10DLC & Runcentral

10DLC, which stands for 10-digit Long Code, is a new set of requirements that applies to Application-to-Person (A2P) Messaging over US 10-digit geographic numbers; messaging over toll free numbers remains unaffected at this time. 10DLC is intended to protect consumers from spam, while ensuring that good actors have access to the resources they need to engage with their customers. As of May 2021, all major US wireless carriers have announced support for this new ecosystem.

The new requirements come in two categories: Brand & Campaign Registration, and Carrier Surcharges.

  1. Brand & Campaign Registration: Customers generating long code A2P messages are now required to register both their business (Brand) and messaging use-case(s) (Campaigns) in a central repository.
  2. Carrier Surcharges: these are wireless-carrier-imposed surcharges, sometimes referred to as ‘pass-through fees’. They vary by carrier, message-type (SMS or MMS), and in the case of AT&T, also by type of Campaign.

What Does This Mean for Runcentral Customers?

Firstly, we’ve put together a phased approach to build the necessary tooling that will allow you, our customers, to perform Brand & Campaign Registration in a straightforward manner.  To do so, we’ve worked diligently with carriers as well as our providers to understand the various moving parts in this new environment to the extent that such insight is currently available.

Secondly, there is still much uncertainty regarding the start dates for various carrier-specific charges. For example, T-Mobile had originally stated that their Campaign activation fee would start April 1, but have since rescinded that decision, saying they will now provide a 30-day notice before the new start date. So it’s important that you check-in with your account manager if you have specific questions, since the relevant information appears to change rather frequently.  You can also submit a trouble ticket to support@runcentral.com

Brand & Campaign Registration Costs

Expected Registration Fees: (Still pending final verification)

  • Brand registration fee—$4 per brand/one-time fee
  • Campaign registration fee—$50 per campaign/one-time fee from T-Mobile

Expected Monthly Fees:

  • Campaign running fee—$2 to $10 per campaign (determined by use case)
  • Carrier surcharges—$.002-.005 per SMS (in- and out-bound)

Possible Fines and Penalties if not registered:

  • Higher surcharge fees per message will likely be applied
  • Throttling and filtering of messages
  • T-Mobile specific non-compliance fees
  • Text Enablement: There will be a $10,000 fee if T-Mobile receives a complaint that traffic is being sent prior to the program being fully approved
  • Grey Route: There will be a $10 fee per message if A2P messages are sent over P2P routes
  • 10DLC Long Code Messaging Program Evasion: There will be a $1,000 fee if a program is found to be using techniques such as snowshoeing, dynamic routing, or unauthorized number replacement
  • Content Violation: There will be a $10,000 fee for each unique instance of the third or any subsequent notification of content violating the T-Mobile Code of Conduct involving the same content provider. This includes SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco) violations, spam, phishing, and messaging that meets the Severity 0 violation threshold as documented in the CTIA handbook.

Update 9/20/21:

T-Mobile update: T-Mobile is expected to throttle unregistered traffic and increase per-message fees for it from $0.003 to $0.004 for Inbound and Outbound SMS, and from $0.01 to $0.013 for Inbound and Outbound MMS beginning October 1, 2021. The following additional fees will also be enforced on that date:

  • Campaign Service Activation - $50 per campaign
  • Campaign Service Migration - $50 per campaign
  • T-Mobile NNID Registration - $2,000 per NNID
  • 10DLC Long Code Messaging Program Evasion - $1,000 per event
  • Text Enablement -  $10,000 per event
  • Content Violation - $10,000 per event

AT&T update: AT&T hasn't announced specific enforcement details yet, so the following discounted per-message fees continue to apply:

  • $0.002 for Inbound and Outbound SMS
  • $0.0035 for Inbound and Outbound MMS

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