Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS Registration Requirements
Spam and fraudulent messages have long been a significant problem, creating frustration for consumers and a challenge for mobile carriers to maintain consumer confidence in their services.
To address this, U.S. mobile carriers require businesses to register for A2P 10DLC to send SMS on their networks. Registration increases transparency and trust for businesses while making it harder for bad actors to send fraudulent messaging traffic.
This is an industry-wide change required by all major U.S. mobile carriers and affects all services like Revenue.io. SMS Compliance and A2P 10DLC (Twilio) has more detail.
Registering for A2P 10DLC
Before you get started:
- Your organization must be a registered business to provide an active Tax ID/EIN number.
- You must provide the contact information of an authorized representative of the organization and their information needs to be publicly verifiable (company social media, website, published article, etc.)
- Your organization must have a valid opt-in consent process which allows SMS recipients to register or revoke their consent prior to receiving messages.
Application form
To start your application, please complete the form linked here. Carrier approval will take approximately 2-3 weeks from submission.
Required information
Business information
- Full Legal Business Name (Must match Tax ID/EIN)
- Business Address (Must match Tax ID/EIN)
- Company Type (Private/Public/Non-Profit)
- Stock Ticker (If Public)
- Tax ID / EIN Number
- Industry
- Website
- Regions of Operation
- Authorized Representative
- Full Name
- Title
- Phone Number
Campaign information
Your campaign description must answer three questions:
- Who is sending the message?
- Who is receiving it?
- Why are they receiving it?
Your description also needs to be consistent with the use case you selected and with your sample messages. Make sure your brand name, website, and other details match your brand registration exactly.
Important: Do not include any personally identifiable information (PII) in the Campaign Description. Brand names and publicly available information are fine, but real consumer names or phone numbers are not.
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Acceptable | “Messages are sent by {brand name} to customers who have signed up to our website [link to website] requesting to receive additional information about our services. We use these messages to help provide them more relevant information about our services using the information they provided. When appropriate, SMS is then used to schedule further calls with the customer.” |
| Not Acceptable | “We send texts to people.” (Too vague. no brand name, no recipient info, no purpose) |
| Not Acceptable | “Messages are sent by {brand name} to customers.” |
Sample messages
Provide 2–5 examples of what your actual messages will look like. These must reflect what customers will genuinely receive.
When composing your sample messages:
- Use brackets to indicate dynamic/templated fields:
[Name],[Date],[Link] - Include your brand name so it is clear who is sending the message
- Include opt-out language in at least one sample (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”)
- Be consistent with your campaign use case and campaign description
- Do not use vague or generic placeholder text
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Acceptable | “Hi [First Name], this is [Rep Name] from {Brand Name}. I wanted to follow up on your interest in [Product]. Let me know if you have any questions. Reply STOP to opt out.” |
| Not Acceptable | “Here is your code.” (No brand name, no context) |
| Not Acceptable | “Hi, is this the owner of 123 Oak St? I want to buy your house.” (Cold outreach is not allowed. Consent is required.) |
Message flow (consent description)
The message flow is where most campaign rejections happen. It must include a clear description of how end users consent to receive messages. If you use multiple opt-in methods (e.g., a website form and a phone keyword), provide a description for each method.
Reviewers check that the following disclosures are present at the point of phone number collection:
- Service description and name e.g., “Sign up to receive updates from {Brand Name}!”
- Fee disclosure “Message and data rates may apply” (this exact phrasing is required. do not include the word “standard,” as it implies premium-rate messaging, which is no longer permitted in the US)
- Frequency e.g., “Message frequency varies” or “One message per login”
- Customer care contact e.g., “Reply HELP for help”
- Opt-out instructions e.g., “Reply STOP to opt out”
| Example | |
|---|---|
| Acceptable | “Customers provide opt-in consent when enrolling on our website and requesting a demo. By checking a ’text me’ checkbox, customers authorize {Brand Name} to send text messages. A call-to-action below the form clarifies message frequency, notes that message and data rates may apply, and provides opt-out instructions. Consent is not a condition of purchase. [Link to terms and conditions]” |
| Not Acceptable | “Customers sign up on the website and check a box. We also ask if we can text them on the phone.” |
Getting consent right
The type of messages you send determines the level of consent required.
- For transactional messages (order confirmations, appointment reminders and follow-ups), you need basic permission. This can happen when someone provides their phone number at checkout or verbally agrees over the phone.
- For marketing messages (sales phone calls and promotions), you need documented proof such as a checkbox or keyword opt-in. Verbal opt-ins are not accepted for marketing campaigns unless followed by a double opt-in via the user’s handset.
Consent is per campaign. If someone opts in for one type of message, they have not automatically consented to other types. Separate opt-ins are required for each campaign type, and enrolling a customer into multiple campaigns based on a single opt-in will result in rejection.
Consent must also be voluntary:
- Users cannot be required to opt in as a condition of completing a purchase, creating an account, or accessing services
- Messaging consent must be kept separate from general terms of service or privacy policy agreements
- Consent checkboxes and toggles must be unchecked/off by default
- Consent is not transferable and cannot be assigned to third parties
| This works | This doesn’t |
|---|---|
| ☐ “Yes, I’d like to receive text messages from {Brand Name}” (unchecked by default, voluntary) | ☑ “I agree to receive text messages” (pre-checked box) |
| Separate checkbox for SMS consent, distinct from the Terms of Service agreement | “By agreeing to our Terms of Service, you consent to receive promotional messages” (consent bundled with ToS) |
| Separate opt-ins for transactional messages and marketing messages | Single opt-in that enrolls the customer in both transactional and marketing campaigns |
Providing proof when opt-in isn’t publicly visible
If your opt-in process is behind a login, on a paper form, via a verbal or IVR script, inside an app flow, or not yet published publicly, you must provide a publicly accessible link to a screenshot (e.g., via Google Drive or OneDrive) in the message flow description. The reviewers must be able to verify the opt-in method you describe.
Privacy policy and terms and conditions
Both a privacy policy and terms and conditions are required for campaign approval. Missing or incomplete policies are one of the most common reasons for rejection.
Privacy policy
Every registration needs to include both a privacy policy and terms and conditions, and they need to meet specific requirements that protect your customers and keep you compliant with industry standards. Both are required for approval. In your privacy policy, our carrier checks for language that makes it clear that Messaging Consent data isn’t being shared, sold, or bought. Here’s an example of the language they look for:
“All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information won’t be shared with any third parties.”
Your privacy policy must:
- Disclose what data you collect and how it is used
- Explicitly state that mobile information and opt-in consent will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes (required by CTIA)
Terms and conditions
Your terms and conditions should include:
- Program or brand name
- Program description
- “Message and data rates may apply” disclosure
- Message frequency (or recurring message disclosure)
- Customer support contact information
- Complete opt-out instructions (HELP and STOP), displayed in bold
- Link to the privacy policy
- Disclosure that states “Carriers are not liable for any delayed or undelivered messages”
We recommend consulting with your legal counsel to make sure that your terms of service and privacy policy are compliant with applicable laws and consistent with standards for your particular campaign and industry. We cannot provide guidance in this area.
Pro tip: Consider creating messaging-specific privacy policies and terms and conditions rather than modifying your main company documents. Dedicated messaging policies are easier to keep current as requirements evolve.
Data consistency
Inconsistent data across your registration is one of the most common reasons for rejection. Before submitting, verify:
- Brand name: The name you register with must match exactly what appears in your messages and on your website.
- Email domain: Use a corporate email domain that matches your brand—not Gmail or Yahoo addresses.
- Website: The URL you provide must be live and functional. Sites that don’t load, return errors, or aren’t yet published will fail review.
Q&A
Does A2P 10DLC impact messaging to Canadian numbers, or other international numbers?
No, A2P only applies to messaging customers in the US at this time.
Am I required to register if I’m already registered for A2P through another provider?
Yes. A unique campaign registration is required for each of your business use cases. A2P campaign registrations from another service provider cannot be transferred.
Am I required to obtain consent (opt-in) from the recipient before sending text messages?
Yes—opt-in consent must be demonstrated for a campaign to be approved. We also strongly recommend having a system in place to record and audit user consent for compliance purposes.
What if my campaign gets rejected?
Review the rejection reason carefully—most rejections fall into one of the categories above (vague description, missing privacy policy language, pre-checked consent boxes, etc.).
Refer to the CTIA guidelines for detailed instructions and best practices on handling consumer consent. Please consult with your legal advisors as required on fulfilling the requirements as they apply to your use case and organization.