By Tomas Linnik, Deliverability & Compliance Lead · Published 19 May 2026
A2P 10DLC stands for Application-to-Person messaging over 10-digit long codes. It is the United States system for sending business texts from standard local numbers, and US carriers will throttle or block traffic that is not registered for it. For an EU brand it matters the day you start texting US customers, and not before. This guide covers what registration involves, what it costs, and how it differs from the EU rules you already follow.
How does A2P 10DLC registration work?
Registration runs through The Campaign Registry, the central database US carriers use to vet business traffic. It has two tiers. First you register a Brand, which identifies and verifies your legal entity, usually within minutes. Then you register one or more Campaigns under it, each describing a use case such as marketing or notifications. Carriers vet the campaign, typically over a few days, before your traffic flows at full throughput.
What does A2P 10DLC cost?
There are two kinds of cost: one-time registration fees and ongoing per-message carrier fees on top of your normal messaging rate. The Campaign Registry raised some fees in August 2025, so confirm current figures before you budget.
| Fee | Approximate amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Sole-proprietor brand registration | ~$4.50 | One-time |
| Campaign use-case | ~$15 | Recurring per campaign |
| AT&T carrier fee | $0.0035 / message | Per outbound SMS |
| T-Mobile carrier fee | $0.0045 / message | Per outbound SMS |
| Verizon carrier fee | $0.0045 / message | Per outbound SMS |
How is this different from the EU?
Completely. The EU has no A2P 10DLC. There you send under alphanumeric sender IDs, register them where countries like Spain and Italy require it, and rely on GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive for consent. The two systems do not overlap, so a brand running in both markets manages each separately. We cover the European side in the GDPR and SMS consent guide and in compliance and deliverability.
Do not forget the TCPA
Registration gets your traffic delivered; it does not make it legal. US marketing texts need prior express written consent under the TCPA, with statutory damages up to about $1,500 per willful violation. The 2025 revocation rule also requires you to honour an opt-out within ten business days. Treat A2P 10DLC and TCPA consent as two separate boxes that both have to be ticked before you send.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. US rules change often; confirm current fees and obligations before relying on them.