New Requirements for A2P 10DLC Registrations

Effective immediately, Twilio will deprecate the ability to register new Starter Brands due to updated registration requirements from The Campaign Registry (TCR). Twilio Starter Brands relied on what TCR termed Sole Proprietorship registrations. When setting up Twilio Starter Brands we intended to utilize this simplified path forward for our customers to register their 10DLC campaigns, while staying compliant with industry standards. At the time this was the most seamless path forward for our customers to access A2P routes. However, due to updates and clarifications from the Industry around Sole Proprietorship that impact all providers, we will now require changes to existing Starter Brand registrations, and implement changes to register new 10DLC campaigns.

These requirements being implemented by TCR are in line with broader industry goals to drive a verified business communications ecosystem through registration and verification. We understand that there have been many changes in the US messaging landscape that have impacted the way you build and implement your messaging applications and we remain committed to building a path forward that balances the need to protect consumers, preserve the value of the channel, and reduce barriers to innovation for businesses. Even though there have been challenges, 10DLC numbers continue to provide the deliverability, engagement, and throughput needed to engage with your customers where localized, personalized communication is valued.

What is changing?

New requirements for existing Starter Brands or Sole Proprietorship registrations

To ensure compliance with Industry standards, TCR now requires additional details for existing registrations and has implemented new limits on brands and senders. These changes impact all providers registering campaigns and brands through TCR.

1. Introduction of a Tax ID (EIN) Requirement - Customers with a Tax ID (EIN) cannot register as Sole Proprietor entities. If you have active, registered Sole Proprietor entities (Twilio Starter Brands) and have a Tax ID (EIN) you will need to re-register your campaigns as Standard Brands. We recommend that you then register as a Low-Volume Standard Brand (more information below).
2. Requirement for Complete and Valid Details - Sole Proprietorship brands must include a valid business name, first name, last name, email address, phone number, and physical address. These fields are not permitted to contain obfuscated data.
3. New limits on Brands per Validation - Each phone number can only be used to validate 3 or fewer brands. Each email or physical address can only be used to validate 10 or fewer brands.
   Note: This limit applies for all US A2P 10DLC registrations within the ecosystem, even brands outside of Twilio.
4. Requirement for US and Canada Address - Only valid addresses in the U.S. and Canada will be accepted for Sole Proprietorship registration.
5. Limits on Campaigns and Phone Numbers - Only 1 campaign and 1 phone number is allowed per Sole Proprietorship entity.
6. One-time-password (OTP) - To keep your Sole Proprietor Brands registered, customers must confirm their identity using a One Time Password (OTP) verification. More details to come on April 17th, 2023.

New Pricing for Brand Registration

We have worked with the carriers to adjust and waive certain pricing structures associated with Standard Brand registration. New Low-Volume Standard Brand and campaign registrations will incur a $4 USD registration fee, effective immediately, as opposed to the previous price of $94 USD. Note Low-Volume Standard Brands do not include Secondary Vetting (typically $40 per brand). All campaigns (Low-Volume Standard and Standard) now include a Campaign Registration waiver.

** Campaign monthly fees are currently $2 - $10 depending on the use case. Starting Nov 3, 2022, Low-Volume Mixed Campaign fee will decrease from $2 to $1.50 per month

What do I need to do?

I need to register new US A2P 10DLC campaigns; how does this impact me?

Registering 10DLC campaigns through Starter Brands is no longer an option, and you will need to register through our Standard Brand process. If you intend to send fewer than 6,000 message segments/day to the US and only require low throughput, you will be able to register via the Low-Volume Standard registration. Low-Volume Standard registration is a new registration process that is intended for independent software vendors (ISVs) and small businesses with an EIN that do not require secondary vetting.

I have existing Starter Brand registrations. How does this impact me?

First, determine whether or not your registered brand has an EIN. If your business does not have an EIN a new entity, known as Sole Proprietorship 2.0 will be available soon. If the brand has an EIN, re-register via our Standard Brand registration process. When registering as a Standard Brand, determine if you intend to send under 6,000 message segments per day. If you intend to send fewer than 6,000 message segments/day, you should register via the Low-Volume Standard Registration. If you intend to send more than 6,000 message segments/day, you should register as a Standard Brand.

What’s next

While this transition to 10DLC has come with its challenges, we’ve heard from businesses operating in the verified ecosystem about the deliverability, engagement, and throughput improvements they’ve seen. We know this continues to be a big shift in how you do business, and we’re here to partner with you to make the transition as seamless as possible.

We are committed to continuing our work with TCR and the Industry to identify the most compliant path forward while advocating for Twilio customers who continue to drive innovation in business messaging. We will continue to provide updates on this evolving direction as we learn more.