Last Updated: February 6, 2025
This article provides an overview of all fees related to A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) messaging. It covers registration and monthly costs, carrier pass-through charges, special high-volume fees, and non-compliance penalties.
Note: Our platform does not markup 10DLC carrier fees. All charges outlined below are passed directly at cost.
Contents
- Overview of 10DLC
- Standard Registration Fees
- Monthly Costs and Maintenance
- Carrier Messaging Fees
- Non-Compliance Penalties
- Additional Notes and Recommendations
1. Overview of 10DLC
10DLC is a messaging solution designed for business-to-consumer (B2C) communications using standard 10-digit phone numbers. U.S. mobile carriers have introduced new regulations and fees to ensure that 10DLC messaging follows best practices and compliance guidelines.
These guidelines and fees help protect subscribers from spam or fraudulent content while allowing legitimate businesses to enjoy higher throughput and better deliverability.
2. Standard Registration Fees
When setting up 10DLC, you must register your Brand (the entity or business sending messages) and your Campaigns (the type or purpose of the messaging). Carrier registration fees are covered in your Engage SMS campaign onboarding and management fees.
3. Monthly Costs and Maintenance
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Sole Proprietor Maintenance Fee:
If applicable, some carriers require an additional maintenance fee for sole proprietor 10DLC registrations. The exact cost can vary, so please contact support if you believe this applies to your organization.
4. Carrier Messaging Fees
You can find our current listing of carrier fees here, but please note that all fees are passed along to our customers and billed directly in the Pure CallerID portal. Portal billing and rates are up to date in real-time with all carriers. The listing provided here is an in time snapshot that is maintained on a monthly basis.
5. Non-Compliance Penalties
Carriers, especially T-Mobile, enforce strict policies around spam, false registrations, content violations (such as SHAFT-C content: sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco, cannabis), and other forms of abuse or evasion. Below are representative fines:
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Text Enablement Violation: $10,000 per violation
Triggered if a number is text-enabled and used for messaging before proper verification of ownership or letter of authorization. -
Long Code Program Evasion: $1,000 per violation
Imposed for behaviors like snowshoeing, dynamic routing, or unapproved number replacement aimed at circumventing compliance controls. -
Content Violation: $10,000 per violation
Enforced if a Brand repeatedly sends prohibited content (SHAFT-C, spam, phishing, or other severity-level infractions). The fine generally applies on the third or subsequent notification involving the same content provider. -
Fraud (Phishing/Smishing): $2,000
Includes any attempt to gather sensitive data via deceptive messages. -
Illegal Content (e.g., Cannabis): $1,000
For content violating federal or state laws (must be legal in all 50 states). -
Other SHAFT Violations: $500
General fines for messaging that violates rules regarding sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco if deemed non-compliant with carrier policy.
6. Additional Notes and Recommendations
- Registration Encouraged: Always register your Brand and Campaigns promptly to avoid increased fees and potential service interruptions.
- Stay Compliant: Familiarize yourself with content and consent guidelines to avoid non-compliance fines.
- Consider Alternatives for Extremely High Volume: If you anticipate very large-scale messaging (e.g., above 200,000 messages/day), evaluate other channels such as short codes.
For any additional information or assistance with 10DLC registration, fees, or best practices, please reach out to our support team.
Disclaimer: The information in this document is subject to change based on carrier updates or changes in industry regulations. We will do our best to keep this guide current, but we recommend checking with support or referencing carrier announcements for the latest details.