A2P 10DLC Questions.
Answered for Agencies.
Registration Basics
What is A2P 10DLC and why does it matter for agencies?
A2P 10DLC stands for Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code. It is the carrier registration system that governs business SMS messaging in the United States. Agencies using SMS must register each client's brand and campaign through the Trust Center — powered by The Campaign Registry (TCR) — before SMS messages will be delivered reliably. Unregistered messages are subject to carrier filtering, which can result in complete delivery failure, error code 30034, or account suspension.
What are the different A2P registration types available?
The Trust Center supports four registration types. Sole Proprietor registration is for businesses without an EIN and with only one employee; it allows one phone number and up to 3,000 daily segments. Low Volume Standard requires an EIN and supports multiple numbers and up to 6,000 daily segments. High Volume Standard also requires an EIN and supports up to 600,000 daily segments. Toll-Free registration requires no EIN, supports one number per registration, and has no segment caps — it is often used as an interim solution while 10DLC registration is pending.
How long does A2P 10DLC approval take?
Approval times vary by tier. Sole Proprietor brands typically approve in 24-72 hours; Low Volume Standard and Standard brands typically take 3-15 business days. Trust Center now bundles Fast Track into the standard $24.50 registration fee, which targets approval within 3 working days where eligible. Toll-Free registration is faster — as little as 3 business days — and is often recommended as an interim solution while 10DLC vetting is in flight. After 10DLC approval, carriers take an additional ~3 business days to propagate the registration before throughput is fully available.
What does A2P registration cost?
The platform passes through the following TCR/carrier fees without markup: Sole Proprietor and Low Volume Standard registrations cost $24.50 as a one-time fee plus $2.00 or $1.50 per month respectively. High Volume Standard costs $71.91 one-time plus $10.00 per month. All registration types include Fast Track Processing ($3.00 value) for approval within approximately 3 business days once submitted. Additional campaigns under an existing brand cost $15.00 for vetting only. Toll-Free registration is free.
Rejection Causes
Why do A2P 10DLC registrations get rejected?
The top rejection causes are: {{curly brace}} merge field variables left in sample messages (the #1 documented cause), vague or missing opt-in flow description, absent Privacy Policy non-sharing clause, vague campaign descriptions that echo dropdown labels, and pre-checked or required consent checkboxes. Resubmitting a rejected campaign is free, but each cycle adds 1-3 days (Sole Prop) or 3-15 days (Standard) of delay before your client can send messages — and a chain of sequential rejections can stretch a launch from days into 4-6 weeks.
What is the required Privacy Policy non-sharing clause for A2P registration?
TCR requires that Privacy Policies contain a specific non-sharing clause. The required language (verbatim or equivalent) is: 'No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. Information sharing to subcontractors in support services, such as customer service, is permitted. All other use case categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.' Any Privacy Policy that mentions selling data, sharing with affiliates for marketing, or purchasing leads will cause rejection.
What are the seven required clauses in a Terms of Service for A2P registration?
The seven required ToS clauses are: (1) business identity and SMS program description; (2) STOP opt-out instructions with full unsubscribe confirmation language; (3) HELP support mechanism with an actual contact phone number or email address; (4) carrier liability disclaimer ('Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages'); (5) message frequency and rates disclosure including 'Message and data rates may apply'; (6) a direct link to the Privacy Policy; and (7) an age restriction clause (must be 18 years of age or older).
What sample message formats are accepted and rejected by TCR?
TCR accepts sample messages that use real hardcoded example data (such as 'Hi Sarah, your appointment at Blue Crest Physical Therapy...') or bracket notation for templated fields (such as '[Customer Name]' or '[Business Name]'). Curly-brace merge fields (such as {{contact.first_name}} or {{business_name}}) are rejected because they appear as literal code to reviewers. Public URL shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl.com) are explicitly prohibited. At least one sample message must include STOP opt-out language, and at least one must identify the business by its actual registered name.
What industries are ineligible for A2P 10DLC registration?
The following categories cannot register for A2P 10DLC regardless of how the campaign is described: cannabis, marijuana, hemp, and CBD products; payday loans and high-interest short-term lending; debt relief, debt consolidation, and debt settlement; third-party debt collection; illegal gambling; lead generation, affiliate marketing, and shared or purchased lead databases; hate speech and extremism; phishing and deceptive content; adult content and escort services; and multi-level marketing (in most structures). Alcohol and tobacco businesses may be eligible with age-gating and licensing documentation.
Opt-In Requirements
What are the opt-in checkbox requirements for A2P registration?
An opt-in form that passes review requires two separate checkboxes — one for marketing messages and one for non-marketing messages — with neither pre-checked by default. Consent must be optional and cannot be required to submit the form. The SMS consent checkbox must be separate from any Privacy Policy or Terms of Service agreement checkbox. The non-marketing checkbox must specify the actual type of messages (such as 'appointment reminders and service notifications') rather than using generic language like 'non-marketing messages.' Both checkboxes must reference HELP assistance, STOP opt-out, and message and data rate disclosures.
What is an opt-in confirmation message and what must it include?
An opt-in confirmation message is the first automated SMS sent after a contact subscribes. It must include the business name (the actual registered name — not 'us' or 'our company'), STOP opt-out language, HELP support keyword, a message frequency mention, and a 'Msg & data rates may apply' disclosure. It must be 320 characters or fewer. Using 'from us' instead of the actual business name in an opt-in confirmation message is a documented rejection cause.
About Easy A2P
How does Easy A2P help me pass TCR review?
Easy A2P runs your registration copy through deterministic pattern checks and AI-powered semantic rules — the same patterns TCR reviewers and carrier filters look for. It flags issues before you submit and provides corrected copy you can paste directly into the GHL Trust Center. Two modes: Review Existing Copy (1 credit) audits what you have; Draft Fresh Copy (2 credits) generates a complete submission package.
What sections does Easy A2P review?
Easy A2P reviews all 10 sections of a GHL Trust Center submission: Brand Registration, Campaign Description, Sample Message 1, Sample Message 2, Marketing Opt-In Checkbox, Non-Marketing Opt-In Checkbox, Opt-In Confirmation Message, Opt-In Flow Description, Privacy Policy SMS section, and Terms of Service SMS section. Each section is scored against TCR CSP User Guide v8 standards.
How much does Easy A2P cost?
Easy A2P is $39/month (or $390/year — save $78) and includes 10 credits per month. Unused credits roll over up to a 30-credit cap. Cancel anytime; credits never expire after cancellation. Start free with a 3-credit trial — no credit card required. 1 credit per Review, 2 credits per Draft.
My business operates under a DBA. Does Easy A2P handle that correctly?
Yes. Easy A2P generates and reviews copy that follows GHL's documented DBA-handling pattern: the legal entity name on the Brand Registration record (TCR-verified), the DBA in consumer-facing copy (samples, opt-in checkboxes, opt-in confirmation, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service body references), the formal '[Legal Name] DBA [DBA Name]' format in PP and ToS section headers, and the 'We are doing business as [DBA Name]' declaration sentence in your Campaign Description.
Claude Code Skill
Is there a way to use Easy A2P from the terminal or in Claude Code?
Yes — we publish an official open-source Claude Code skill at github.com/garyvogtconsulting-commits/easy-a2p-skill. It runs the same review, drafting, and fixing flows as the web app, straight from your terminal. Free, MIT licensed, and uses your existing Easy A2P API key.
What does the Easy A2P Claude Code skill do?
The skill exposes three actions: review (1 credit) grades your existing GHL Trust Center copy against TCR rejection rules, draft (2 credits) generates a full review-ready submission packet from your business inputs, and fix (1 credit) rewrites failing copy and self-verifies until it passes. Same rules, same backend, same credits as the web app — just invokable from Claude Code in your IDE or terminal.
Do I need a separate account to use the Easy A2P Claude Code skill?
No. The skill uses the same Easy A2P account and API key as the web app at easya2p.app. Sign up once at easya2p.app, generate your API key from the dashboard, set it as an environment variable, and the skill picks it up automatically. Credits are shared across the skill and the web app.
How do I install the Easy A2P Claude Code skill?
Clone the repo into your Claude Code skills directory: git clone https://github.com/garyvogtconsulting-commits/easy-a2p-skill ~/.claude/skills/easy-a2p. Then in any Claude Code session, mention A2P 10DLC, GHL Trust Center, TCR rejection, or similar topics — the skill auto-loads and Claude will route you to the right action.
Platform-Specific
Where is A2P registration completed?
A2P 10DLC registration is completed through the Trust Center, accessed via Settings → Phone Numbers → Trust Center. Brand registration must be completed and approved before campaign registration can begin. The platform itself does not make approval or rejection decisions — these are made by TCR and the mobile carriers.
What is the opt-out rate threshold?
Most platforms enforce a 3% opt-out rate threshold. If a campaign's opt-out rate exceeds 3%, it will trigger a 24-hour messaging suspension. Maintaining clean, relevant, and expected messaging content is the primary way to keep opt-out rates within safe limits.
Does A2P 10DLC apply to WhatsApp messaging?
No. WhatsApp messaging is governed by Meta's own policies and is not subject to A2P 10DLC registration requirements. A2P 10DLC applies only to SMS and MMS messages sent via US long-code numbers.
How is Easy A2P different from A2P Wizard?
A2P Wizard generates a temporary stand-in website you submit instead of your real one. Easy A2P reviews your actual submission against TCR/GHL standards so your real website passes review. We don't generate proxy sites. If you want the fastest possible first-pass approval and you're comfortable swapping the registered URL after approval, A2P Wizard may suit you. If you want your client's real site, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, sample messages, and consent flow to actually pass review and stay review-ready long-term, that's what Easy A2P is for.
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