Mobile Carriers in the US (namely AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) have recently started requiring that all 10 digit phone numbers (10DLC), used to send Text messages, be properly registered in order to avoid filtering and additional costs. Basically this allows the Carriers to know exactly who is sending Text messages to their subscribers. There is good and bad news that comes with this. The bad news is that if you want to send text messages to customers, you have to follow carrier regulations. It doesn’t matter if you use Apptoto or another service – everyone in the industry has to follow the same rules or their messages will get blocked. The good news is that it will keep your text messaging channel safe and SPAM free and your messages will not get filtered by carriers.
To verify and register your brand, you’ll have to provide information about your business like business name, address, website and Federal EIN. Do yourself a favor and grab your W9 or company tax registration document before you start this process.
To begin registering your brand within Apptoto you will navigate to Settings>Caller IDs
Then select “Add Brand”, and follow the prompts on the screen and fill out all of the information that is requested:
If your account already has an old starter brand, you can convert that to a paid brand by simply clicking on the “Convert to Paid Brand” button on the Caller IDs tab:
Please note there is a one time brand registration fee of $20 that is passed on by carriers, then a $2 a month charge in addition to your current Apptoto subscription.
Once the brand is filled out and submitted it will go through a vetting process with a 3rd party which can take 4-6 weeks to complete then the brand will be active within Apptoto.
If you are a Sole-Proprietor, within the registration process you will be asked for your mobile number. The mobile phone number must be correct and must be a mobile phone number that you have access to. A text saying “Please confirm your registration for US A2P Messaging by replying YES. Msg & data rates may apply.” will be sent to this number during the process, and you must reply YES within 24 hours.
Important Dates to Avoid Blocked Messages!
- June 1: Per-message fees increase for carriers for any unregistered traffic
- July 5: Message traffic blocking increases for any unregistered brands
- August 31: Total blocking of message traffic for unregistered campaigns goes into effect
We hope you were able to follow along and complete your brand registration within Apptoto. Once approved, you’ll be able to send your text message campaigns without interruption for years to come! Or, at least until the next regulatory change… If you have any questions or concerns about this process please feel free to reach out to us at support@apptoto.com
