A2P Guide: How TextSpot is Managing Verification

Update: On July 5th, 2023 carriers will gradually increase the filtering of unregistered phone numbers leading to a full block of messages coming from unregistered phone numbers on August 31, 2023.

Let’s break this down so you can understand how the A2P (Application-to-Person) text messaging industry words.

What is the A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC refers to a system in the United States that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) type messaging via standard 10-digit long code (10DLC) phone numbers. Carriers in the US consider all text messaging from applications like TextSpot to be A2P.

What is the A2P Campaign Registry?

Due to phone carrier requirements (like Verizon, ATT, etc.), applications like TextSpot are required to collect information about your organization. This information is used to verify your TextSpot phone number.

Telecom/phone carriers want to know who is sending traffic (SMS and MMS messages) across their network in order to prevent fraud and spam.

Having your phone number registered allows you to send a higher throughput of messages across phone carriers, achieve better send & receive rates, lower costs, and for you: happier subscribers.

We try to make the campaign registry process easy and straightforward.

Does registration have any additional costs?

Yes, there is a one-time registration fee of $19 that you will need to pay. There are monthly costs associated as well, however, we pay those on your behalf within the cost of your TextSpot subscription.

The total, one-time $19 fee is not paid to TextSpot, we simply handle the registration and pay the fee on your behalf to make for a more efficient, seamless experience for you.

The fees are broken down as follows:

• $15 Vetting Fee
  This is an industry-wide change to improve the Campaign Vetting process with the goal of reducing spam, fraud, and unwanted messaging, and protect SMS as a trusted communications channel in the U.S. We are required to conduct this vetting. The campaign verification fee is collected by TextSpot and passed along without markup to our telecommunications partners. The cost is not levied by TextSpot directly.
• $4 Brand Registration Fee
  This is the fee for registering your brand through The Campaign Registry after the vetting process.

Will I get my $15 back if my Campaign fails vetting?

No, the $15 Campaign vetting fee is non-refundable.

Where do I register and become a verified sender?

The registration form is located within your TextSpot account under the “My Account” menu in the top right of the application. It will only appear for paid subscribers. It will not appear if you are on a trial account.

Once you have completed the registration the form will no longer be available as it is only required to be completed once.

What are the A2P Campaign Registry Questions?

These questions are presented to you to fill out in a form on TextSpot. The questions asked in the A2P campaign registry process are the following:

1. Are you messaging on behalf of a business?
2. Legal company name?
3. Country?
4. Do you have an EIN (Employer Identification Number)? *EIN is required for registration*
5. If you have an EIN, what is the EIN?
6. Business type (LLC, Sole Proprietorship, Non-profit, Corporation, etc)?
7. Company type (Private, Government, Public, Non-profit)?
8. Industry?
9. Website URL?
10. Physical address?
11. First and last name of contact?
12. Email address?
13. Phone number?
14. Job title?
15. Job position (CEO, Director, CFO, etc)?
16. What are the types of messages you will send to contacts (check all that apply)?
    1. Appointment Reminders
       Messages to patients, customers, etc about upcoming appointments, meetings, etc.
    2. Marketing Messages
       Messages to customers about products or services.
    3. Event Reminders / Information
       Reminders or information regarding events.
    4. Transactional Notifications
       Confirmations of appointments, purchases, etc.
    5. Service Information
       Important information regarding a customer’s product or service.
17. Please select example messages that best match the type of messages you will be sending:
    1. Reminder, your appointment is scheduled for tomorrow at 1 pm.
    2. We are having a 20% off everything sale this weekend only.
    3. Our event start time has changed from 5pm to 6pm.
    4. Thank you for requesting a meeting. A member of our team will be in touch shortly.
    5. It’s time for your annual check-up. Please schedule an appointment with us soon.
    6. Option Custom Example:
18. How do you receive your contacts’ consent to send them messages (opt-in) (check all that apply)?
    1. Contacts subscribe themselves to receive messages from our organization via forms or keywords.
    2. Contacts agree to receive messages via third-party software.
    3. Contacts agree to receive messages by initiating contact with our organization.
    4. We receive written consent from our contacts.

How does my trial work if I have not been A2P verified?

During your trial, you will only be allowed to send messages to the phone number you verify your account with when you create your account. 

This is because wireless carriers require phone numbers that send messages from applications (like TextSpot) to be verified.

TextSpot has several special use case phone numbers for our trial accounts. You will be provided a temporary trial phone number. This trial phone number should only be used for testing and experiencing the TextSpot application. You will be able to select a private phone number when you sign up for a paid plan.

You can import and add contacts to your TextSpot account while on a trial account, but you will NOT be able to send messages to your contacts while on a trial. You will only be able to send a message to yourself with the number you use to create a TextSpot account.

Once you pick a paid plan you can select a number and complete the A2P verification application. If you’d like to get a jump start on that application before your trial ends, we encourage you to do so as the verification process can take 1-2 weeks (compared to our competitors who take 4-6 weeks).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is A2P 10DLC?

A2P 10DLC refers to a system in the United States that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) type messaging via standard 10-digit long code (10DLC) phone numbers. Carriers in the US consider all messaging traffic from software like TextSpot to be A2P. Carriers’ A2P 10DLC offerings provide better delivery quality and lower filtering risk.

How does the A2P registry work?

There are two requirements under the A2P 10DLC campaign registry system:

1. Organizations must identify who they are to the carrier networks (Brand registration).
2. Organizations must register what type of messages they are sending, i.e. notifications (Campaign registration).

This registration is done through TextSpot after you select your TextSpot phone number, which happens right after you sign up for a paid subscription.

TextSpot has integrated The Campaign Registry (TCR) to meet the requirements of carriers, making it easy for you to register and onboard.

How long does the A2P registry take?

The registration form on TextSpot typically takes just a few minutes to complete if you’ve already collected all of the required information for the questions.

Will I be able to send messages before I am approved?

No, you will not be able to send messages through TextSpot before approval.

What happens if I do not have an EIN?

If you don’t have an EIN you cannot register and become verified. At this time, The Campaign Registry (TCR) does not have an option for those that do not have an EIN. You’ll still be able to send messages via TextSpot without registering and becoming verified, but you are at a higher risk of having your messages blocked by carriers.