1. Understand A2P 10DLC Basics
What is 10DLC?
- 10DLC stands for 10-Digit Long Code. It’s a standard North American 10-digit phone number.
- The reason it’s called A2P (application-to-person) is that these numbers are specifically meant for sending messages from an application (e.g., via Twilio) to consumers—such as your renters.
Why Registration Matters
- U.S. mobile carriers are requiring businesses to register their “Brand” and “Campaigns” to reduce spam and improve the overall messaging ecosystem.
- Proper registration helps ensure higher deliverability rates and compliance with regulations.
2. Gather Required Information
Mobile carriers implemented 10DLC regulations to prevent bad actors from posing as legitimate businesses and spamming or scamming contacts who never asked to be texted.
There are many 10DLC requirements and process changes that affect the telecommunications industry, but only a few that matter for a business leader like you.
- You need to complete both your brand registration and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry
- You must prove that your contacts have opted in to receive texts from you
Before starting the registration, be prepared to provide details about your company or organization and the type of messages you intend to send. Typical requirements include:
Business Details
- Legal business name
- Business address
- Business type (LLC, sole proprietor, etc.)
- Tax ID/Employer Identification Number (EIN) (if applicable)
- Website URL (if you have one)
Contact Details
- Authorized representative’s name, phone number, and email address
Use Case or “Campaign” Details
- Description of what the messaging will be used for (e.g., “sending rental payment reminders,” “property maintenance alerts,” “lease updates”).
- Sample messages or message flow (how you will format typical messages).
- Opt-in and opt-out processes (important to demonstrate compliance with messaging regulations).
3. Register Your Brand in Twilio
Create (or Access) Your Twilio Console Account
- Log in to the Twilio Console.
- Navigate to Messaging → Trust Hub (or Regulatory Compliance → A2P Messaging depending on the interface).
Start “Brand Registration”
- Provide the required business details.
- When asked for your company’s Tax ID or EIN, ensure accuracy. (If you’re a sole proprietor, Twilio may have a separate flow. Double-check the instructions for smaller businesses.)
Tip: Make sure that your legal business name exactly matches the name on your official documents. Any mismatch can result in delays or rejections.
4. Update Website Opt-Ins
Prior to registering your campaign you will need to ensure the following areas on your website are update to ensure acceptance.
1. Add opt-in language to your contact forms with a required checkbox.
See below for sample language. Include a screenshot or link to your form page. “By checking this box, you agree to receive news and promotional offers, and you accept the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive informational text messages from [Company Name]. Message frequency may vary. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to cancel or HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase.”
2. Introduce privacy page and terms of service.
If one already exists simply add opt-in language to your privacy page. See below for sample opt-in language: Reply STOP to opt out. To stop receiving messages from [Company Name], reply STOP, CANCEL, or UNSUBSCRIBE.
Example Privacy Policy:
“This privacy policy has been compiled to serve better those who are concerned with how their 'Personally identifiable information' (PII) used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be utilized on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.
What personal information do we collect?
Possible Personal Information Collected
Personal information is:
- information in a consumer report; or
- an individual’s first name or initial and last name in combination with any of the following:
- Birth date;
- Social security number or other government-issued identification number;
- Mother’s maiden name;
- Unique electronic identification number or routing code;
- Telecommunication access devices including debit or credit card information; or
- Financial institution account or information.
- E-mail address
When do we collect information?
We obtains personal information in the following ways:
- In consumer reports from reporting agencies to which this company subscribes in connection with lease applications, loan applications, or for other reasons that the consumer may authorize this company to obtain;
- In lease applications a prospective tenant completes;
- In other real estate related forms the customer or client completes in or related to a transaction; and
- In tax reporting forms that the customer or client is required to complete and which are given to this company
- We collect information from you when you fill out a form or enter information on our site
How do we use your information?
Personal Information from Prospective Tenants: The personal information that prospective tenants provide to this company is primarily used to obtain consumer reports (credit checks). It may also be used to perform background checks and rental history searches. The information in the consumer reports may be discussed with landlords for whom this company manages the property. This company also reports information to credit reporting agencies and uses personal information to complete those reports.
Personal Information from Owners of Properties Managed by the Company: When this company acts as a property manager for a property owner; the company uses the property owner’s personal information only: (a) to deliver the required management services; (b) to file any required reports with governmental agencies (for example, the IRS); (c) to establish ACH deposits, or (d) for other purposes the property owner may authorize, such as providing utilities.
Personal Information from Clients: When this company represents a person (buyer, seller, landlord or tenant) in a transaction the agent servicing the client may, on the client’s behalf and at the client’s instruction, convey personal information he or she provides to the agent to service providers (for example, mortgage lenders and title companies) as those service providers may require for the products or services the client needs or requests. If this company represents a prospective tenant in a lease transaction, the personal information may, on the tenant’s behalf and with the tenant’s knowledge, be discussed with and provided to landlords or their agents. This company and its agents exercise reasonable discretion when discussing any personal information with others.
We may use the information in the following ways:
- To improve our website to serve you better.
- To allow us to service you better in responding to your customer service requests.
- To administer a contest, promotion, survey or other site feature.
- To quickly process your transactions.
- To send periodic emails regarding your order or other products and services.
How do we protect visitor information?
Written files in this company are kept under lock and key.
Electronic records are protected by an access name and password assigned to persons in this company.
This company and its agents exercise reasonable discretion when discussing any personal information with others and release personal information to others only as described by this policy.
This company does not permit its employees or agents to make copies of consumer reports or records of insurance claims. The consumer reports retained in the company’s files are not to be accessed in the future as a convenience to customers or clients.
The individual agents that work with this company are independent contractors and the agent with whom a customer or client works with may maintain a separate transaction file.
The company instructs its agents to not permit other persons to access the personal information in files the agents maintain. The company instructs its agents to protect the personal information in the agent's’ files in the same manner as described in this policy.
Our website is scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities to make your visit to our site as safe as possible.
We use regular Malware Scanning.
Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. Also, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
We implement a variety of security measures when a user places an order enters, submits, or accesses their information to maintain the safety of your personal information.
For your convenience, we may store your credit card information kept for more than 60 days to expedite future orders, and to automate the billing process.
Do we use 'cookies'?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site's or service provider's systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, we use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future.
We use cookies to:
Compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interactions to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may also use trusted third party services that track this information on our behalf.
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser (like Internet Explorer) settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser's Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies.
If you disable cookies, some features will be disabled It won't affect the user's experience that makes your site experience more efficient and some of our services will not function properly. However, you can still place orders.
Third Party Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information unless we provide you with notice or the party is a direct affiliate. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others' rights, property, or safety.
However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses.
Third party links
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We, therefore, have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.
Google's advertising requirements can be summed up by Google's Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users.
We use Google AdSense Advertising on our website.
Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt-out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.
We have implemented the following:
- Remarketing with Google AdSense
- Google Display Network Impression Reporting
- Demographics and Interests Reporting
We along with third-party vendors, such as Google use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) or other third-party identifiers together to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions, and other ad service functions as they relate to our website.
Opting out:
Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page.
Alternatively, you can opt-out by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page or permanently using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser add-on.
Access to Personal Information?
The following persons have access to personal information in this company’s files:
- The agent or broker who is servicing or coordinating the transaction;
- The office manager to whom the agent reports; and Property Manager, Assistant Property Manager, and Receptionists.
- Application processors;
- Employees who need to access the information to assists agents, brokers, accountants, office manager in processing or performing a task.
Property owners for whom the company manages properties do not have access to personal information in the company’s files. However, the company and its agents may discuss the information in a tenant’s consumer report or lease application with a property owner. Copies of such information are provided to the landlord only: (1) with the tenant’s consent; or (2) if the company ceases to be the property manager and the landlord requests that the files be sent to the landlord, the landlord’s attorney, or the new property manager.
Personal information from a buyer, seller, landlord, or tenant may be discussed with others (such as mortgage lenders or prospective landlords) only as is reasonably necessary to negotiate or close the transaction or to provide the services the customer or client seeks from this company.
This company may, at the customer’s or client’s request, provide personal information to service providers in a transaction such as a title company or mortgage company if it is necessary to expedite or complete a transaction.
If the company is required by law to allow others to access the personal information in the company’s files, the company will comply with the law (for example, compliance with court orders, subpoenas, or governmental investigations). The company will also allow law enforcement agencies access to personal information to cooperate with such Investigations.
Disposal of Personal Information
Personal are not to destroy documents without permission of management. The company uses reasonable measures to dispose of personal information. Personal information is usually disposed of by shredding or burning documents, erasing electronic files by means that make the files unreadable or undecipherable, or by eradicating personal information from documents or electronic files in ways that make the personal information Unreadable.
Erroneous Records:
If this company erroneously reports information to a consumer reporting agency, the company will act to correct the information in the company’s records and request the reporting agency to correct the information in its records promptly after the company has learned and determined that the report was in error.
If this company maintains an erroneous record that a consumer has issued a dishonored check, the company will promptly delete the record after the company and consumer agree that the information is in error or after the consumer provides the company with a law enforcement agency report stating that the dishonored check was not authorized. Notice: This Company asks any person who provides personal information to this company or one of its agents to identify the information at that time as “personal information.”
California Online Privacy Protection Act
CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law's reach stretches well beyond California to require a person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting personally identifiable information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals with whom it is being shared, and to comply with this policy. - See more at http://consumercal.org/california-online-privacy-protection-act-caloppa/ #sthash.0FdRbT51.dpuf
According to CalOPPA, we agree to the following:
Users can visit our site anonymously. Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our homepage, or as a minimum on the first significant page after entering our website. Our Privacy Policy link includes the word 'Privacy,' and can be easily be found on the page specified above.
Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes:
- On our Privacy Policy Page
Users can change their personal information:
- By emailing us
- By calling us
- By logging into their account
How does our site handle do not track signals?
We honor do not track signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place.
Does our site allow third party behavioral tracking?
It's also important to note that we do not allow third party behavioral tracking.
COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online.
We do not specifically market to children under 13.
Fair Information Practices
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.
To be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
- We will notify the users via email within seven business days
- We will notify users via phone call within seven business days
- We will notify the users via in-site notification within seven business days
- We also agree to the individual redress principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or a government agency to investigate and prosecute non-compliance by data processors.
CAN-SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.
We collect your email address to:
- Send information, respond to inquiries, and other requests or questions.
- Process orders and to send information and updates about orders
- We may also send you additional information related to your product and service.
- Market to our mailing list or continue to send emails to our clients after the original transaction has occurred
To be in accordance with CAN-SPAM, we agree to the following:
- NOT use false, or misleading subjects or email addresses
- Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way
- Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters
- Monitor third party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
- Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly
- Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email
Opting Out
- To stop receiving messages from reply STOP, CANCEL, or UNSUBSCRIBE.
Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy, you may contact us using our contact form.
3. If you have a Chat widget to your website.
A chat widget must also have opt-in language included, so anyone who messages you through it is a confirmed opt-in. It is also highly visible on your website, and the folks approving registrations appreciate that.
4. Lease Agreements
You may add the same language above to your lease agreement to further demonstrate compliance.
5. PMA Agreements Similar to the above, to ensure the most compliance, you can update your PMA agreements to detail that signing the agreement they are agreeing to receive text message communications from your company.
5. Register Your Campaign
Once your brand is registered and your website/forms/agreements are updated, you’ll move on to the campaign registration. The details in your Brand registration and Campaign registration should align. If the brand is “XYZ Property Management, Inc.”, the campaign use case should align with “XYZ” managing properties and contacting renters. Below is additional details on Campaigns:
Campaign Use Case
- Twilio will provide different categories (e.g., “Customer Care,” “Marketing,” “Notifications,” etc.).
- For messaging tenants/renters, you’ll typically select something like Customer Care or Account Notifications, depending on the nature of your messages.
Sample Message Content
- Provide at least one example of the typical message you plan to send.
- Use Realistic Sample Messages
- Don’t provide a generic placeholder. Give Twilio a real example of how you’ll address tenants, mention rent due dates, property announcements, etc.
- Keep the language professional, and consider including placeholders like TenantName or PropertyName.
- For instance, “Hello [Tenant Name], this is a reminder that your rent is due on the 1st. Please log in to your portal or contact us if you have any questions. Reply STOP to opt out”
Opt-In/Opt-Out Requirements
- You must clearly describe how customers consent to receiving these messages.
- Common methods:
- Website form with explicit consent
- Paper or digital lease agreement clause specifying SMS notifications
- Example Description “Owner and tenant prospects can choose to receive text messages by selecting the opt-in option on our Contact Us form. [insert link or image link of form] They may opt out at any time by replying STOP. This opt-out reminder is included in every automated message.”
Subscription Status & Consent
- U.S. regulations often require express consent for any text messages, particularly if they contain marketing or promotional content.
- If your messages are purely informational (rent reminders, maintenance notifications), you still need prior express consent but it may fall under “transactional” or “service” categories, which tend to be viewed more favorably by carriers.
Message Frequency & Volume
- Estimate how many messages you plan to send per day/week/month.
- Providing realistic volume estimates helps carriers see that you’re not spamming recipients.
6. Monitor Your Registration Status
After submission, Twilio may take a few days to review your application. You can monitor status in the Trust Hub or A2P 10DLC section of your Twilio console. If there’s a problem:
- Incomplete or Rejected: Twilio typically provides a reason (e.g., mismatch in company data, unclear opt-in, suspicious use case).
- Fix and Resubmit: Correct any highlighted issues and resubmit.
7. Post-Registration Best Practices
- Use One Campaign per Use Case
- If you plan to send purely transactional messages (rent reminders) and also marketing or promotional messages (new property offerings), you may need to register separate campaigns. Carriers sometimes filter content that doesn’t match the registered use case.
- Maintain Updated Opt-In Records
- Keep track of how each phone number consented. If there’s ever a complaint, having these records can protect you.
- Audit Your Messages
- Regularly review the types of messages you’re sending to ensure they match what you told Twilio.
- If your content or messaging frequency changes significantly, update your campaign.
- Stay Within Twilio’s (and Carriers’) Guidelines
- Review Twilio’s Acceptable Use Policy for anything that might be deemed spam, fraud, or illegal.
8. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Mismatch Between Brand and Campaign
- Make sure the brand name used in registration is exactly the same as your official legal name (and matches your website/marketing materials).
- Missing Opt-Out Instructions
- Even though Twilio handles “STOP” by default, carriers expect to see clear instructions sent to the prospect on resident with every automated outbound message.
- Vague or Misleading Sample Messages
- Provide clarity about your use case. If you say “We will send property-related updates,” but then actually send marketing blasts for unrelated businesses, carriers may block you.
- Unverified or Suspicious Company Information
- Double-check your EIN, address, and website details. If something doesn’t look legitimate, carriers might reject your brand registration.
- High Complaint Rates
- Once you start sending messages, if carriers receive multiple spam complaints or if your recipients frequently reply “STOP,” it can flag your campaign. Ensure you only message people who have given explicit consent.
Summary
Registering for Twilio’s 10DLC can be straightforward if you:
- Provide accurate, consistent brand and company details.
- Clearly outline your messaging purpose and audience.
- Demonstrate proper opt-in and opt-out compliance.
- Supply realistic sample messages related to renting or property management.
- Keep an eye on your registration status and be ready to adjust any details if Twilio requests more information.
By following the best practices above, you will greatly increase your chances of a smooth approval process. Once approved, continue to send messages responsibly and lawfully to maintain high trust scores and avoid filtering issues.
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