As businesses increasingly rely on text messaging to engage with customers, ensuring both effectiveness and compliance is crucial. The 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) system, a messaging standard for businesses in the U.S., was created to support high-volume, application-to-person (A2P) texting while meeting regulatory standards. For brands in industries like real estate, finance, and home improvement, understanding 10DLC registration offers a vital advantage in today’s compliance-focused messaging landscape.

If you’re navigating A2P compliance, Structurely’s A2P 10DLC compliance guide provides essential information on how compliance impacts businesses and how AI-driven messaging solutions can ensure regulatory adherence.

What is 10DLC Registration?

In the messaging world, 10DLC refers to local, 10-digit phone numbers authorized for high-volume business messaging. Previously, businesses had limited options: short codes, which were highly regulated and costly, or long codes, typically restricted to low-volume, peer-to-peer (P2P) communication. The introduction of 10DLC has changed the game, enabling businesses to send A2P messages more efficiently and compliantly using local numbers.

Registration is at the core of the 10DLC system, allowing carriers to authenticate businesses and prevent spam. Registration also enables businesses to access higher throughput rates and avoid messaging restrictions.

The Benefits of 10DLC Registration for Businesses

Registering for 10DLC isn’t just a compliance box to tick—it’s a valuable investment in message deliverability and brand trust.

1. Enhanced Message Deliverability: 10DLC registration permits higher message throughput, which is crucial for businesses that rely on timely communication with clients.
2. Greater Brand Recognition and Trust: Registered numbers are verified by carriers, meaning messages sent over 10DLC are more likely to be trusted by recipients, avoiding the spam folder.
3. Compliance and Reduced Risk: By adhering to 10DLC requirements, businesses can avoid legal risks and messaging blocks. Compliance-focused partners, such as Structurely, provide AI-driven outreach tools that ensure timely, compliant follow-ups, enhancing communication strategies across industries.

Key Steps to 10DLC Registration

The 10DLC registration process requires a few foundational steps. Here’s a breakdown of the essentials:

• Select a Messaging Partner: Partnering with a reputable provider, like Structurely, is invaluable. With compliance expertise and AI solutions tailored to your industry, Structurely ensures smooth communication that aligns with all current regulations.
• Define Your Campaign Use Case: Businesses must outline how they intend to use 10DLC, specifying the types of messages they’ll send and the audiences they’ll target. Each use case, from marketing to customer service, must be disclosed for approval.
• Brand and Campaign Registration: Finally, businesses need to provide accurate details for both their brand and specific campaigns. This ensures messaging transparency and accountability.

Once registered, businesses can use the same 10DLC number across all U.S. carriers, simplifying A2P messaging efforts.

Why 10DLC Matters in Today’s Regulatory Landscape

The rise of 10DLC stems from a growing emphasis on consumer protection and data security, driven by FCC and carrier regulations. With the ever-evolving landscape of A2P compliance, brands must keep up to avoid penalties and maintain strong customer relationships.

Companies like Structurely recognize the importance of compliance and go beyond simple registration by offering AI-driven messaging solutions that are fully aligned with these standards. By partnering with platforms that prioritize compliance, businesses can continue to build reliable, compliant messaging channels while focusing on customer engagement.

How 10DLC Enhances Customer Engagement

Effective communication is not just about compliance—it’s about connecting meaningfully with customers. By using registered 10DLC numbers, businesses have a reliable foundation to build engaging, personalized messaging campaigns.

Higher Response Rates: Compliant messaging ensures that texts are delivered without delay, making customers more likely to respond. Structurely’s Text AI feature, for example, starts customer interactions with a text and follows up with a call from the same number, boosting response rates. This feature ensures every interaction is both personal and compliant, a major plus for businesses needing responsive outreach.

Personalization in Real-Time: AI-powered platforms like Structurely’s adjust responses based on real-time customer interaction, ensuring each message is relevant. Structurely’s integration options also allow businesses to sync customer data for hyper-personalized follow-ups.

Challenges of 10DLC Registration and Compliance

While the benefits of 10DLC registration are significant, the process isn’t without challenges. Some hurdles include:

• Registration Costs: Fees vary based on brand type and campaign volume, making it essential to budget accordingly.
• Data Accuracy: Precise, up-to-date business information is crucial for 10DLC registration. Incorrect details can delay approval or result in message blocking.
• Carrier-Specific Regulations: Each carrier may have unique rules for message throughput and content, requiring businesses to navigate varying standards.

Partnering with compliance-focused providers like Structurely can help alleviate these challenges. By centralizing customer outreach and data in a unified, AI-driven platform, Structurely enables businesses to manage 10DLC requirements seamlessly, saving time and avoiding costly compliance issues.

Conclusion

10DLC registration is more than just a regulatory hurdle; it’s an opportunity to enhance customer trust, boost message deliverability, and position your brand as a reputable communicator. By embracing 10DLC registration and working with compliance-centric partners like Structurely, businesses can maintain high standards of customer engagement while navigating A2P compliance with ease.

For more details on building a compliant, effective messaging strategy, check out Structurely’s A2P 10DLC compliance article and explore additional lead engagement features designed to optimize outreach and maximize response rates.