Introduction

The cell carriers in the U.S. finalized new rules in 2022 and 2023 aimed at preventing fraud and spam messaging for both local (10DLC) numbers and toll-free numbers. These rules require that every message sender is identified, and the messaging use case is explained thoroughly. The cell carriers require these materials to be submitted for review and approved before any SMS/MMS messages can be sent from a phone number.

For local numbers, this new registration system is called “A2P 10DLC”. There are complex rules and requirements that companies and individuals must follow to be approved for sending messages. Sendo tries to make this process as easy as possible.

For toll-free numbers, this new registration process is called “toll-free verification”. This process also has a complex set of rules and requirements that message senders must follow to be approved, and much of the same information is required as for 10DLC.

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Brands and campaigns

For both local and toll-free numbers, the registration process requires (1) information about the legal entity sending the messages and (2) information about the messaging use case and how consent is obtained from recipients. Using Sendo, this first part is completed by creating a “brand” and the second part is completed by creating a “campaign”. Once these are submitted, we’ll handle everything else for you behind the scenes.

One brand can have multiple campaigns, and each campaign is used to send messages for a specific use case. For example, a brand might have one campaign for sending delivery alerts and another campaign for sending 2FA login codes. A campaign can have multiple phone numbers associated with it, and each phone number can only be associated with one campaign. By default, a Sendo campaign starts with one number.

When you create a brand and campaign through Sendo, the campaign will be assigned a campaign ID that is used to send messages via the /message/send API endpoint. The campaign must be fully approved before any messages can be sent.

As a recap, the registration process is as follows:

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FAQs

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How long does this process take?

Once your campaign is submitted, it must be reviewed and approved by the cell carriers. For a local (10DLC) number, this process usually takes 2-3 business days. For a toll-free number, the verification process often takes 2-3 weeks. You will be notified via email when a campaign is approved or if there are any issues with your submission.

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What if my customers are the message senders?

If your customers are sending messages via your Sendo integration, you should register brands on their behalf in order to comply with these rules. To do this, your account must first be approved as a reseller. Please contact support to get started.

Once your account is approved as a reseller, you will see a Brands tab on your dashboard where you can create brands on behalf of your customers or clients. You can then select between your customers’ brands when creating a campaign. Guide here.

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Are there any fees associated with this?

There are no fees associated with campaigns for toll-free numbers.

For a local (10DLC) number, the campaign vetting service charges a one-time fee of $20 for each submission. There is also a recurring charge of $10/month (see some exceptions below). We subtract these fees from your Sendo balance without any markup.

If you are registered as a sole proprietor, your monthly campaign fee will be $2 instead of $10. Similary, if you are registered as a nonprofit, your monthly campaign fee will be $3.