1. What is A2P 10DLC?
10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) is the carrier-mandated standard for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging in the United States and Canada. Established jointly by Tier-1 mobile network operators (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) and overseen by the CTIA, 10DLC allows businesses to transmit sanctioned, high-volume transactional and promotional SMS traffic over standard local 10-digit phone numbers.
2. The Campaign Registry (TCR) Architecture
To broadcast SMS over 10DLC without carrier blocking, businesses must register through The Campaign Registry (TCR). Registration involves two essential components:
- Brand Registration: Verifying the legal entity using its Employer Identification Number (EIN) or corporate tax ID. Brands undergo third-party vetting to receive a Trust Score (0 to 100).
- Campaign Registration: Declaring the specific messaging use case (e.g. 2FA Authentication, Customer Care, Marketing, Mixed Use), message samples, opt-in disclosures, and opt-out STOP syntax.
3. Trust Scores & Carrier Throughput Tiers
A higher TCR Trust Score grants higher message throughput allocations across US carrier networks:
- T-Mobile Daily Brand Caps: T-Mobile limits daily message volume based on Brand Tier (Low Tier: 2,000 msgs/day; Medium Tier: 40,000 msgs/day; High Tier: 200,000+ msgs/day).
- AT&T Transaction Speeds: AT&T allocates throughput per second based on campaign classification (typically ranging from 15 TPS to 75 TPS for standard campaigns, and up to 100+ TPS for vetted shortcode migrations).
- Verizon Volume Models: Verizon enforces filtering strictly based on campaign registration status and opt-out complaint ratios rather than daily message quotas.
4. Carrier Pass-Through Surcharges
In addition to wholesale SMS gateway termination rates, US mobile operators assess mandatory carrier pass-through surcharges for each 10DLC message segment:
- AT&T: ~$0.002 to $0.0035 per segment.
- Verizon: ~$0.0025 to $0.0030 per segment.
- T-Mobile: ~$0.003 to $0.004 per segment.
Unregistered messages are subject to severe carrier penalty surcharges (up to $0.01 per message) or complete firewall blocking.
5. How NAMX Telecom Simplifies US Wholesale Termination
NAMX Telecom provides an integrated 10DLC registration desk that assists wholesale aggregators and global enterprises in registering their brands and campaigns directly with TCR. Our gateway embeds compliant campaign identifiers into SMPP PDU headers, guaranteeing maximum deliverability and zero penalty surcharges across all North American cellular corridors.