10DLC: Meaning, Importance, and How to Register

Did you know that texting has a 98% open rate, and 20% of customers who receive a text message from a small business make a purchase?

No matter which industry you’re in—such as auto, HVAC, jewelry, med spa, or appliance—texting is an effective way to get, convert, and retain prospects and customers, all through a familiar and convenient communication channel. Use it to send marketing campaigns that convert, appointment reminders, payments, Google Review invites, and more.

If you want to use text messaging to its full potential, you should know about 10DLC and how to register for it.

10DLC is a form of reliable application-to-person (ATP) text messaging. By registering for 10DLC, all of your business text messages—including promotional and transactional messages—are delivered safely, securely, and quickly to your audience. Without 10DLC registration, those messages may be filtered or blocked by mobile carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile that are working to prevent spam and maintain quality communications via text.

Although the thought of your text communications and campaigns not being received by your audience may sound concerning, Podium is here to help you register for 10DLC and use texting as a means to engage with, convert, and retain more customers.

Podium is a lead conversion and communication platform with features powered by artificial intelligence (AI) for small businesses that are looking to grow. Podium’s text marketing tool helps businesses like yours quickly and easily craft personalized text messages that are likely to turn leads into paying customers in minutes. Podium also makes registering for 10DLC simple.

Continue reading this article to ensure none of your texts are filtered or blocked and learn how to use texting as a way to exceed your goals for business growth.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC is a 10-digit phone number that gives visibility into a message’s source and content. This allows mobile carriers to ensure easy and reliable messaging to recipients in the United States. It provides a secure customer experience and protects the performance of your text campaigns.

Today, businesses are choosing to use 10DLC to:

1. Increase texting throughput (the amount of accurate data and information that’s transmitted by a cellular network).
2. Improve deliverability speed (how quickly messages reach recipients).
3. Lower costs for A2P communication (10DLC is an affordable option for small businesses when compared to other options like short codes).
4. Use a local area code (rather than one that looks unfamiliar or feels spam-like).

We’ll cover more benefits of 10DLC shortly but first, let’s review how 10DLC differs from toll-free numbers and short code.

10DLC vs. Toll-Free vs. Short Code

10DLC differs from both toll-free and short code numbers. Each option has its pros and cons, but 10LC is often preferred by small businesses. Here’s why:

Toll-Free Numbers

A toll-free number has a three-digit, identifiable area code like 800. These area codes that toll-free numbers have may not help you increase engagement rates since they’re unfamiliar and can often feel spam-like to recipients. Though customers can text you if you have a toll-free number, inbound messages are not free. Toll-free numbers don’t always have high delivery rates in comparison to 10DLC or short codes due to filtering.

10DLC Numbers

10DLC numbers have regional area codes so they’re recognizable to recipients who are geographically close to your business. This makes them not feel like spam the way toll-free numbers do. They’re also ideal if you’re planning on receiving inbound messages from customers since they’re free.

10DLC is often preferable for small businesses across all industries since it offers impressive messaging speeds and high deliverability rates, all for a low monthly cost. This also makes 10DLC effective for running SMS marketing and sales campaigns.

Short Codes

Short codes don’t have 10 digits the way toll-free or 10DLC numbers do. For example, a short code may look like this: 46003. They have strong throughput and little spam filtering due to their regulations. Short codes are more expensive than 10DLC and are ideal for enterprise businesses that are sending thousands of messages at once. Short codes also typically take longer to set up than 10DLC or toll-free numbers.

5 Benefits of 10DLC for Your Business

1. Local Area Code

One of the most unique characteristics of 10DLC is that your phone number will have a local area code. Meaning those who receive your business’s messages will recognize the area code from the geographic location that they’re based in. This improves open and response rates due to a sense of trust that’s felt by recipients.

2. Less Expensive Than Toll-Free and Short Code

With 10DLC, inbound messages are free. That’s not the case with toll-free numbers. Additionally, the fee to register with 10DLC is only about $4 and the monthly cost of standard 10DLC use cases is about $10. Both 10DLC and toll-free numbers are cheaper than short codes.

3. Enhanced Customer Trust

Since 10DLC has a local area code and you’re required to register for secure messaging, there’s a stronger sense of trust between your brand and the recipient when sending a 10DLC text versus a toll-free or short code text.

Recipients see a local area code and are more likely to open and respond to the message because they feel as though they can trust a recognizable and familiar number. Additionally, recipients are more likely to engage because 10DLC filters out and blocks messages that are spam or abusive.

Lastly, 10DLC messages allow for inbound messages—meaning, recipients can respond to your texts. By enabling this type of engagement and personalized communication, you’ll build a strong and trusting relationship between your brand and customers.

4. Scalability and Customization

With 10DLC, you can easily scale the number of messages. For example, send marketing campaigns to your entire database, or send individual messages to customers about their appointments.

The fact you can send promotional and transactional messages as well as accept inbound messages enables you to customize your business’ 10DLC A2P communication strategy. You can also fully customize all of the content shared within your texts and update your recipient list at any time.

5. Regulatory Compliance

Cellular carriers including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile require 10DLC registration. This regulatory compliance builds trust among recipients because 10DLC blocks spam, bad actors, and harmful messages. By registering for 10DLC, filters ensure only real and credible messages make it to your audience’s phones.

How does 10DLC work?

10DLC is a form of application-to-person (A2P) communication used when sending messages to recipients in the United States. 10DLC phone numbers are 10 digits long and have a recognizable area code which improves engagement—including open rate and response rate— among a local audience.

10DLC messages work for both transactional messages (e.g., appointment reminders and customer review invites) and promotional messages (e.g., marketing campaigns). Additionally, inbound messages (e.g., responses from customers to your business) with 10DLC are free.

The Campaign Registry announced in September 2022 that all businesses must register on 10DLC Standard to be compliant with carrier and government regulations. As of September 1, 2023, messages sent with unregistered 10DLC numbers are blocked or filtered.

By registering for 10DLC, your text messages are delivered to recipients successfully and quickly. Carriers including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have imposed these restrictions to protect their users (and your customers) from bad actors, spam, and abusive messages.

10DLC Use Cases and Examples

Interested in learning about when to use 10DLC? Here are some examples.

1. Marketing Campaigns

Share text marketing campaigns from a 10DLC number that convert. With Podium specifically, register for 10DLC, craft texts from templates, select your ideal target audience, and send messages that increase conversions.

2. Appointment Reminders

After someone books an appointment with you, send them reminders for their appointment via text to ensure they don’t forget about the date and time of their booking.

3. Google Review Invites and Reminders

After every sale or service, send a text to your customers asking them to complete a Google Review. Customer reviews are important because they directly contributes to your ranking on Google, as well as your online reputation. Use Podium to automate and personalize this process, and generate more reviews for your business.

4. Order Updates and Shipping Notifications

Once a customer places an order with your business, send them order updates and notifications via text. This improves the customer experience by proactively providing the delivery and shipping information buyers often look for.

5. Customer Support and FAQs

Before or after making a purchase, customers may have questions regarding your products or services. Use 10DLC to accept inbound messages for free so you can quickly respond to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and inquiries.

6. Events, Promotions, and Sales

If you have an in-person or online event, or if you’re running promotions or a sale, text your database of prospects and customers to increase the likelihood of sales and/or repeat business.

How to Get Started With 10DLC in 5 Steps

Next, let’s talk through how your business can get started using 10DLC.

1. Understand what 10DLC is.

The first part of getting started with 10DLC is understanding how it works and why it’s important. This will make sense of the up-front time and cost of registration, and ensure your business should use 10DLC versus another option like short code.. It’s also a good idea to think about which type of text messaging you’ll want to do—for example, appointment reminders, text marketing campaigns, and Google Review invite links.

2. Register your brand.

Next, register your company with The Campaign Registry. There’s a one-time fee you’ll pay (which is separate from your monthly 10DLC fees). At this time, you’ll share information about who’s sending text messages so carriers know you are a secure and trustworthy sender.

3. Register your campaign.

Now it’s time to register a campaign with your company. Share information about how your recipients are able to opt-in and out of your texts, and the purpose of your messages.

4. Test and optimize your campaign.

Be sure to test the success of your text campaigns so you can iterate and optimize as you go. Look at open rate, engagement/response rate, and conversion rate. You may also analyze the amount and type of inbound messages you receive.

5. Use Podium.

Let Podium help you work through the above steps and register for 10DLC quickly and seamlessly. Then, use Podium’s AI-powered texting tool to automatically send personalized texts to your customers to share marketing campaigns that convert, ask for Google Reviews, and more.

Transition to and Leverage 10DLC With Podium

Podium is a lead conversion and communication tool with an AI-powered phone and texting tools that make sending A2P messages easier than ever. Podium allows you to send personalized promotional and transactional texts to prospects at scale all via one platform—that way, you get more quality leads and make more money.

With Podium, your messages are stored in a centralized Contacts and conversations Inbox—which integrates with your other communication and conversion channels including your lead forms, webchat, CRM.

Podium also simplifies the process of registering for 10DLC. Simply head over to 10dlc.podium.com and sign in. Enter your Employer Identification Number (EIN) and your business information. Ensure your business locations are verified. Then, you’re all set. (Learn more here.)

10DLC FAQs

Do you have questions about 10DLC? Below are some frequently asked questions about 10DLC (as well as toll-free and short code numbers), and answers for your review.

Q: What is an example of a 10DLC number?

A: 10DLC phone numbers have a local area code and include 10 digits. For example, in Massachusetts, one of the local area codes is 617. In this case, your 10DLC phone number would look like this: (617) 123-4567.

Q: What is an example of a toll-free number?

A: A toll-free number has an identifiable area code that is not region-specific. It typically starts with 800. So an example of a toll-free number is: (800)-123-4567.

Q: What is an example of a short code number?

A short code number does not have an area code or a region-specific identifier like a 10DLC number does. It also doesn’t contain 10 digits. An example of a short code is 12345.

Q: Should I use short code or 10DLC?

A: If you’re a small business owner, 10DLC is almost always preferable to short code. That’s because it:

• Is cheaper than short code.
• Allows you to easily send text campaigns and promotions.
• Is quick to register for and set up.
• Allows free inbound messaging.
• Is ideal for small businesses.
• Has a local and recognizable area code.

Q: Does 10DLC apply to Canada?

A: 10DLC only applies to Canadian businesses that send text messages to recipients in the United States.

Q: Can Podium help me register for 10DLC?

Yes! Click here to learn how.