A SANCTIONED ENVIRONMENT
“TCR™ works with North American mobile operators and companies that are in the messaging business to register Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging Campaigns. The registry supports a sanctioned A2P 10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) text messaging Campaign ecosystem and provides visibility into the messaging source and content, allowing mobile carriers to provide a more reliable and simple messaging service for Campaign Service Providers (CSPs) and Brands. Brands can now run their campaigns with confidence, knowing that they are using an officially sanctioned product for their messaging termination, 10DLC.”~The Campaign Registry
10DLC SMS Campaign Registration
The Campaign Registry (TCR) is an information hub organized by the major mobile carriers. These mobile carriers have set industry standards mandating that all businesses desiring to send SMS messages from their 10DLC business numbers must register a brand for their company and create a campaign to register their use case. This campaign is then assigned at the carrier level to the telephone number(s). Their goal is to identify and block unregistered traffic in an effort to reduce spam and junk to cell phones. Legitimate businesses must register their brand (company information) and create campaigns for their messaging use cases. Messaging traffic sent with an approved campaign assigned is delivered by mobile carriers to the message recipient. Traffic with no campaign assigned is not delivered.
Creating Your Brand and Campaign
Inventive Labs Corp is a registered CSP (Campaign Service Provider) at the TCR and we provide SMS services for all of our products. All of our new or existing customers desiring SMS services must create a Brand and Campaign in order send outbound messages on our platform. If you are a new customers, you can let us know your outbound messaging needs, and we’ll determine the type of campaign needed to achieve the messaging throughput needed. We’ll make sure you are comfortable using our customer portal and answer any questions you may have.
How long does this take?
Messaging cannot be enabled for your ported or provisioned numbers until a campaign can be assigned. This does create delays in enabling SMS services for your company or your newly onboarded customers. Build a 7 – 14 day delay for SMS services into your onboarding timeline and make sure you set appropriate expectations on when SMS will be enabled.
Pre-requisites to Submitting Your 10DLC SMS Campaign Registration
Production Account:
Your account must be converted from a Demo account to a Production account. Follow your portal instructions to enter your payment information and select your plan.
Company Requirements:
Your business must have a Federal Employer ID Number (EIN) under which you file your taxes. If you file taxes under your Social Security Number, your business is not eligible for a messaging campaign.
Website Requirements:
Every business who wishes to engage in business messaging must have a business website wherein they publicly state how they protect the mobile information and consent that they gather. They cannot sell any mobile information to third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes. This must be stated clearly in their website Privacy Policy. We recommend that you implement the following on your website:
Privacy Policy: An easy to locate link to your Privacy Policy must be on your website, such as in the footer of every screen (preferred), in a Legal section, or on the Contact Us page.
Required Privacy Policy Language: The following language is recommended for your Privacy Policy to declare how you protect the mobile information and consent that you gather.
“By providing your wireless phone number to [insert your company name], you agree and acknowledge that [insert your company name] may send text messages to your wireless phone number. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. You may opt-out at any time by replying “Stop”. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. Notwithstanding any other statement within this privacy policy, originator opt-in data and consent will never be shared with any third parties.”
Web Forms: : If you collect a phone number on a contact form, quote request, point of sale, etc, your form must contain consent language. Include a consent statement with a checkbox where the interested party must check the box in order to submit the webform. This gives you ‘express consent’, allowing you to send messages as needed.
□ I consent to receive text messages and voice calls. Frequency may vary. Mobile message and data rates from your cell phone carrier may apply. I understand I can opt-out at any time by texting Stop.
No Website?
The TCR’s requirement for a website has a dual purpose. They are vetting your company to determine if you are a legitimate business and to see if your brand’s Vertical Type (Healthcare, Information Technology, Education, etc.) and Use Case (Customer Care, Marketing, etc.) matches your published website information. They need to see your published policies for how you manage the information you collect and protect the privacy of your customers.
If your business operates without a website, you must provide a URL to your business profile on an online platform like Yelp, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, etc. The same pre-requisites apply, as outlined in Website Requirements above. Depending on the platform your business is on, you will either add your Privacy Policy to your profile information, or create a post that you Pin to the top.
You would enter the URL to your platform page in the campaign form’s website field.
Creating your Brand
Legal Company Name & EIN: The most critical piece involved in creating your Brand is making sure your Legal Company Name and EIN match what is on file with the IRS. Your Legal Company Name and EIN can be found on your CP575. This is the document that your business received from the IRS / Department of Treasury upon successfully registering your business and receiving your Federal Tax ID number. Note that this is your Federal Employer Identification Number, not any State ID number or any other corporate registration ID. It is the number with which you file taxes with the IRS.
If Legal Company Name and EIN do not match, the brand submission will fail. There is a brand submission fee assessed by TCR each time the brand is submitted. We pass these fees through to you. To avoid these additional costs, we encourage you to be deliberate in confirming this information prior to submission. If your brand submission fails but you have confirmed that the Legal Company Name and EIN are correct, you have the option to submit the brand for a more comprehensive brand verification at an additional fee of $40. E
FAQs from The Campaign Registry
Why do I need to provide the EIN of the Brands that I register?
When you add a Brand to your CSP profile, we require you to enter its EIN (Sole Proprietors are excluded). This allows TCR to verify the identity of the Brand, which is a requirement for any campaign to be registered on 10DLC. It is crucial that the EIN matches the legal company name of the Brand you are registering for it to be correctly verified.
How can I be sure to enter the correct EIN/ Tax ID to have my Brand “Verified”
Tax ID number is used in conjunction with the company’s name, address, and other information to ensure we perform a background investigation on the correct company. The following guidance will provide the best recognition opportunity for your company.
United States If you are a US company or a foreign company with a US IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN), please enter that nine-digit number in the EIN field and ensure that your legal company name is consistent with your IRS registration and is properly spelled. The address you enter should also be the same as that used in registering with the IRS.
~Campaign Registry, FAQ
Tips for Creating Your Messaging Campaign
Upon successful brand verification, you can move forward to create your campaign. You will need to determine how you will describe your messaging campaign, your Call To Action and Message Flow (which includes a detailed explanation of how you receive opt-in consent from your clients/customers), and Sample Messages.
Campaign Description
Describe the overall intent and purpose of your business messaging as it pertains to your Use Case(s) and business vertical type. For example, you can explain a little about your business, how messaging will help with your use case, and what kinds of communication will you send and how often.
Call To Action / Message Flow
Describe your opt-in process and how your customers/patients/prospects give their consent to receive text messages from you. Include your reason to text links or phone numbers. Explain the type of links that you will send. If your use case is marketing, you must demonstrate your process to acquire Express Consent.
Express Consent: a written form of opt-in consent with a clear and visible disclosure that authorizes your business to contact them. This disclosure must include: intended purpose of your messaging, message frequency, message and data rules, link to your Terms or Privacy Policy.
- Online Webforms: A checkbox on a webform with clear consent language. This is described above in Pre-Requisites.
- Paper Forms: Any signed paperwork like hiring paperwork, contracts, patient intake paperwork, etc. There must be a clear disclosure and method for (like checkbox or initials.)
- Keyword Shortcode: Texting a keyword to a shortcode, like text START to 12345. Wherever these instructions are published, you must clearly disclose what they are opting in to receive.
Sample Messages
Draft several redacted sample messages to demonstrate your most common messages. One sample would be the most common message you will send, one should show how you text a link, and another would be how you text a phone number. For example:
Thanks for subscribing to our [company name] newsletter! Click this link to read our latest issue: [URL to newsletter] Message frequency is weekly. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time by replying Stop.
Hi [patient name], it’s [healthcare office] reminding you that your [appointment type] is coming up on [date][time]. Reply Y to confirm or N to change your appointment. Questions? Call us at [phone number] M-F 8am-6pm.
[My Business]: Hi [client name], this is [rep name] working on your [task]. Please email me your signed documents at [email address]. Please call me if you have any questions at [phone number].
Campaign Review
When you submit your campaign, it goes into a queue to wait for review by the messaging aggregator. They will review your website to verify that the information entered on your brand and campaign matches your published website information. They will review your published policies for how you manage the information you collect and protect the privacy of your customers. Additionally, they will review your campaign intentions, goals and messages. Your opt-in process will be scrutinized to make sure you are receiving the level of consent needed for your use case. Your sample messages must fit your use case. This process takes 5 – 7 business days to receive a campaign response.
If your campaign is rejected, a reason is provided and we will work with you to correct the issues that were raised. Campaigns can be resubmitted, however the campaign submission fee is assessed by TCR each time the campaign is submitted and we pass these fees on to you. To avoid these additional costs, become familiar with appropriate messaging requirements, complete the pre-requisites listed above, establish proper procedures to obtain consent, and clearly communicate this in your campaign language.
Campaign Approval
Once your campaign is approved, you can then assign this campaign to your company’s outbound SMS number(s). You campaign can be assigned to 49 phone numbers. (This is the TCR’s definition of ‘up to 50’ phone numbers.)
One a side note, your brand may also have more than one campaign. You may wish to have one campaign for Customer Care, another for Employee Communication, another for Marketing, etc.
We Value Your Privacy
We understand anyone’s hesitancy to share their corporate information. However, we must obtain this information in order to provide SMS services for your 10DLC numbers. Inventive Labs Corporation (Voice Elements Corporation) carefully protects the privacy of all of our customers and their end users. The information we obtain for TCR brand and campaign creation is used solely for that purpose. We take special care of our customers’ privacy and follow FCC CPNI rules to protect your personal data. See Voice Elements Privacy Policy.
Toll Free Verification
There is an entirely separate process to verify your Toll Free numbers (TFNs) that send outbound SMS messages. Messages sent from unverified Toll Free numbers are not delivered. Please see our article Toll Free Messaging Verification to learn how to submit your TFNs for verification.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
For detailed information about how to register your Brand & Campaign in our customer portal, please Contact Us.
If you have questions for our development team, please reach out and schedule an appointment. Let’s explore your communication needs and how we can help!
Messaging Industry Resources
CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices
https://api.ctia.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/170119-ctia-messaging-principles-and-best-practices.pdf
MMA Best Practices
https://www.mmaglobal.com/files/bestpractices.pdf
M3AAWG Best Practices
https://www.m3aawg.org/sites/default/files/m3aawg-mobile-messaging-best-practices-service-providers-2015-08_0.pdf
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Omnibus Declaratory Ruling (FCC 15-72)
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-72A1.pdf
FTC Truth in Advertising
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/truth-advertising