How Do I Ensure Compliance?

We’ve already covered some basics on ways to be sure your A2P campaigns are compliant, but let’s take a deeper look at the steps you have to take for direct brand US A2P 10 DLC onboarding with Twilio.  

Step 1: Gather Information

Before you even sign up for Twilio and begin the A2P 10DLC registration process, you are going to need to gather a bit of info.

First, your business information: 

• Business Name
• Physical Address (Street, City, State/Province/Region, Postal Code, Country)
• Business Identity (Direct Customer or ISV/Reseller/Partner)
• Business Type (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/Corporation /Co-Operative/LLC/Non-Profit)
• Company Status (Private/Public)
• Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
• Tax ID or Business Registration Number and Type (EIN for US-based companies, other Business License or Tax ID number for non-US companies)
• Industry
• Website
• Regions of Operations

Secondly, your contact information:

• Full Name
• Phone number
• Email Address
• Position within the company (CEO, CFO, etc.)

Once you have this information gathered, you can continue with the registration process as follows:

Step 2: Create a Twilio Business Profile

The information gathered in the previous step will now come in handy as you set up your Twilio business profile. What you do in this step will depend on the type of business you are running, but the gist of it will remain the same regardless of your industry. Even government agencies/ entities will set up this profile as a business, but it is recommended that they register as a non-profit when choosing “business type”. 
When setting up your profile, be sure to include the following:

• Under Business Details: the Business name.
• Under Business Address: the Business Address and other metadata.
• Under Business Information: the Business’ identity within the ecosystem, the Business type, ID, industry, website URL, and region information.

As well as this basic information, you’ll be asked to provide the information of any authorized representatives of your business, as well as an email address that you would like to receive notifications on regarding your Twilio business profile. Once you’ve reviewed your business profile information, go down and click “Review and Submit”. 

Step 3: Register your Brand

Once your profile is complete, you will then continue on to register your US A2P brand. Completing this step will allow your business to participate in US A2P 10DLC services. In order to register, you will need to include your business profile (completed in the previous step) as well as information about whether your business is publicly traded or private. 

Registration steps for government entities, non-profit organizations, and political organizations are a bit different, you can learn more about the differences here.

Once you finish this section and register your A2P brand, you will be given a “trust score”. This score will determine your business’ throughput capabilities as well as any message limitations. 

To maximize your throughput potential, Twilio performs a secondary vetting process. This vetting process is automated and provided at no additional cost to you, but the benefits are great. To achieve the highest possible trust score, be sure that all information including tax id, address, company size, etc. is accurate and up to date.

Side Note:

Starter brands have the same registration process, but different limitations/ fees. Here are some of them:

Step 4: Register Campaign Use Cases

Now that you have registered your brand with Twilio, it’s time to set up some use cases. This just means you’re going to decide what you will use your A2P 10DLC for. Common examples of use cases including SMS marketing and order confirmations. Some companies will only have to register one campaign use case, but others may have to register more than one. For instance, if you utilize SMS marketing, but also send two-factor authentication to your customers, you will have to register two use cases. 

You’ll need some information to create your use case:

• Whatever messaging service is to be associated with the campaign.
• The Type of use case
• Two or more sample messages
• A description of your use case(s)
• A Twilio Phone number (must be purchased once account is created)

What happens if I’m not compliant?

While there are some cases where a business doesn’t need to be compliant with these new rules, most A2P campaigns that are going to be successful will require compliance. If your campaign isn’t compliant, there are some risks involved such as:

• Losing the ability to use A2P 10DLC 
• Opening yourself up to phishing attacks
• AT&T fees will vary from $0.002 to $0.004 per outbound SMS segment and $0.0035 to $0.005 per outbound MMS depending on the circumstances associated with the campaign.

How will this improve efficiency?

A2P messaging revolutionizes the way businesses operate, offering an efficient solution to streamline processes and improve customer interactions. Understanding how A2P messaging works is essential to harness its full potential. Businesses need to choose a reliable SMS platform that serves as the foundation for managing A2P messaging. Once logged into the platform, companies can upload a list of subscribers or create a landing page to capture new subscribers. This initial step ensures that the right audience is targeted with the intended messages.

Creating various types of SMS messages is the next crucial step. By preparing templates in advance, businesses can save time and effort during the messaging process. These templates can be customized to suit different campaigns and communication goals. Once the SMS messages are ready, businesses can effortlessly send them out from the SMS platform. Whether sending messages in bulk or individually, businesses have the flexibility to adapt to their specific needs. With just a click of a button, messages are transmitted through a mobile network operator, seamlessly reaching the intended recipients.

Behind the scenes, the SMS platform works in conjunction with the short message service center (SMSC) to ensure the messages appear as regular text messages to subscribers. This guarantees a seamless and familiar user experience, enhancing engagement and encouraging interactions.

A2P messaging offers a myriad of benefits for businesses. By automating customer requests and inquiries, companies can reduce errors and minimize the need for additional customer service representatives. This automation empowers businesses to handle a large volume of customer interactions efficiently, ensuring quick and accurate responses for each query. Such streamlined processes not only enhance the overall customer experience but also allow companies to optimize their resources effectively.

This type of messaging enables businesses to centralize their communication channels, consolidating interactions and information flow. By integrating A2P messaging into existing systems, companies can ensure a seamless exchange of information, reducing the risk of miscommunication or missed opportunities. This centralized approach enhances efficiency and improves the overall effectiveness of communication efforts.

How can I customize the text messaging experience?

Personalizing your text messaging experience involves several key features that allow you to customize and tailor your messages according to your preferences. Here are some ways you can personalize your text messaging experience:

1. Message Customization: With P2P (person-to-person) SMS, you have the freedom to create and format your text messages in a way that suits your style and needs. This includes choosing the font, color, and overall appearance of your messages, making them more unique and reflective of your character.

2. Personalized Content: Along with visual customization, you can also personalize the actual content of your messages. This means you can address the recipient using their name, reference specific details or events that are relevant to your conversation, and even include personalized emojis or stickers to add a more personal touch to your messages.

3. Scalable Personalization: P2P SMS enables you to send and receive personalized texts at scale without limitations imposed by service providers. Whether you’re sending messages to one person or a large group, you can ensure each message feels customized and tailored to the recipient, fostering a more meaningful and engaging communication experience.

4. Preference-driven Features: To enhance personalization, text messaging platforms often provide additional features that cater to individual preferences. For example, you might have the option to enable read receipts, allowing you to see when your messages have been read. Additionally, you could choose to organize your conversations using filters or labels, making it easier to access specific messages or threads.

5. Contact Management: Personalization can also be enhanced through effective contact management. It is beneficial to have features that allow you to categorize your contacts into groups or assign them with personalized labels. This provides an organized approach to sending messages to specific individuals or groups based on their relationships, interests, or any other relevant criteria.

Compliance seems confusing and time consuming. What are my options?

Becoming compliant IS confusing and very time consuming. Especially for the average business owner. It makes no sense for you to have to spend all of this time and energy worrying about making your campaigns compliant.

Step 1: Gather Information

Before you even sign up for Twilio and begin the A2P 10DLC registration process, it’s important to gather the necessary information. This will ensure a smooth and efficient registration experience. Here’s the information you’ll need to have on hand:

– Business Name
– Physical Address
– Business Identity
– Business Type
– Company Status
– Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
– Tax ID or Business Registration Number and Type
– Industry
– Website
– Regions of Operations

Once you have gathered this information, you can proceed to the registration process with Twilio.

Step 2: Create a Twilio Business Profile

With the gathered information, it’s time to set up your Twilio business profile. This profile will be the foundation for your A2P messaging activities. Regardless of your industry, the process for creating the profile remains the same. Even government agencies/entities should set up a business profile, preferably registering as a non-profit if applicable.

Step 3: Register your Brand

After completing your Twilio business profile, the next step is to register your brand for A2P messaging. This registration ensures that your business can participate in US A2P 10DLC services. To complete this step, you will need to provide the business profile information you completed in the previous step, along with details about whether your business is publicly traded or private.

Step 4: Register Campaign Use Cases

Now that your brand is registered with Twilio, it’s time to define your campaign use cases. This means determining how you plan to use A2P 10DLC messaging for your business. Common examples of use cases include SMS marketing and order confirmations. Depending on your business, you may need to register one or multiple campaign use cases. For instance, if you utilize SMS marketing and two-factor authentication, you will need to register both use cases.

By following these steps, you can ensure that you have fulfilled the necessary requirements for A2P messaging while registering with Twilio. Remember, regulatory considerations and compliance requirements are crucial aspects of A2P messaging, which include obtaining consent, adhering to data protection laws, and complying with messaging regulations in your specific location. It’s important to stay informed and abide by these regulations to maintain a compliant and successful A2P messaging strategy.

When you sign up for Cloud Contact AI, you can negate all of the hassle. We get you onboarded without any issues. Our team of experts can guarantee that your SMS campaigns will be compliant with the new A2P 10DLC rules. CCAI offers a multitude of services, but SMS services are our specialty. Get in touch with us today to learn more!