Introduction

A2P stands for Application to Person. All text messages sent from the Chime CRM are considered A2P. The alternative is P2P, or Person to Person, which are texts messages sent directly from one individual to another.

10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code. Phone numbers in the United States are 10DLC numbers. 10DLC numbers were originally designed for person to person (P2P) communication. This communication was unregulated and began seeing abuse from unsolicited messaging. United States telecom carriers put A2P 10DLC in place to ensure that SMS traffic to end-users in the United States is verified and consensual. A2P 10DLC allows people to opt in and out of communication and know who is messaging them. It also benefits businesses by offering them higher messaging throughput, brand awareness, and accountability.

Since Chime is an application, all messages sent from Chime should be registered. Users who do not register could have their messages blocked. 

 

Important: This article is meant to information you about A2P 10DLC requirements, along with the associated costs. There is no need to worry about messaging bandwidth at this time, we will keep you informed as to when the registration process is available.

 

Summary

• Who Needs to Register for A2P 10DLC?
• A2P 10DLC Registration
  • Sole Proprietor and Standard Brands
    • Sole Proprietor Brand
    • Standard Brand
  • Campaign Use Cases
    • Sole Proprietor Campaign
    • Standard Campaign
    • Low-Volume Campaign
    • Special Campaign
  • Secondary Vetting
    • Trust Score
• Best Practices
• 10DLC Self Registration

Who Needs to Register for A2P 10DLC?

Anyone sending SMS/MMS messages over a United States 10DLC number from an application to the United States must register for A2P 10DLC. So, all messages sent from Chime should register A2P 10DLC.

*Note: Toll-Free numbers are not included in the A2P 10DLC system, so please contact Chime Support for assistance with a toll-free number.

Chime is considered an Independent Software Vendor (ISV). As such, we help you register A2P 10DLC Brands and Campaigns. 

 

A2P 10DLC Registration

The two main components of A2P 10DLC registration are brands and campaigns. The brand informs the carrier who is sending the message. The campaign is the purpose of the message. Together, the brand and campaign tell the carrier who is sending the message and why the message is being sent. Beneath the campaign are the phone numbers from which the message is sent.

 

Sole Proprietor and Standard Brands

There are two (2) different types of brands that may be selected. The Sole Proprietor Brand is suitable for anyone without a Tax ID (EIN), while the Standard Brand is meant for those with a Tax ID (EIN). 

 

Sole Proprietor Brand

Sole Proprietor Brands (US and Canada only)
Suitable For	Without Tax ID (EIN)
# of Campaigns permitted	1 Campaign Only
# of Phone numbers permitted	1 Phone Number Only
Outgoing Daily Message Limit	Up to 3,000 to the US, with a hard limit of 1,000 to T-Mobile
Message per Second (MPS) Throughput Toward US	1 Message per Second
Registration One-time Cost	Brand Registration: $4 Campaign Vetting Fee: $15
Monthly Cost	$2 per month

 

Standard Brand

Standard Brands
	Plan A: Low Volume Campaign	Plan B:  Standard Volume Campaign	Plan C: Special Campaign for Franchises
Suitable For	With Tax ID (EIN)
# of Campaigns permitted	50 Campaigns of the same use case type
# of Phone numbers permitted	Up to 400 phone numbers per campaign		Up to 5,000 phone numbers per Campaign
Outgoing Daily Message Limit, per Brand	Up to 6,000 to the US, with a hard limit of 2,000 to T-Mobile	Up to 200,000 to T-Mobile, based on the Trust Score
Message per Second (MPS) Throughput Toward US	3.75 Messages per Second toward major US networks	Up to 225 Messages per Second toward major US networks, based on the Trust Score
Registration One-time Cost	Brand Registration: $4/Brand Campaign Vetting Fee: $15/Campaign	Brand Registration: $44/Brand Campaign Vetting Fee: $15/Campaign
Monthly Cost	Monthly campaign cost varies by use case

Note: Fees will be billed by Chime and are a direct pass through to The Campaign Registry, https://www.campaignregistry.com/

 

Campaign Use Cases

There are four (4) Campaign Use Cases, outlined below. Sole Proprietor Brands can only register Sole Proprietor Campaigns, while Standard Brands can register the Standard Campaign use case, the Low-Volume Campaign use case, or the Special Campaign use case.

 

Sole Proprietor Campaign

The Sole Proprietor brand can only register this campaign. Only one number can be registered under this campaign.

Campaign Cost: $2 per month per campaign

 

Standard Campaign

Up to 400 phone numbers can be registered to a Standard Campaign. By default, Chime will register Standard Campaigns as the Marketing Use Case. The volume of messages that can be sent per day and the message per second throughput could vary, based on the Trust Score (explained below).

Campaign Cost: $10 per month per campaign

 

Low-Volume Campaign

This option is similar to the Standard Campaign, but has a lower monthly fee. The volume of messages that can be sent per day and the message per second throughput is fixed at the lowest tier in the above chart, regardless of the Trust Score (explained below).

Campaign Cost: $1.50 per month per campaign

 

Special Campaign

Special campaigns are designed for brands that have multiple agents, franchises, or offices in different locations with different localized phone numbers. (Note: If the offices have different EINs, they should register as different brands). 

Up to 5,000 phone numbers can be registered to a special campaign.

Campaign Cost: $30 per month per campaign

 

Secondary Vetting

Secondary vetting is an additional brand review done by carriers, and results in your Trust Score. The Trust Score may result in higher T-Mobile daily message limits and higher message per second (MPS) throughput.

Basic Vetting	Secondary Vetting
Done by The Campaign Registry (TCR)	Done by Carriers
Required	Optional
No additional cost	One time fee of $40/Brand

Note: The Campaign Registry (TCR) is the 3rd party that administers the US wireless carriers' new registration system.

 

Trust Score

A Trust Score is a score assigned during Standard Brand registration with TCR when the Brand is submitted for "secondary vetting. The Standard Brand registration process uses a reputation algorithm to review specific criteria relating to your company and then assigns a “Trust Score” from 0 to 100. In short, the higher your Trust Score, the higher your outgoing daily message limit and messaging throughput (MPS).

Trust Scores are static and do not automatically change over time. So, if a brand feels their score is too low, they will need to submit another secondary vetting request.

Trust Score	T-Mobile Outbound SMS/MMS Message Limit
75 - 100	200,000/day
50 - 74	40,000/day
25 - 49	10,000/day
1 - 24	2,000/day

 

Trust Score	Total SMS MPS toward major US networks	AT&T SMS MPS	T-Mobile SMS MPS	Verizon SMS MPS
75 - 100	225	75	75	75
50 - 74	120	40	40	40
25 - 49	12	4	4	4
1 - 24	3.75	1.25	1.25	1.25

 

Best Practices

Select the scenario that meets your needs:

	#1	#2	#3
Do you have a Tax ID (EIN)?	No	Yes	Yes
Do you send more than 6,000 text message per day?	N/A	No	Yes

 

#1: You are an individual or a small business without a Tax ID (EIN). You must register a Sole Proprietor Brand and Campaign

STEP 1: Provide the following information to register the Sole Proprietor Brand

• First and Last Name:
  • You first and last name
• Email Address:
  • This must have a valid domain and cannot be a disposable address. This email address can only be used a maximum of 10 times across all A2P Brand registrations with TCR. If you have registered for A2P 10DLC with another vendor, that counts towards this limit.
• Phone Number:
  • Your business/contact phone number. It can be a landline, mobile, or other number.
• Mobile Number:
  • This mobile number is critical in the registration process and is used for sending a One Time Password (OTP) verification request to you, which you must respond to. This must be a valid US or Canadian mobile number only. This cannot be a number which you've acquired from a CPaaS provider (such as Twilio, etc.). This mobile number can only be used a maximum of three times across all A2P Brand registrations with TCR. If you have registered for A2P 10DLC with another vendor, that counts towards this limit. You may use the same number for both the Phone Number field and the Mobile Number field, provided that this number satisfies all of the requirements here.
• Address:
  • Must be a valid US or Canadian address. It can be a PO Box. This address can only be used a maximum of 10 times across all A2P Brand registrations with TCR. If you have registered for A2P 10DLC with another vendor, that counts towards this limit.
• Brand Name:
  • If you are a Sole Proprietor business, this must be your real business name. For Sole Proprietor businesses, the business name is usually the first name and last name, but you can also provide a DBA name if there is one. This field cannot be a unique identifier such as an account ID or email address.

STEP 2: Provide the following information to register the Sole Proprietor Campaign

• Description:
  • A short description of what this SMS campaign does. Min length: 40 characters. Max length: 4096 characters. Example: "Sending marketing messages about sales and offers."
• message_samples:
  • Samples of the messages you will send. Must include at least 2 and up to 5 samples. 20 character minimum length for each sample. 1024 maximum length for each sample. Example: ["Book your next meeting", "Real Estate event is on"]
• message_flow:
  • Details around how a consumer opts-in to your campaign, therefore giving consent to receive your messages. If multiple opt-in methods can be used for the same campaign, they must all be listed. 40 character minimum. 2048 character maximum. If a website is used for opting in, provide a link to the website. The website needs to have a privacy policy and terms of service. Privacy policies also need to include a statement of non-sharing for mobile numbers, message frequency, and "message and data rates may apply" disclosure. You need to provide a link to the policy. Example: "End users opt-in by visiting www.example.comand adding their phone number. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from Example Brand. Additionally, end users can also opt-in by texting START to (111) 222-3333 to opt in. Term and Conditions at www.example.com/tc. Privacy Policy at www.example.com/privacy"
• has_embedded_links:
  • Yes/No. Indicates that this SMS campaign will send messages that contain links.
• has_embedded_phone:
  • Yes/No. Indicates that this SMS campaign will send messages that contain phone numbers

Tips

1. Sole Proprietor Brands and Campaigns are only intended for customers in the US and Canada who do not have a tax ID. If you have a Tax ID, you must register for a Standard or Low-Volume Standard Brand.
2. One SP brand can only have one campaign, and one campaign can only have one phone number. So if you have multiple numbers (for example: 1 Personal virtual number, 1 AI number), you need to register multiple SP brand and campaign.
3. Estimated Cost
   1. One-time: $4 per brand + $15 per campaign = $19
   2. Monthly: $2 per month per campaign

 

#2: If you have a Tax ID (EIN) and the number of messages sent from your brand is less than 6,000 per day, we recommend registering a Standard Brand without secondary vetting and a Low-volume use case campaign.

STEP 1: Provide the following information to register the Standard Brand

Business Information

• business_type:
  • Partnership, Limited Liability Corporation, Co-operative, Non-profit Corporation, Corporation
• business_industry:
  • REAL_ESTATE
• business_regions_of_operation:
  • USA_AND_CANADA, AFRICA, ASIA, EUROPE, LATIN_AMERICA
• business_registration_number:
  • US EIN:[xx-xxxxxxx]

Address Information

• street:
  • The number and street address of the new address
• city:
  • The city of the new address
• region:
  • Any correct two-letter abbreviation for a US state, for example:"NY"or"WA"
• postal_code:
  • The postal code of the new address
• iso_country:
  • The ISO country code of the new address

Authorized Business Representative

• business_title:
  • Represents the exact job title of the contact, and is free form
• job_position:
  • Director, GM, VP, CEO, CFO, General Counsel, Other
• first_name:
  • Exact first name of this contact
• last_name:
  • Exact last name of the contact
• phone_number:
  • Valid phone number for this contact
• email:
  • Valid email for this contact

STEP 2: Register the Low-volume Campaign

• Description:
  • A short description of what this SMS campaign does. Min length: 40 characters. Max length: 4096 characters.Example: "Send marketing messages about sales and offers"
• message_samples:
  • Samples of the messages you will send. Must include at least 2 and up to 5 samples. 20 character minimum length for each sample. 1024 maximum length for each sample. Example: ["Book your next meeting", "Real Estate event is on"]
• message_flow:
  • Details around how a consumer opts-in to your campaign, therefore giving consent to receive your messages. If multiple opt-in methods can be used for the same campaign, they must all be listed. 40 character minimum. 2048 character maximum. If a website is used for opting in, provide a link to the website. The website needs to have a privacy policy and terms of service. Privacy policies also need to include a statement of non-sharing for mobile numbers, message frequency, and "message and data rates may apply" disclosure. You need to provide a link to the policy. Example: "End users opt-in by visiting www.example.comand adding their phone number. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from Example Brand. Additionally, end users can also opt-in by texting START to (111) 222-3333 to opt in. Term and Conditions at www.example.com/tc. Privacy Policy at www.example.com/privacy"
• has_embedded_links:
  • Yes/No. Indicates that this SMS campaign will send messages that contain links.
• has_embedded_phone:
  • Yes/No. Indicates that this SMS campaign will send messages that contain phone numbers

Tips

1. Brand and campaign reviews have a long processing time, and once registered, the campaign use case cannot be changed. So if you anticipate sending more than 6,000 messages per day in the near future, it is advisable to register non-low-volume standard brands directly.
2. You can create up to 50 campaigns of the same use case type, with each campaign allowing up to 400 numbers by default. If you have more than 400 numbers, you will need to register multiple campaigns.
3. Estimated Cost
   1. One-time: $4 per brand + $15 per campaign = $19
   2. Monthly: $1.50 per month per campaign

 

#3: If you have a Tax ID (EIN) and the number of messages sent from your brand exceeds 6,000 per day, we suggest registering a Standard Brand with secondary vetting and a Standard/Special campaign use case.

STEP 1: Provide the following information to register the Standard Brand

Business Information

• business_type:
  • Partnership, Limited Liability Corporation, Co-operative, Non-profit Corporation, Corporation
• business_industry:
  • REAL_ESTATE
• business_regions_of_operation:
  • USA_AND_CANADA, AFRICA, ASIA, EUROPE, LATIN_AMERICA
• business_registration_number:
  • US EIN:[xx-xxxxxxx]

Address Information

• street:
  • The number and street address of the new address
• city:
  • The city of the new address
• region:
  • Any correct two-letter abbreviation for a US state, for example:"NY"or"WA"
• postal_code:
  • The postal code of the new address
• iso_country:
  • The ISO country code of the new address

Authorized Business Representative

• business_title:
  • Represents the exact job title of the contact, and is free form
• job_position:
  • Director, GM, VP, CEO, CFO, General Counsel, Other
• first_name:
  • Exact first name of this contact
• last_name:
  • Exact last name of the contact
• phone_number:
  • Valid phone number for this contact
• email:
  • Valid email for this contact

STEP 2: Register the Campaign

• Description:
  • A short description of what this SMS campaign does. Min length: 40 characters. Max length: 4096 characters.Example: "Send marketing messages about sales and offers"
• message_samples:
  • Samples of the messages you will send. Must include at least 2 and up to 5 samples. 20 character minimum length for each sample. 1024 maximum length for each sample. Example: ["Book your next meeting", "Real Estate event is on"]
• message_flow:
  • Details around how a consumer opts-in to your campaign, therefore giving consent to receive your messages. If multiple opt-in methods can be used for the same campaign, they must all be listed. 40 character minimum. 2048 character maximum. If a website is used for opting in, provide a link to the website. The website needs to have a privacy policy and terms of service. Privacy policies also need to include a statement of non-sharing for mobile numbers, message frequency, and "message and data rates may apply" disclosure. You need to provide a link to the policy. Example: "End users opt-in by visiting www.example.comand adding their phone number. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from Example Brand. Additionally, end users can also opt-in by texting START to (111) 222-3333 to opt in. Term and Conditions at www.example.com/tc. Privacy Policy at www.example.com/privacy"
• has_embedded_links:
  • Yes/No. Indicates that this SMS campaign will send messages that contain links.
• has_embedded_phone:
  • Yes/No. Indicates that this SMS campaign will send messages that contain phone numbers

If you have more than 400 10DLC numbers, you will have two options:

Option 1 - Register Standard Use Case Campaign	Option 2 - Apply Special Use Case Campaign
By default, Chime will assist you in registering a "Marketing" type campaign. Each campaign can be linked to up to 400 numbers, and a brand can have up to 50 campaigns with the same use case. If you anticipate owning a total of less than 2500 numbers, this option is suitable for you.	You can register the "Agents; franchise; local branches" use case. This use case requires additional approval on a carrier-by-carrier basis for the specific use case. Once approved, a maximum of 5,000 numbers can be linked to a single Agents, Franchises, and Local Branches Campaign.
Please note: This option incurs a higher monthly cost of $10/month per campaign. It is essential to monitor the numbers owned by your team to ensure that all messages are sent from registered numbers. Given the time it takes to register a campaign and the non-use fee charged if the campaign remains unused for more than 60 days after registration, it is important to have a clear understanding of when to register.	Please note: If you require more than 5,000 numbers due to having more than 5,000 agents or business locations, you will need to register one or more additional Campaigns of this type. If your application is rejected, it means that one or more carriers have determined that your use case did not meet the required criteria based on the information provided during registration. To initiate the sending of A2P-registered traffic, please re-register your campaign with standard use case.
Estimated Costs One-time: $4 per brand + $15 per campaign + $40 secondary vetting per brand = $59 Monthly: $10 per month per campaign	Estimated Costs One-time: $4 per brand + $15 per campaign + $40 secondary vetting per brand = $59 Monthly: $30 per month per campaign
1 - 24	2,000/day

 

As the account owner, it is your responsibility to register brands and campaigns for all team members and ensure that all messages sent from your account are properly registered. For users on Chime's multi-team solution or having their own vendor backends, the registration process differs based on the account management scenario:

• If you manage the sub-accounts, you can register the brand and campaign at the company level, allowing all your teams to utilize it.
• If you are a re-seller and the sub-accounts have their own brand, you need to instruct them to individually register the Brand and Campaign for their respective teams.

10DLC Self Registration

10DLC Self Registration is currently available in a closed beta. You will have access to the self registration portal soon. In the meantime, your messages are protected by Chime's brand.

Access the A2P 10DLC registration page by navigating to Settings → Call/Text → Call/Text Settings → 10DLC Compliance

After your Brands and Campaigns have been registered, they will be listed here. If you have not registered any Brands and Campaigns, you will have the option to register your first one here.

Step One: Select Tax ID Status

The first registration step is to select if the business has a Tax ID or not.

• EIN = United States
• CBN = Canada

1. I don’t have a Tax ID:
   1. The business will be regarded as ‘sole proprietor’ brand.
   2. Only one campaign and one phone number can be registered under this brand.
2. I have a Tax ID:
   1. The business will be regarded as ‘standard’ brand.
   2. Chime offers different campaign options based on the account details.

Sole Proprietor Registration

If you user do not have a Tax ID, you will need to register as a Sole Proprietor Brand. This brand allows for one campaign and one phone number to be registered, and is ideal for a solo agent. Multiple sole proprietor brands can be created, if necessary.

Business Profile

This business profile form will need to be completed to start the registration. Some of the fields will be completed already, based on the your location (USA or Canada) and your Business Industry (Real Estate).

Once the business profile has been filled out, the next step is to complete the campaign registration.

Campaign Registration

The Campaign Registration is meant to collect information about the types of messages you will be sending.

On this section of the registration form, you must provide a description of your text message campaigns (i.e. real estate marketing purposes). As well as two (2) sample text messages (i.e. smart plan auto texts). You must also provide a description of how recipients consent to receive text messages (i.e. providing their phone numbers through a registration channel).

After submitting the Campaign Registration, the next step is to pay.

Cost breakdown for a Sole Proprietor Brand:

• Brand Registration Fee:
  • $4 one time charge
• Campaign Registration Fee:
  • $15 vetting fee, one time charge
  • $2 recurring monthly fee
• Amount due initially:
  • $19
  • Note: Chime is offering the first recurring monthly fee free for verified campaigns.
• Monthly recurring payment amount:
  • $2/month

Note: These costs are charged by The Campaign Registry (TCR) and Chime is passing along the costs. Chime did not determine these amounts and they cannot be discounted or refunded.

After submitting the payment, the brand will be visible in the 10DLC Compliance setting. The Registration Status will be Processing until the registration is complete. The Brand and Campaign details can be viewed by clicking on the brand name. A new brand can be registered at any time by clicking the blue Register New Brand button.

Standard Registration

If you have a Tax ID number, you will be prompted to register a Standard Brand. Chime will recommend either plan A, B, or C, depending on the account's text message activity.

Standard Plan Differences

• Plan A:
  • Lowest cost
  • Does not require secondary vetting
  • Capped at a daily limit of 6,000 text messages.
• Plan B:
  • Middle cost
  • Requires secondary vetting
  • Depending on the trust score determined from secondary vetting, could have a higher text message limit than 6,000/day.
• Plan C :
  • Highest cost
  • Longer verification process
  • Designed for large franchise clients

Business Profile and Campaign Registration

The business profile collects the business details, including the Tax ID number. This form is nearly identical to the Sole Proprietor Brand registration. Once the business profile has been filled out, the next step is to complete the campaign registration, which is identical to the Sole Proprietor Campaign registration.

Standard Brand Cost Breakdowns

Cost breakdown for the Plan A Standard Brand:

• Brand Registration Fee:
  • $4 vetting fee, one time charge
• Campaign Registration Fee:
  • $15 vetting fee, one time charge
  • $1.50 recurring monthly fee
• Amount due initially:
  • $19
  • Note: Chime is offering the first recurring monthly fee free for verified campaigns.
• Monthly recurring payment amount:
  • $1.50/month

Note: These costs are charged by The Campaign Registry (TCR) and Chime is passing along the costs. Chime did not determine these amounts and they cannot be discounted or refunded.

Cost breakdown for the Plan B Standard Brand:

• Brand Registration Fee:
  • $44 vetting fee, one time charge
• Campaign Registration Fee:
  • $15 vetting fee, one time charge
  • $10 recurring monthly fee
• Amount due initially:
  • $59
  • Note: Chime is offering the first recurring monthly fee free for verified campaigns.
• Monthly recurring payment amount:
  • $10/month

Note: These costs are charged by The Campaign Registry (TCR) and Chime is passing along the costs. Chime did not determine these amounts and they cannot be discounted or refunded.

Cost breakdown for the Plan C Standard Brand:

• Brand Registration Fee:
  • $44 vetting fee, one time charge
• Campaign Registration Fee:
  • $15 vetting fee, one time charge
  • $30 recurring monthly fee
• Amount due initially:
  • $59
  • Note: Chime is offering the first recurring monthly fee free for verified campaigns.
• Monthly recurring payment amount:
  • $30/month

Note: These costs are charged by The Campaign Registry (TCR) and Chime is passing along the costs. Chime did not determine these amounts and they cannot be discounted or refunded.

 

Important: If you edit to alter your Brand and Campaign details after submitting the payment, the payment will need to be submitted again. The brands and campaigns cannot be edited after submitting the registration.

 

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding this topic or any others, please reach out to our Support Team via email at <support@chimeinc.com>, by phone at 1 (855) 981-7557, or by a chat with us through your Chime CRM.

Related term: A2P, phone regulation, 10DLC