A2P 10DLC registration, explained for contractors

You set up missed-call text-back, send a few tests, and they work. Then a week later customers say they never got your text. Check delivery errors, opt-outs, and the registration status of your business number. Unregistered US local-number traffic can face filtering or sending limits.

What A2P 10DLC actually means

A2P stands for Application-to-Person, any text sent by software rather than a human thumbing a phone. 10DLC means a 10-Digit Long Code, i.e. a standard local phone number (as opposed to a short code or toll-free number). Put together, A2P 10DLC is the US carrier framework for sending automated business texts from a normal local number.

The mobile carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) built this system to cut down on spam and fraud. The trade: legitimate businesses register who they are and what they will send. Registration supports delivery but does not guarantee it. Skip registration and your throughput is throttled or your messages are blocked outright, usually without any error you'd notice.

The two things you register

1. Your Brand. This is your business identity: legal name, EIN, address, website, and contact. Carriers verify it against public records, so the details must match your EIN registration exactly.
2. Your Campaign. This is the use case for your texts, for home services, usually "Customer Care" or "Mixed." You describe what you send (appointment confirmations, reminders, follow-ups), provide sample messages, and show how customers opt in and opt out.

Step by step

1. Gather your business details. Exact legal name, EIN, registered address, and website URL. Mismatches are the #1 cause of rejection.
2. Register the Brand in your messaging provider's console (Twilio, or your CRM's A2P section). A one-time vetting fee applies.
3. Create the Campaign. Pick the use case, write 2–3 sample messages, and describe your opt-in. Include your business name in messages and a "Reply STOP to opt out" line.
4. Publish your consent language. Carriers want to see where customers agree to be texted, a line on your booking form and a note in your privacy policy. Ours spells out SMS consent and STOP/HELP handling as an example.
5. Wait for approval. Brand vetting is often quick; campaign approval can take a few business days. Once approved, link your phone number(s) to the campaign.
6. Send a real test to a phone on each major carrier and confirm delivery before you rely on it.

Getting approved on the first try

• Match your EIN records exactly, legal name and address, character for character.
• Make opt-in obvious. "By submitting this form you agree to receive texts about your appointment. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out."
• Honor STOP and HELP automatically. Most platforms do this natively; confirm it's on.
• Don't send before approval. Early unregistered traffic can get your number flagged.

Once you're registered, the next question is email: your confirmations and estimates need to land too. That's a different set of rules, see the email deliverability guide.