Business texting registration for contractors
A2P 10DLC is the carrier registration you need before texting customers from a regular local number. In general, you register your business (the brand), describe what you will text (the campaign), collect consent and honor opt-outs. The rules change, so treat this as a guide and confirm the details with your texting provider.
By Gabe Key, founder of Firmkit.
A2P 10DLC in plain words
A2P means application-to-person. It covers texts that software sends to people, like an automatic reply to a missed call. 10DLC means a ten-digit local phone number, the kind with an area code.
US carriers want to know who is sending business texts and why. So they ask businesses to register before sending texts from those numbers at scale. The goal is to cut down on spam and make it clear who a message comes from.
If you use a CRM or texting tool, your provider usually handles the filing with you. You supply the facts. They submit the paperwork.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Carrier rules and provider processes change. Check your provider's current instructions.
Brand registration and campaign registration
Brand registration tells carriers who your business is. Campaign registration tells them what kind of texts you plan to send. Most providers ask you to do both.
The brand. This is your company identity. Expect to provide:
- Your legal business name
- Your business type and tax or registration details, as your provider requests
- Your business address
- Your website
- A contact person and email
The campaign. This is the use case. For a trade company it is often customer care, appointment reminders or service updates. You will usually provide:
- A description of what you send and who receives it
- Sample messages that match what you send
- How people agree to receive texts
- How people opt out
Be accurate. If your registration says one thing and your real texts say another, carriers can flag or block your messages.
Why the business name and address must match
Because carriers compare what you filed with what they can see. If the name, address or website do not line up, a registration can be rejected or delayed.
Check these before you start:
- The legal name on your registration matches your state or tax records.
- The address on the form matches the one on your website and your Google Business Profile.
- Your website is live and shows your company name, a way to reach you and what you do.
- The sample texts use your real company name.
This is also good for customers. A consistent name and address across your site and profile helps people trust you. Our platform page shows how the pieces fit together in one system.
What counts as consent to text a customer
Consent means the customer agreed to get texts from you, and you can show how. In general, the clearer the agreement, the safer you are.
Common ways trade companies collect it:
- A checkbox or clear line on your request form, such as "I agree to receive text messages about my service request from [Company]. Reply STOP to opt out."
- A customer texting you first and asking a question.
- A signed work order or service agreement that includes a texting line.
Things to avoid:
- Texting numbers you bought or scraped.
- Hiding the texting agreement inside long fine print.
- Pre-checking the consent box on a form.
- Using the numbers for a purpose the customer did not agree to.
Keep a record of when and how each person agreed. Ask your provider what they store for you.
How opt-out and STOP replies must work
When someone replies STOP, you stop texting them. Right away, and without a debate. Most texting platforms handle this automatically, but you should confirm it works.
Good habits:
- Mention how to opt out in your consent language and, where required, in your messages.
- Support common words such as STOP and HELP. Your provider will tell you the current list.
- Send one short confirmation that they are unsubscribed, if your provider does this.
- Never add an opted-out person back to a list on your own.
Test it. Text your own business number from a personal phone, reply STOP and see what happens. Then check that your team cannot send to that number afterward.
The pages carriers look for on your website
A privacy policy and a terms page are the two to have. Reviewers often visit your site to check that the business is real and that your texting practices are disclosed.
Your privacy policy should explain, in plain language, what you collect and how you use it. It should also say that you do not sell or share phone numbers with outside parties for their own marketing, if that is true for you. Only state what is true.
Your terms page can describe the texting program: what messages people may get, how often, how to opt out and how to get help. See how we handle ours on the privacy page and the terms page.
Also make sure your contact details, business name and address are easy to find on the site. A clear footer does a lot of the work.
What to check before you start
Gather your facts first, and the filing goes more smoothly. Here is a short checklist.
- Legal business name, address and website, all consistent.
- A live privacy policy and terms page.
- The wording of your consent line, placed on your forms.
- Two or three sample messages that match what you will send.
- A working STOP reply.
- A person who will read and answer replies.
Ask your provider what they need, how long their current process takes and what it costs. Those details vary and change, so get them from the source and not from a blog post. You can also see the full services overview for how texting fits with the rest of the system.
Not sure whether your texting setup is ready? Book a 20‑minute call and we will walk through your site, your forms and your current number, and tell you what to fix first.
Questions
Do I need to register to text customers from a local number?
In general, US carriers expect businesses sending automated texts from local numbers to register. Rules and enforcement change, so ask your texting provider what applies to your account now. Unregistered traffic can be filtered or blocked.
What is the difference between a brand and a campaign?
The brand is your business identity: name, address, website and contact. The campaign is the purpose of your texts, with sample messages, how people agree and how they opt out. Providers usually ask for both.
Do I need a privacy policy to register?
Reviewers commonly look for a privacy policy and terms page on your site. Having both, with accurate texting details, makes approval smoother. Confirm the current requirements with your provider, since they can change.
Can I text a customer who gave me their number on the phone?
It depends on what they agreed to and how you record it. A written or clearly logged agreement is safest. Ask your provider and your own counsel how to document phone consent for your situation.