Action Required: A2P 10DLC Compliance for SMS
If you use our integration with Twilio to send text messages over a standard 10-digit phone number (not a toll-free number; if you use a toll-free 10-digit number skip to the bottom) you probably have been receiving messages from them asking you to take steps to remain A2P 10DLC compliant. Many churches have not known what to do or if this applies to them, so we’ve put together this helpful guide to answer your questions.
What does A2P 10DLC stand for?
- A2P : Application to Person (this means the message is coming from a web application, i.e., TouchPoint, instead of from a person’s phone)
- 10DLC : 10-Digit Long Code (this specifically is for traditional 10-digit phone numbers)
What is happening?
Carriers (i.e. Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc) are putting in place requirements to use A2P 10DLC numbers in order to ensure that the numbers—and more importantly the people we communicate with using these numbers—are not abused (i.e., like SPAM for email).
When is it happening?
Carriers will start enforcing the new requirements on Oct 1, 2021.
Does this apply to me?
According to Twilio, number owners who send fewer than 3,000 messages per day (peak) to the US and who use five or fewer long code numbers do not need to take any action. However it is STRONGLY recommended that all Twilio users take action to ensure higher delivery quality and lower filtering risk.
Additionally, if you are using a toll-free number (which is TouchPoint’s recommendation) then this does not apply to you. Read the end of this blog for best practices related to using toll-free numbers.
What do I need to do?
There are several steps you need to take, including:
- Create a Business Profile
- Register your US A2P Brand
- Register your campaign use cases
Login to your twilio.org account and they will walk you through the necessary steps.
What if I do nothing?
Additional SMS fees and fines could apply depending on utilization (number of messages sent) and proper usage (obeying proper SMS compliance) as well as the risk of delayed delivery or filtering.
The many changes that we have made over the last six months related to SMS messages (group subscription management, opt-in/opt-out compliance messaging, and more) are to ensure that churches are able to communicate well with their congregants while staying compliant with carrier requirements and best practices. These last steps are very important for you to take to ensure continued deliverability of your SMS messages sent and received through TouchPoint.
Toll-Free Numbers
Several months ago TouchPoint recommended churches switch to toll-free numbers to improve their message deliverability. Here are some best practices related to the use of these new numbers.
Best Practices Related to Using Toll-Free Numbers
- Obtain clear opt-in for sending text messages (now handled on the Subscriptions tab of a person’s profile) and make it easy for a user to opt-out (handled through automatic reply words and compliance messaging in TouchPoint).
- Use a branded URL shortener for web links (provided by TouchPoint).
- DO NOT use multiple phone numbers to send the same message per SMS group. Unlike standard 10-digit numbers it is not recommended to use multiple numbers per SMS group. If you need to increase the throughput of your number to send more messages over a short period of time please contact Twilio support.
- Similar to US A2P registration, it is possible to use Toll-Free messaging verification to reduce the risk of carrier filtering. If you are interested in setting this up, please contact Twilio support for this free service.