10DLC registration

10DLC is the registration US carriers require before a business texts from a local 10-digit number. You register a brand (who you are) and a campaign (what you send and how customers opt in). Unregistered texts from local numbers are often blocked.

Carriers charge for the review. Your workspace pays those fees at cost, $49.50 up front and then $10 a month from the fourth month, and your registration goes to the carriers as soon as the payment goes through.

• Chargezen SMS numbers are toll-free. They need toll-free verification, not 10DLC.
• You need 10DLC to text from a local number, including a local number you want to move to Chargezen. The move checker says "Register your business for local texting (10DLC) before moving a local number." until your campaign is active.
• Connected providers. If you connect Twilio, Telnyx or Klaviyo under Connect third-party, your registration stays with that provider.

Have these ready. Carriers compare them with your IRS record and your website, so make them match exactly.

• Your legal business name and EIN, as the IRS has them, plus the brand name customers see in your texts.
• A support email, a business phone and your business address.
• What you text customers about, two sample messages and how customers agree to get your texts.
• Your help and opt-out replies, and a link to your privacy policy.
• The workspace owner, with a card. Anyone who manages SMS settings can fill in the form, but only the owner can pay.

The form covers private companies, public companies, non-profits and government organizations. It doesn't cover sole proprietors without an EIN.

Each step checks its fields before you move on. If something is off, the reason shows under the field, for example "Enter the 9-digit EIN", "Use the 2-letter code, like TX", "Enter a 5-digit ZIP code" or "Write at least 40 characters".

These are the carriers' fees. Chargezen passes them on at cost, with no markup.

• Brand registration: $4.50, once for your business.
• Campaign review: $15, each time carriers review your campaign.
• Campaign fee, first 3 months: $30, which carriers bill up front.
• Campaign fee, monthly: $10, starting three months after your campaign is created.

A first registration is $49.50 today. If your business is already approved and only the campaign is new, it's $45. The receipt comes by email from Stripe, and the monthly fee is charged to the same card.

Carriers also charge a fraction of a cent for each text from a registered number. Those fees are covered by your SMS credits and plan; you aren't billed for them separately.

• Before anything is submitted. Nothing goes to the carriers until the payment goes through. A declined card or a payment you don't finish submits nothing, and you can pay again later.
• The monthly fee starts in month 4. The first three months are in the up-front payment, so the $10 a month starts three months after carriers create your campaign.
• If a monthly payment fails, the row says Card declined and your campaign keeps running while the payment is retried. If it stays unpaid, or the subscription is canceled, Chargezen stops the campaign so the carriers stop billing it, and the row says Registration lapsed.

• Carrier fees are non-refundable once a review has started. The carriers keep them, approved or not.
• If carriers reject your business, the campaign is never created, so the $45 campaign part is refunded automatically and the monthly fee is canceled. The $4.50 brand fee isn't refunded.
• If the carriers refuse the registration before reviewing it, for example an EIN they can't accept, the whole payment is refunded.
• If carriers reject your campaign, the $15 review isn't refunded. You fix the campaign and appeal, which costs one more $15 review.

1. Your business is reviewed. The row says "Carriers are reviewing your business."
2. Your campaign is submitted. Once your business is approved, Chargezen submits the campaign for you. The row says "Carriers are reviewing your messaging campaign."
3. Your numbers join the campaign. Once carriers approve the campaign, Chargezen adds your local Chargezen numbers to it. The row says "Your local numbers can text customers."

Chargezen updates the status when the carrier answers. Click Refresh at the top of the page to check now.

In Concierge > Deploy > Channels > Chargezen SMS, the Local texting (10DLC) row shows up once you have a local number or have started a registration. It has one of these badges:

• Not registered: nothing has been submitted yet.
• Payment pending: the form is filled in but the carrier fee isn't paid yet. Click Finish paying.
• Registration in review: your business or your campaign is waiting on the carrier.
• Registered: your local numbers can text customers.
• Registration needs attention: the carrier rejected the registration. The row shows the carrier's reason.
• Card declined: the monthly carrier fee didn't go through. Update your card to keep texting from local numbers.
• Registration lapsed: the monthly fee went unpaid, so the campaign was stopped. Click Register again.

Each local number is marked 10DLC, and shows Registered once it has joined your approved campaign.

Should I use toll-free or local?

Toll-free is the default in Chargezen. Both set up in the admin. Choose local if customers already know your local number: register for 10DLC first, then bring the number over.

My local number won't move

The move checker blocks local numbers until your 10DLC campaign is approved. Click Register for local texting under the checker, wait for Registered, then start Bring your number again.

How long does registration take?

The carriers set the timing, and it varies. The business review comes first, then the campaign review.

Does Chargezen add a markup to the carrier fees?

No. You pay what the carriers charge: $4.50, $15 and $30 up front, then $10 a month.

Does 10DLC affect calls?

No. 10DLC only covers texting. Calls to the number work without it.

Guides

• Toll-free verification
• Bring your number
• Text messages (SMS)

On the product page

• A business number for calls and texts
• Text messages: Concierge texts back

Learn more

• What is 10DLC?
• What is a 10DLC campaign?
• 10DLC registration guide