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A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) is the industry standard for sending business text messages in the United States. Every business sending SMS through the HoopAI platform must complete A2P 10DLC registration to ensure reliable message delivery.
Without A2P registration, your SMS messages will be heavily filtered or completely blocked by US carriers. This is not optional — it is a federal carrier requirement enforced since 2023.

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What is A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC is a system that allows businesses to send application-to-person (A2P) text messages through standard 10-digit local phone numbers. Before A2P 10DLC, businesses could send texts from local numbers without registration, but carriers had no way to distinguish legitimate business messages from spam. The system was introduced by The Campaign Registry (TCR) in partnership with major US carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) to:
  • Reduce spam — only registered businesses can send at scale
  • Improve deliverability — registered messages are trusted by carrier networks
  • Increase transparency — carriers know who is sending and why
  • Protect consumers — ensures businesses follow opt-in/opt-out rules

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How it works

A2P 10DLC registration is a two-step process:
  1. Brand registration — register your business identity with The Campaign Registry
  2. Campaign registration — register what type of messages you will send and why
Both steps must be completed before you can send SMS from a local 10-digit number.

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Registration fees

These fees are charged by The Campaign Registry (TCR) and passed through to your account. They are non-refundable once submitted.

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Step 1 — Brand registration

Brand registration verifies your business identity. The information you provide is checked against public business databases.

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Information required

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How to register your brand

1

Navigate to phone number settings

Go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center in your HoopAI account.
2

Click Register Brand

Select A2P 10DLC and click Register Brand. If you have already registered at the account level, your brand may already appear here.
3

Enter business information

Fill in all required fields. Double-check that your legal business name and EIN match your IRS records exactly — mismatches are the #1 cause of rejection.
Brand registration form showing business name, EIN, address, and other required fields

Brand registration form in the Trust Center

4

Submit and wait for verification

After submitting, your brand will be reviewed. This typically takes 1-5 business days. You will receive a trust score once approved.

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Trust score

After brand registration, TCR assigns a trust score that determines your SMS throughput (messages per second):
Sole proprietors typically receive a trust score in the low range. LLCs and corporations with clean public records usually score medium or higher.

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Enhanced vetting

If your trust score is too low, you can request enhanced vetting for a one-time fee of $40. Enhanced vetting performs a deeper check of your business using third-party data and can significantly increase your trust score. Enhanced vetting is recommended if:
  • Your initial trust score is below 50
  • You need to send more than 2,000 messages per day
  • You run marketing campaigns with large contact lists
To request enhanced vetting, go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center > click Request Vetting next to your registered brand.

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Step 2 — Campaign registration

After your brand is approved, you must register at least one campaign that describes what type of messages you will send.

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Campaign use cases

Select the use case that best describes your messaging:
Choose your use case carefully. Selecting “Marketing” when you are sending appointment reminders (or vice versa) can cause your campaign to be rejected. If you send both, choose Mixed.

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Sample messages

You must provide at least 2 sample messages that represent the type of content you will send. These must:
  • Match your selected use case
  • Include your business name
  • Include opt-out language (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”)
  • Be realistic examples of actual messages you will send
Good sample messages:
“Hi , this is . Your appointment is confirmed for tomorrow at 2:00 PM. Reply STOP to opt out.”
”: Thanks for signing up! We’ll send you tips and exclusive offers. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”
Bad sample messages (will cause rejection):
“Hey, check this out!” (no business name, no opt-out)
“Buy now! Limited time!” (no business name, no opt-out, too vague)

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Opt-in and opt-out requirements

Your campaign registration must describe how contacts opt in to receive messages:
You must have a privacy policy and terms of service on your website that mention SMS communications. Carriers check for this during campaign review.

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How to register your campaign

1

Navigate to the Trust Center

Go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center. Your approved brand should be visible.
2

Click Register Campaign

Click Register Campaign under your approved brand.
3

Select use case

Choose the campaign use case that best matches your messaging.
4

Add sample messages

Enter at least 2 sample messages. Include your business name and opt-out language in every sample.
5

Describe opt-in flow

Explain how contacts opt in. Provide the URL of your opt-in form if applicable.
Campaign registration form showing use case selection, sample messages, and opt-in description

Campaign registration — opt-in description and sample messages

6

Submit for review

Review all details and submit. Campaign review typically takes 1-14 business days depending on carrier backlog.

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Timeline

Start your A2P registration as soon as possible — ideally before you begin building campaigns. Do not wait until launch day.

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What happens without registration

If you attempt to send SMS from a local 10-digit number without A2P 10DLC registration:
  • T-Mobile: messages are blocked entirely; $2,000+ daily fines possible for unregistered traffic
  • AT&T: messages are heavily filtered; most will not be delivered
  • Verizon: messages may be delivered at very low throughput with high filtering
  • Your number may be permanently flagged as spam
  • Your account may be suspended by the carrier
Sending unregistered A2P traffic is not a gray area. Carriers actively block it and may blacklist your numbers permanently.

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Throughput limits by trust score

After registration, your daily sending limits are determined by your trust score and the number of campaigns: MPS = messages per second

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Checking registration status

1

Go to the Trust Center

Navigate to Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center.
2

View brand status

Your brand will show one of these statuses:
  • Pending — under review
  • Verified — approved and active
  • Failed — rejected (see troubleshooting below)
3

View campaign status

Each campaign will show:
  • Pending — under review by carriers
  • Active — approved and ready to send
  • Rejected — denied (see troubleshooting below)
  • Suspended — temporarily suspended due to violations
Trust Center dashboard showing verified brand and active campaign status

Trust Center showing brand and campaign registration status

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Troubleshooting

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Rejected brand registration

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Rejected campaign registration

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Low trust score

If your trust score is lower than expected:
  1. Verify EIN accuracy — even small discrepancies lower your score
  2. Check business listings — ensure your business appears on Google, BBB, state registry
  3. Use a business website — not a free subdomain or social media page
  4. Request enhanced vetting — $40 one-time fee, can significantly improve your score
  5. Ensure your business is in good standing — active state registration, no liens or judgments

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Toll-free verification as an alternative

If you need to send SMS quickly while waiting for A2P 10DLC approval, consider using a toll-free number instead: To verify a toll-free number, go to Settings > Phone Numbers > select your toll-free number > Submit for Verification.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. A2P 10DLC is required for all business SMS sent from local 10-digit numbers in the US, regardless of volume. Even 1 message per day requires registration.
Toll-free numbers do not require A2P 10DLC registration, but they do require toll-free verification, which is a separate process. Toll-free numbers are a valid alternative if you do not need a local area code.
Typically 2-9 business days from start to finish. In some cases, it can take up to 19 business days if there are delays in carrier review. Start early.
The most common reason is a mismatch between your legal business name and your EIN on file with the IRS. Check for typos, missing suffixes (LLC, Inc), and ensure your business is in good standing with your state.
Yes. Each campaign costs $15. Most businesses only need one campaign with the Mixed use case to cover both marketing and informational messages.
Brand registration verifies your business identity (who you are). Campaign registration describes your messaging (what you send and why). Both are required.
No. If the same business entity operates multiple accounts, you register the brand once and can create campaigns for each account under that brand.
You will need to submit a new brand registration with the updated information. The old registration cannot be edited after approval.
Yes. MMS sent from local 10-digit numbers is subject to the same A2P 10DLC requirements as SMS.
Technically, messages may still be sent, but they will be subject to heavy carrier filtering and may not be delivered. It is strongly recommended to wait for approval or use a verified toll-free number in the interim.
Enhanced vetting is a deeper verification of your business for a $40 one-time fee. It can increase your trust score, which directly increases your daily message limits and throughput. It is worth it for any business planning to send more than 2,000 messages per day.
No. A2P 10DLC is a US-only requirement. Canadian SMS has its own compliance rules under CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation).
Yes, dedicated shortcodes are a separate registration path with higher throughput, but they cost significantly more (500−500-1,000/month) and have a longer approval process (8-12 weeks).
SHAFT stands for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. Messages containing SHAFT content are prohibited on standard A2P 10DLC campaigns and will cause your campaign to be rejected or suspended.
Your throughput is tied to your trust score. To increase it: (1) ensure your brand information is accurate, (2) request enhanced vetting, (3) maintain good sending practices (low spam complaints, proper opt-in/opt-out). You cannot manually set throughput limits.
Last modified on May 19, 2026