timeline can differ from one case to another. Many applications are approved within 5–7 business days, while some may stay in a pending state for up to 30 days. In uncommon situations where important details cannot be confirmed quickly, the process may extend beyond 30 days. During this waiting period, you will not be able to send messages to U.S. numbers, but you can receive messages and calls.

If my registration is rejected, what can I do?

Verification is performed by an external company, so we do not influence the outcome of your application. The details we receive about the decision are limited. However, you can view the rejection reason directly on the Ringo app. Use that information to make any necessary updates and submit your application again for approval.

Register with Ringo

Who can manage the registration?

Only the account owner and admins can do US carrier registration, members do not have access to it.

How to access the registration from Ringo?

Option 1: During the Ringo onboarding process, after choosing your phone number and setting up your AI assistant, you can register directly by selecting “10DLC Registration”

Option 2: You can also register at any time by going to Settings and scrolling down to “US Carrier registration.”

Registration Process

Option 1: If your business is registered in the United States or Canada, then select “Yes, US or Canada”.

Option 2: If your business is registered outside the United States or Canada, then select “No, outside US/CA”

Step 1 - Intro

Path 1: Businesses With an EIN

Choose this option if your business has an EIN, SSN, or any official U.S. tax identification number.

To complete registration, you will need:

• A valid business address that matches your tax registration

• A company website or publicly searchable business listing

• Standard business details (name, industry, type, description, and contact information)

This path is recommended for LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and any registered business entity with federal or state recognition.

Path 2: Without an EIN (Sole Proprietorship)

Choose this option if you do not have an EIN.

If you are unsure what an EIN is, you likely do not have one and should take this path.

Requirements:

• A U.S. or Canadian residential address

• A working mobile phone number that is not your Ringo number

• Personal contact details rather than business registration information

This path is designed for individuals operating as sole proprietors without formal business registration.

Step 2 – Business Information

To verify your identity, carriers require detailed information about your business. You will need to enter:

• Legal business name

• Business type and company type

• Industry

• A short description of what your business does

• A valid contact information

• Primary point of contact details (name, email, phone)

Ensure all information matches your official business registration documents.

Step 3 – Business Address

International businesses must provide a valid mailing address.

You will need to enter:

• Country of residence

• Street address

• City

• Postal code

This must match your registered business information in your home country.

Step 4 – Payment

During registration, you will select between Low Volume Standard and Standard Brand.

These fees are set by carriers and cover both brand registration and campaign registration.

Registration Type:

Low Volume Standard

Designed for businesses that only send a small number of text messages each month.

This option is ideal if you primarily send occasional notifications such as appointment reminders, simple updates, or basic customer support messages.

Standard Brand

Recommended for businesses that send higher messaging volumes or need more reliable throughput. This option allows faster message delivery and fewer carrier restrictions, making it suitable for ongoing customer communications or marketing flows.

Where and how you're charged:

All 10DLC fees are carrier-required pass-through fees. These fees do not go to Ringo (your platform/provider) — they are charged by The Campaign Registry (TCR), mobile carriers, and the vetting partners. Your provider simply collects these fees so your brand and campaign can be registered on the carrier network.

Below is the full pricing breakdown:

One-Time Setup Fees

1. Brand Registration Fee

This is a required fee to register your business (your “Brand”) with The Campaign Registry. Depending on the amount of messages you need to send per day:

• Low-volume Standard - pick this option if you send less than 6’000 messages per day - $4.50 one-time fee

• Standard Brand - pick this option if you send more than 6’000 messages per day - $46.00 one-time fee

2. Campaign Vetting Fee

Each campaign (your messaging use case) must be reviewed by a third-party vetting service to ensure compliance. This is a one-time fee per campaign, charged when you create a new 10DLC campaign. This fee is always $15.00 for any business.

3. Transaction Fee

Some providers include a small administrative fee to process and pass through the required carrier costs. This is is a fixed fee.

Monthly Recurring Fees

Campaign Fee

Each active campaign has a monthly fee charged by The Campaign Registry. This is required as long as your campaign remains active.

• Pricing varies based on your use case (e.g., Low-Volume Mixed ($1.50 p/m), Marketing ($10.00 p/m), Customer Care ($10.00 p/m), and others)

• This fee is billed through your provider

• You may have multiple campaigns if you send different kinds of messages

Step 5 – Campaign Information

1. Campaign description

This is where you provide a clear summary of your campaign’s purpose and messaging goals. Carriers use this description to understand why you are sending messages, who receives them, and what types of content you deliver.

Tips for a strong campaign description:

• Be specific about your messaging purpose and goals

• Describe your target audience and who will receive the messages

• Mention message frequency and timing (daily, weekly, event-based, etc.)

• Include the types of messages you plan to send (alerts, reminders, updates, marketing, etc.)

• Reference your business type and industry for additional context

• Aim for 100–200 characters. Minimum 40 characters required for approval

Good examples:

• Customer Service:

  “We send customer service notifications to existing customers who have opted in. Messages include order updates, appointment reminders, and support responses. We send 2–5 messages per week per customer.”

• Delivery Updates:

  “We provide real-time delivery status updates to customers who place orders on our e-commerce platform. Messages include order confirmation, shipping updates, and delivery completion. Customers receive 2–4 messages per order.”

• Account Alerts:

  “We send account security alerts and transaction notifications to banking customers. Messages include login alerts, payment confirmations, and fraud prevention notices. Messages are sent only when account activity requires it.”

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Too vague:

  “We send messages to customers.”

  → Does not explain purpose, message types, or frequency.

• Too brief:

  “Marketing messages for sales.”

  → Under 40 characters and missing details about audience and timing.

• Missing context:

  “Notifications.”

  → No information about business type, audience, or what the notifications contain.

2. Campaign Flow

This is where you will describe how your end-users can opt-in to receive messages.

What to include:

• Checkbox to agree to receiving SMS – This must be clearly visible and require explicit user action.

  Example: “I agree to receive SMS messages from X Business.”

• Message and data rates disclosure – Inform users that standard carrier messaging and data rates may apply for SMS communications.

• Reply keywords to opt out – Provide clear unsubscribe instructions.

  Example: “Reply STOP to opt out at any time.”

• Link to privacy policy – Include a clickable link to your privacy policy explaining how user data is collected, stored, and used.

Where to Include

Businesses must present these consent elements at every point where users provide their phone numbers. The opt-in should be clear, unambiguous, and placed before the user submits their information. Common places to include the required consent language are:

• Website sign-up forms – Include the consent checkbox, opt-out instructions, and privacy policy link directly beneath the phone number field.

• Checkout or registration pages – If you collect phone numbers during customer account creation or purchase flows, consent must appear at the same point.

• Lead capture forms and landing pages – Any form requesting a phone number for marketing, alerts, or support must include the full consent wording.

• Mobile app onboarding – If your app collects phone numbers, show the consent checkbox and notices on the same screen where the user enters their number.

• In-person or verbal opt-in scenarios – You must provide a digital or written version of the consent language, and users must actively agree before receiving SMS.

• After-hours or chat support widgets – If the widget collects a phone number for follow-up SMS communication, include the consent text above the “Submit” button.

Including the consent requirements at the exact moment of phone number collection ensures compliance with carrier regulations and reduces the risk of campaign rejection.

Compliant Template Example for Campaign Flow field:

Users opt-in by: 1.⁠ ⁠Checking the consent box on our website at [YourWebsite.com] 2.⁠ ⁠The consent form includes: ✓ Clear checkbox: "I agree to receive SMS messages" ✓ Notice: "Message and data rates may apply" ✓ Opt-out instructions: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe anytime" ✓ Privacy policy link: [YourPrivacyPolicyURL]

Our privacy policy explains how we handle customer data and complies with SMS regulations. Users can opt-out at any time by texting STOP, and we honor all opt-out requests immediately.

3. Use Cases

Choose Your Use Case

Next, you’ll select the primary use case that best describes the type of messages you plan to send. This determines your campaign classification and the monthly carrier fee that applies once the campaign is approved.

• If you chose Low-Volume Standard Brand Registration Type, your campaign use case will automatically be set to Low Volume Mixed Use Case at $1.50 p/m**.** since this plan is designed for businesses sending fewer than 6,000 messages per month. These are campaign types that serve multiple purposes with mixed communication needs.

• If you chose Standard Brand Registration Type, then you will have to pick among the other available use case options likeL: 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication), Account Notifications, Customer Care, Customer Support, Delivery Notifications, Fraud Alerts, Security Alerts, Marketing, Mixed (multiple non-marketing use cases), Polling & Voting, Public Service Announcements, Higher Education, K–12 Education, Charity, Agents/Franchise, Emergency, Political, Social, and Sweepstakes.

  • These use cases charges vary from $3.00 to $10.00 p/m

• For detailed pricing and descriptions, refer to A2P Registration within the Ringo app.

Develop Sample Messages

Based on your selected use case, you must provide at least two sample messages that closely represent the types of messages you plan to send. These don’t need to be exact copies of future messages but must accurately reflect your campaign’s purpose.

Examples:

• Marketing:

  “Flash sale! Get 30% off all items today only. Use code SAVE30. Shop now.”

• Delivery Notification:

  “Your package will arrive today between 2–4 PM. Track your delivery: abc123”

These samples help carriers understand your messaging intent and improve approval likelihood.

Campaign Features

Indicate whether your campaign will include any special message components:

• Embedded links – such as websites, tracking URLs, landing pages, or login links

• Embedded phone numbers – such as a business contact number included within the message

Selecting the correct features ensures proper campaign classification and prevents carrier filtering

Opt-In and Opt-Out Configuration

You must define how Ringo should automatically respond when users send opt-in or opt-out keywords such as:

• Opt-in: YES, START

• Opt-out: STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE

These automated responses must follow carrier compliance rules.

Follow the step-by-step configuration instructions provided directly inside the Ringo app under A2P Registration.

If your registration is rejected

You may need to revise your details and resubmit. Carriers treat each submission as a new review, so additional fees may apply.

FAQs