Auto Attendant Article
A2P 10DLC Registration for Small Business, Explained
What A2P 10DLC registration is, what brands and campaigns cost as of October 2026, toll-free verification, and how Canada differs. Plain-English checklist.
Summary
- 01Business texts sent through software to US mobile numbers from ordinary long codes need registration through a messaging provider: first the brand, then the campaign, then the numbers.
- 02A business with a tax ID cannot use Sole Proprietor registration. Low Volume Standard fits the article's example of a small towing company sending customer notifications at low volume.
- 03Budget for brand registration, campaign vetting, recurring campaign fees and per-message charges. Monthly campaign fees continue until the campaign is deactivated or deleted.
- 04Toll-free numbers use their own verification instead of brand and campaign registration. Verification covers texting to the US and Canada, and a ported number must be verified again.
- 05Registration follows the recipient's country. Canadian businesses texting US numbers must register; Canada-only long-code texting faces carrier filtering and provider-specific requirements.
- 06Registration does not replace consent obligations. Prepare proof of opt-in, clear sample messages and a process to honour STOP within ten business days.
Inside this article
- 01What A2P 10DLC means
- 02Brand, campaign, number: the three registration layers
- 03What it costs (Twilio's published fees, as of October 2026)
- 04Which registration type fits a small business
- 05Toll-free numbers as the alternative
- 06Canada versus the US
- 07Why registrations get rejected
- 08Consent and STOP still apply
- 09Checklist before you register
- 10Where this leaves a voice-only business number
- 11FAQ
What A2P 10DLC means
If your business software sends text messages to US mobile numbers from an ordinary 10-digit phone number, US carriers expect that traffic to be registered first. Twilio's definition: A2P 10DLC is "a system in the United States that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) type messaging via standard 10-digit long code (10DLC) phone numbers", and it "is specific to long code messaging toward the United States" [1]. Twilio also says carriers "consider all Twilio traffic to be A2P", which in practice means any text sent from a platform rather than typed on a personal phone [2].
The two-line summary of why it exists: carriers want to know who is texting their subscribers and what they are sending before the messages arrive. The registry that holds those answers, The Campaign Registry (TCR), describes itself as "the backbone support for the 10DLC messaging ecosystem", where brands and messaging providers "are verified prior to being allowed to send messages" [3].
This page explains the rules as of October 2026. It is educational information, not legal advice. Fees and carrier rules change often; re-check them before you sign up.
Brand, campaign, number: the three registration layers
You do not register with TCR yourself. TCR says "direct registration with TCR is not available for Brands"; you work through a messaging provider (a Campaign Service Provider) that files for you [3]. The provider's form will walk you through three layers, in this order:
- Brand: who is sending. Your legal business identity. TELUS describes it as "your unique business registration, tied to your legal business name and federal or provincial corporation number" [4]. Most businesses need one brand.
- Campaign: what you send and why. A use case, such as appointment reminders or customer care, with sample messages and a description of how people opted in. Twilio: "You must first have an A2P Brand" before you register a campaign [5].
- Number: which phone numbers carry that campaign. Once the campaign is approved, numbers are assigned to it. TELUS: "Once you've set up a campaign, you can assign numbers and enable SMS" [4].
The Auto Attendant glossary defines general phone terms.
- 01Brand: who is sending
Register the legal business identity through a messaging provider. Most businesses need one brand.
- 02Campaign: what you send and why
Describe the use case, provide sample messages and explain how people opted in. Register the brand first.
- 03Number: which numbers send
Assign the phone numbers to the campaign once the campaign is approved.
What it costs (Twilio's published fees, as of October 2026)
Fees are set by TCR and the carriers and passed through by each messaging provider. Twilio says both registration fees and per-message carrier fees "are passed through by Twilio to our customers with no added cost" [1]. Other providers may add their own charges. The table below is Twilio's schedule as published on 28 October 2026.
| Fee | Amount (USD) | When charged |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Proprietor brand | $4.50 | One time |
| Low Volume Standard brand | $4.50 | One time |
| Standard brand (includes secondary vetting) | $46 | One time |
| Campaign vetting | $15 | Per campaign |
| Sole Prop (Starter) campaign | $2/month | Monthly |
| Standard campaign | $10/month | Monthly |
| Low-volume mixed campaign | $1.50/month | Monthly |
| Charity / 501(c)(3) campaign | $3/month | Monthly |
| Emergency services campaign | $5/month | Monthly |
| Authentication Plus retry (public for-profit brands) | $12.50 | Each retry |
Source: Twilio fee page. The same page notes TCR raised several fees on August 1, 2025 (brand registration from $4.00 to $4.50, standard vetting from $40.00 to $41.50, vetting appeal from $10.00 to $11.00). Twilio's brand comparison article still shows the older $4 and $44 brand figures, so treat the fee page as the current one [6].
Three billing details:
- The brand fee is charged "at the time of creation with TCR", even if the brand ends up unverified [1]. TELUS warns that TCR "charges for every application, regardless of whether your brand is accepted or rejected" [4].
- The monthly campaign fee keeps renewing "unless the Campaign is deactivated/deleted" [1].
- Every message also carries a carrier fee on top of the provider's own per-segment price. On Twilio's US price list, outbound long-code SMS carrier fees are $0.0035 (AT&T), $0.0045 (T-Mobile), $0.005 (Verizon) and $0.0042 (all other carriers) per segment; T-Mobile and AT&T also charge on inbound SMS. Twilio's own base price is $0.0083 per segment [7].
Worked example (editorial, Twilio prices, first year): a small business with a tax ID registers a Low Volume Standard brand ($4.50), one low-volume mixed campaign ($15 vetting, then $1.50 a month). Registration costs $4.50 + $15 + 12 × $1.50 = $37.50 in year one, before any per-message charges. A Standard campaign at $10 a month would make it $139.50.
Which registration type fits a small business
Twilio offers three brand types [2][6]:
| Brand type | Tax ID needed? | Daily volume limit (Twilio) | Numbers per campaign | Throughput toward US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole Proprietor | No; for "Users in the U.S. / Canada without a Tax ID" | Up to 3,000/day to US, hard limit 1,000/day to T-Mobile | 1 | 1 message per second |
| Low Volume Standard | Yes | Under 6,000 segments/day; 2,000/day to T-Mobile | More than 1 | 3.75 MPS |
| Standard | Yes | Over 6,000/day; up to 200,000/day to T-Mobile, by Trust Score | More than 1 | Up to 225 MPS, by Trust Score |
Twilio adds that customers with an EIN are "NOT ELIGIBLE" for Sole Prop, and that "a Canadian business with a Canadian Business Number" must register as a Standard-type brand rather than Sole Proprietor [6].
Example: a towing company's texts as a campaign (editorial). Say a towing firm wants to send "Your driver is 15 minutes away" and "Your vehicle is ready for release at our yard" to people who called for a tow. That is one use case, customer notifications, sent at low volume. The firm has a tax ID, so Sole Proprietor is out; Low Volume Standard with a single campaign fits. Its campaign description should say how the customer agreed to texts (for example, the dispatcher asks on the phone and records the answer), and its sample messages should look exactly like what it will send, including the business name and an opt-out line.
Toll-free numbers as the alternative
Toll-free numbers do not go through 10DLC brand and campaign registration, but they have their own verification. Twilio: "As of January 31, 2024, messages sent from any unverified (Restricted or Pending) Toll-Free phone numbers (TFPN) are blocked", and verification "is required for sending messages over Toll-Free phone numbers to the US and Canada" [8].
What the same page says about the process:
- Twilio asks you to "allow approximately 3-5 business days" for its review.
- A verified number gets "3 SMS segments per second by default".
- Verification does not move with the number: "there is no way to transfer toll-free verifications between providers", so a ported toll-free number must be verified again after the port completes.
Twilio's Canada guidance recommends "short codes or verified toll-free numbers" for business texting to Canadians [9], which makes a verified toll-free number the one sender type that covers both countries with a single review.
Canada versus the US
Texting US recipients from Canada: register. TELUS is direct: "If you're a Canadian company and want to send SMS (text) messages to U.S. customers, you must register with The Campaign Registry (TCR)" [4]. Twilio frames it by destination too: "if you send SMS or MMS to U.S. phone numbers using long code numbers, you need to register" [2].
Texting Canadians from a Canadian long code: no registration rule, but carriers filter. As of October 2026, no CRTC regulation and no industry registration scheme covers business texting from ordinary Canadian 10-digit numbers. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association's program covers common short codes, not long codes. TCR registration is a US-carrier requirement for texts delivered to US numbers. In practice, Canadian carriers filter unregistered business traffic on long codes, and some messaging providers add their own registration step:
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| TELUS (a Canadian carrier), for its own business customers | "If you're a Canadian company and want to send SMS messages to your Canadian customers, you don't need to register with the TCR at this time." [4] |
| Sinch (messaging provider) | Long code traffic in Canada "is not sanctioned and not regulated therefore carriers' filter will apply"; Canadian carriers "are reviewing" a 10DLC-style registration "but haven't decided yet". The post is undated in its visible text. [10] |
| Twilio Canada guidelines | Lists no registration step for domestic long codes, but says "Canadian mobile carriers enforce strict filtering on A2P messages". [9] |
| bLoyal (a software vendor sending through Twilio) | No registration for Canada-only texting on numbers bought before March 26, 2025; registration or "Persona verification" for numbers bought on or after that date. [11] |
| LeadConnector (a CRM platform) | "Canada-only messaging can follow different verification requirements depending on when the number was obtained". [12] |
What this means: the March 26, 2025 cut-off is a messaging-platform policy (bLoyal sends through Twilio), not a carrier or CRTC rule. Whether you must register for Canada-only texting depends on your provider, so ask it in writing. Delivery is a separate issue: carrier filtering applies either way, and short codes or verified toll-free numbers deliver best.
One Canadian detail for US registration: the identifier TCR uses for a Canadian brand is the 9-digit Business Number (BN) from the Canada Revenue Agency. net2phone Canada says TCR changed Canadian brand registration in Q3 2025 so that "only the Business Number (BN) will be accepted", entered as the first nine digits [13], and Twilio's form asks for a "Canadian Business Number" [6]. If a provider's form still asks for a corporation number, give your BN-9 and make the legal name match your CRA record exactly.
Canadian law also applies to the content: CASL defines an electronic message as one "sent by any means of telecommunication, including a text, sound, voice or image message" [14].
- Canadian businesses sending texts to US customers must register with TCR.
- Use the Canadian Business Number and match the legal name to the CRA record exactly.
- No CRTC regulation or industry registration scheme covers business texting from ordinary Canadian long codes as of October 2026.
- Ask your provider in writing whether registration is required. Carrier filtering still applies.
Why registrations get rejected
From the providers' own pages:
- Name and number mismatch. TELUS: "your legal business name and Federal Tax ID must match exactly, or your application will automatically be rejected" [4]. Twilio: a discrepancy can trigger manual secondary vetting "which can take up to 7 days" [2].
- Vague campaigns. TELUS: "Failure to provide clear, detailed information will result in your application's rejection." TCR requires "at least three sample messages" plus a description of how you get consent [4].
- No proof of consent. TELUS lists what TCR wants as evidence: a timestamp of the consent, what you used to collect it, and the wording you used [4].
- Wrong account type. At TELUS, "Business Personal accounts will not be able to do SMS to the U.S." [4].
- Forbidden content. Twilio restricts categories such as payday loans, gambling and cannabis [9].
Consent and STOP still apply
Registration does not replace the law. Under the FCC's TCPA rules, "the term 'call' includes a text message, including a short message service (SMS) call" for the paragraph (a)(9) exemptions, and paragraph (a)(10) says a reply of "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel," or "unsubscribe" revokes consent; such requests "must be honored within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days" [15]. From November 25, 2026, an FCC order lets a sender name one exclusive opt-out method, such as a reply word, if it discloses it clearly; a text that names one word must still honour all seven, and the ten-business-day limit stays [16]. TELUS's campaign form pre-fills STOP and HELP keywords, which "can't be unchecked" [4].
For number reputation on calls, see why a business number shows up as spam.
Checklist before you register
- Legal business name exactly as on your tax or incorporation record.
- Tax ID: EIN (US), or the 9-digit CRA Business Number (Canada).
- A working website that matches the brand.
- One clear use case per campaign, written in plain words.
- Three or more real sample messages with your business name and "Reply STOP to opt out".
- A written description, and proof, of how customers opt in.
- A process to honour STOP within ten business days.
- Budget for one-time fees, monthly campaign fees and per-message carrier fees.
- For Canada-only texting: your provider's written answer on whether registration is required.
Where this leaves a voice-only business number
If your main number only handles calls, registration is a question for whichever provider will send the texts. Questions to ask it (editorial):
- Which brand type will you register me as, and what will I pay, one time and monthly?
- Do you add any fee on top of TCR and carrier pass-through fees?
- Can I text from my existing number, or do I need a new one? Twilio mentions "hosting the number's SMS services" as an option [8]; confirm it works with your voice provider before you start.
- For Canadian recipients, do you require registration, and why?
If unwanted calls rather than texts are the issue, see stopping spam calls to your business.
FAQ
Do I need 10DLC to receive texts?
The rule is framed around sending. Twilio: "if you send SMS or MMS to U.S. phone numbers using long code numbers, you need to register" [2]. Some carriers still charge fees on inbound texts to registered numbers [7]. Ask your provider what it requires for a receive-only number.
Does 10DLC apply in Canada?
Yes for texts to US numbers. For Canada-to-Canada texting from a long code, no carrier or CRTC registration rule exists as of October 2026, but carriers filter and some providers require their own registration (see the table above); ask your provider.
How long does approval take?
It depends on the provider. Twilio says brand registration typically takes "a few minutes (in some cases, may take up to 24 hours)" and campaign reviews "take up to 5 business days for standard use cases" [2]. TELUS says a campaign "can take 20 to 30 business days" [4]. Toll-free verification at Twilio takes "approximately 3-5 business days" [8].
Auto Attendant is a voice-only business number with a phone menu; it does not send or receive texts.
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Auto Attendant Editorial
Auto Attendant gives a small business one phone number and a recorded menu that sends each caller to the right person's mobile, for a flat $29 a month per business line, whatever the size of the team.
Editorial note
Researched and written by Auto Attendant Editorial with AI-assisted research tools; sources are cited inline and checked before publication. Report an error: https://autoattendant.io/contact/.