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SMS or 10DLC Brand Registration

SMS / 10DLC Business Registration: Step-by-Step Guide​

Quick context: 10DLC (10-digit long code) registration is the carrier-required process in the US for businesses that send A2P (application-to-person) SMS via local long numbers. Brand + Campaign registration helps carriers know who is sending messages and for what purpose, improving deliverability and reducing spam blocking.

Top-level flow (what you'll see)​

From the SMS / 10DLC tab you typically see two main actions:

  1. Brand Registration: register your company/brand as a legitimate sender.
  2. Campaign Plan: register the use case(s) and message templates you'll use under that brand.

There's also an Activity Timeline and a Registrations / Status area which shows progress and events (submitted, in review, approved, rejected, etc.).

SMS 10DLC Overview

Step 1: Company Information​

Company Information

What this screen is Collects legal company data that proves the brand behind SMS messages.

Typical fields

  • Legal / Registered Company Name
  • Website (official domain)
  • Entity type (Sole proprietor, LLC, Corporation, etc.)
  • Tax ID / EIN (or national equivalent)
  • Address, country, city, postal code

What Votel (and carriers) do with it

  • Verify the brand identity against public databases and the domain you register.
  • Use this to link campaigns and numbers to a single legal entity.

Best choices / tips

  • Use your legal company name exactly as it appears on registration documents.
  • Use your official company website (no free hosts). Carriers often crawl the site to verify business activity.
  • Provide a valid EIN / tax ID if available, this speeds approval. If you're a sole proprietor and don't have an EIN, select correct entity type and provide any required local document.
  • Make sure contact details are reachable carriers may call/email to verify.

Step 2: Brand & Contact Details​

Brand Details

What this screen is Gathers the brand category, primary contact person, and address details used on carrier applications.

Typical fields

  • Business category / vertical (e.g., healthcare, retail, financial services)
  • Brand contact name, role, phone, and email
  • Company address and jurisdiction details

Why it matters

  • The category determines acceptable messaging types and legal/regulatory scrutiny (e.g., healthcare/financial has stricter rules).
  • Contact info is used by carriers for verification and is visible on registration records.

Best choices / tips

  • Choose the most accurate business category, miscategorization often leads to delays or rejection.
  • Provide a direct contact (not a generic inbox). Use a business email and direct phone number where possible.
  • If your brand operates multiple business lines, register the one that matches the campaign's use case.

Step 3: Supporting Documents & Verification (if shown)​

Supporting Documents

What this screen is Upload any documents carriers or the aggregator require proof of incorporation, tax docs, or business license.

Why it matters

  • Documents speed up verification and reduce manual follow-ups.

Best choices / tips

  • Provide clear, legible scans (PDF preferred).
  • Make file names descriptive (e.g., "Votel_Incorporation_2025.pdf").
  • Keep a local copy in your records.

Step 4: Review & Checkout​

What this screen is Final summary of the brand details, fees, and the confirmation step. Shows total registration fees (brand + campaign fees, per-campaign or per-number fees) and a submit button.

What to check carefully

  • Brand name, website, entity type, and contact info, these will be used across all campaigns.
  • Total registration cost and billing currency.
  • Any notes on processing time or required follow-up.

Best choices / tips

  • Double-check every field corrections after submission can cause delays or extra fees.
  • Read any carrier notes about expected approval times. Some verticals take longer.
  • Complete payment promptly to avoid auto-cancellation.

Submission / After Submission​

What happens next

  • The brand is submitted to the aggregator/carriers for verification. Statuses you will see: Not Registered → Pending → In Review → Approved / Rejected.
  • Activity Timeline logs submission events, reviewer notes, and final status.

Typical statuses & meaning

  • Pending / In Review: Under carrier/aggregator review. Expect follow-up requests.
  • Approved: Brand is registered you can now register Campaigns.
  • Rejected: Missed info or non-compliant documents you'll receive a reason and can resubmit after fixing.

Best choices / tips

  • If rejected, fix the exact cause and resubmit don't change unrelated fields.
  • Keep an eye on the activity timeline and your email for verification requests.

Campaign Plan (registering message use cases)​

What this is

  • A campaign is a declared use case that outlines who you will message and what kind of messages you'll send (e.g., marketing, alerts, authentication, appointment reminders). Campaigns are registered under a Brand.

Required info

  • Campaign name / short description
  • Use case type (e.g., Marketing, Transactional, 2FA, Customer Care)
  • Sample message templates (actual content you plan to send)
  • Opt-in / opt-out process description
  • Destination numbers types and volumes (estimated throughput)

Why carriers need this

  • To assess compliance risk, carrier routing, and whether messages will be considered A2P or spammy.

Best choices / tips

  • Be explicit about opt-ins how customers opted in, where, and a sample opt-in flow. This strongly affects approvals.
  • Provide realistic sample messages that reflect actual text you'll send, include opt-out text.
  • Choose correct campaign type: e.g., use 2FA for authentication messages only. Mislabeling triggers rejection.
  • Estimate volumes conservatively; carriers watch high throughput for spam signals.
  • If you plan both marketing and transactional messages, register separate campaigns if required.

Campaign Review & Fees​

What to expect

  • Campaign registration often has a per-campaign fee. The Review screen shows costs and a summary before submission.

Best choices / tips

  • Register campaigns that cover all message variations to avoid repeated submissions.
  • Keep a copy of the submitted message templates for audit trails.

Post-submission: Activity Timeline & Monitoring​

Activity Timeline

  • Displays chronological events: submitted, under review, info requested, approved, etc.
  • Use it to track any required next steps.

Monitoring

  • Once approved, watch deliverability metrics (delivery rate, carrier responses).
  • If delivery is low, check message content, opt-in processes, or complaint rates.

Registration Statuses; What they mean & actions​

  • Not Registered: No brand/campaign exists. Action: Register brand and campaign.

  • Submitted / Pending: Under review; check timeline and await requests.

  • In Review: Carriers evaluating; they may request doc or message edits.

  • Approved: You may begin sending under approved campaigns and numbers.

  • Rejected: Fix issues (wrong category, bad template, missing docs) and reapply.

  • Requires More Info: Provide requested docs quickly to avoid delays.

Actions available

  • Edit / Resubmit: Update the campaign or brand.

  • Cancel / Withdraw: Stop submission if you decide not to proceed.

  • Appeal / Support: If you disagree with rejection, contact support/aggregator.

Timeline & expected wait times​

  • Simple brand + campaign: often a few hours → a few days.

  • Business categories requiring manual verification: several days → weeks.

  • If carriers request extra documents, approvals pause until you respond.

Which options are best to choose, practical recommendations​

  1. Accuracy first: Always use exact legal names, real website, and valid TAX/EIN info. This reduces rejections.

  2. Choose the right vertical: If you operate in finance/healthcare pick the relevant category and be prepared for stricter docs.

  3. Message templates: Submit the actual short messages you plan to send (include opt-out). Avoid promotional language in transactional templates.

  4. Opt-in proof: Describe where opt-ins happen (web form, SMS keyword). Keep records of opt-ins.

  5. Numbers mapping: Register campaigns per brand and link phone numbers to that brand/campaign; don't mix unrelated products under one brand.

  6. Volume & throttling: If you plan high volume, discuss rate limits with your provider/aggregator and register anticipated throughput.

  7. Compliance & unsubscribe: Always include clear unsubscribe instructions and honor opt-outs immediately.

  8. Prepare documents: Upload incorporation, business license, or tax docs to speed verification for regulated verticals.