Beginning on August 31, 2023, in an effort to reduce spam messages being sent and received, major mobile carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T began blocking messages being delivered from unregistered businesses in the United States.
All businesses that wish to send SMS messages to their customers must register their business to send text messages confidentially without getting blocked by the major carriers.
Why is registration important?
A2P 10DLC refers to a system in the United States that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging via standard 10-digit long code (10DLC) phone numbers.
In an effort to create a more trusted and regulated ecosystem, A2P 10DLC requires businesses to register their business information and campaign information with the carriers. For clients, registration is required for those using Inbox (through Broadly) or Reputation Management Premium to send notifications, marketing/promotional messages, and review requests.
How does a business register?
Step 1: Navigate to Settings > SMS Configuration.
Step 2: In Your SMS Number click Register Now.
Step 3: Complete all fields in the form, then click the submit information button or save the information by clicking the save changes button. Please note that once the information is submitted the form will be locked.
FAQs
Q: How long does registration take?
A: Once the form has been submitted, registration through third-party verification can take anywhere from one week, up to one month. A third-party agency is being used by telecom carriers in the United States to verify business registration data with government databases.
Q: How can I ensure my application is approved?
A: The most common reason for a business’s application being rejected is because the information entered in the form does not match the information the IRS has for the business, associated with the EIN / Tax ID. Make sure the business information submitted matches exactly the same information associated with the EIN.
Q: How does a business find their business registration number a.k.a. EIN / Tax ID?
A: An EIN is a nine-digit number the IRS uses to identify a business for tax purposes, much like a Social Security number identifies an individual business. In the US, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues a CP 575 EIN Confirmation Letter to confirm the unique Employer Identification Number (EIN) issued to a new business. The EIN provided in a CP 575 letter is required to file your company’s taxes, open a business bank account, and apply for a business credit card, loan, or payroll processing. If a business does not know their EIN, they can apply for an EIN by submitting IRS Form SS-4 online.
Q: Can sole-proprietor businesses without an EIN register for SMS?
A: Not at this time. We are investigating supporting this in the future, for both US- and Canada-based businesses.
Q: The business has already registered via Inbox. Do they need to register again?
A: Yes, for now. In the future, we will be automatically registering businesses for both products when they fill out the form the first time. Right now, you will need to submit the form a second time, but you will see your data that was previously entered is saved for the second submission.
Q: The business is located outside of the United States. Do they need to register?
A: Registration is strictly for businesses that wish to send messages to US numbers, through US telecom carriers. Some businesses may be located outside of the United States, but wish to send SMS messages to US numbers. This is not possible currently, but will be in the future.