In order to use US phone numbers to send texts for your business, you will need to be registered and approved as a US carrier to do so.
To decrease the amount of spam texts and calls received by their customers, all major US cell phone carriers require businesses to comply with a new standard. This standard, known as A2P 10DLC, ensures that SMS and MMS messages and voice calls to US numbers are sent by verified virtual phone numbers.
All virtual phone number owners, including OpenPhone subscribers, must register.
The questions and answers here will help you understand the process and successfully register. Also, fully review our US carrier registration guide for more information on how to get registered.
Basics
What is A2P 10DLC? A2P 10DLC refers to a standard in the United States that allows businesses to send Application-to-Person (A2P) type messaging via standard 10-digit long code(10DLC) phone numbers. Major US carriers consider all messages sent using virtual phone numbers with local area codes, like the ones provided by OpenPhone, to be A2P.
Definitions
- Brand - The identifier for your organization or who you are
- Campaign - The type of text messages you’re sending across carrier networks
Who is required to register as US carrier? Every OpenPhone customer, as virtual phone users who send texts to any US number needs to register, whether using OpenPhone for business or personal use (i.e., texting friends and family). We are not able to support a personal use case exemption at this time.
If I'm not eligible to register, what can I do? We recommend getting then switching to a toll-free number, which isn’t currently bound by these new regulations.
What is STIR/SHAKEN? STIR/SHAKEN (also referred to as SHAKEN/STIR ) is a protocol mandated by the FCC. It's a caller authentication framework developed by ATIS and IETF that helps reduce fraudulent robocalls. With STIR/SHAKEN protocols, carriers may flag non-compliant callers on the recipient’s caller ID as:
- Possible spam
- Suspected robocall
- Scam likely
How long does registration take? The time for completing the entire registration process can vary. We have received some approvals as quickly as 5-7 business days; others have remained in pending status for up to 30 days. In rare cases where key information is unable to be verified expediently, registration may take longer than 30 days. Reminder - You are not able to message US numbers while awaiting registration approval.
If my registration is rejected, what can I do?
A third-party company handles the verification of your information, and we do not have any control over whether your application is approved or rejected. The information we receive is limited. However, you can view the reason your application was rejected in-app and in a related email. You should reference this information to resubmit your application for approval.
Important to note
- Your text messages will only be successfully delivered if you have a successful registration.
- Carrier registration from a previous carrier does not continue when an existing number is ported into OpenPhone.
- If you end your OpenPhone subscription and don't restore it within 30 days, your registration of that number also ends.
About registration
Can I expedite my US carrier registration? No, registration cannot be expedited. Each application is manually reviewed by The Campaign Registry and another third-party entity. They currently have a backlog of registration requests from thousands of businesses worldwide. Keep in mind your registration may take weeks to process on the carriers’ end.
Is anyone ineligible to register? Yes, unfortunately, certain OpenPhone users do not meet US carriers’ requirements for registration.
- Individuals using OpenPhone for personal use must have a US or Canadian address and local phone number that is not powered by an application like OpenPhone.
- Businesses without a government tax ID must have a US or Canadian address and local phone number that is not powered by an application like OpenPhone.
- Businesses with a government tax ID can register from anywhere with any phone number.
What happens once I complete and submit the registration form? You can easily track the progress of your application by returning to the "Trust" settings.
Who is The Campaign Registry? The Campaign Registry is a third-party organization that works with North American mobile operators and companies to help their customers register based on emerging new regulations pushed for by the large US cell carriers (AT&T, Verizon, etc.).
Is OpenPhone responsible for these new regulations? No, these changes are not determined by OpenPhone. In an effort to combat spam, US carriers require local 10-digit phone numbers powered by applications like OpenPhone must be registered before sending messages to US numbers.
Can I change a virtual phone service that doesn't require registration? As a US carrier requirement, you will be required to register even if you subscribe to another virtual phone service. Other virtual business phone services either require or highly recommend immediate registration upon sign-up. Because the registration fees OpenPhone collects are pass-through fees, you could expect to pay the same fees with a new provider.
The majority of virtual phone providers required A2P 10DLC registration as far back as March 31st, 2023. However, we're aware of a small handful of virtual phone providers who have yet to disclose a cutoff date. Based on conversations within our industry, customers of providers not requiring registration are experiencing high levels of message filtering. We expect an industry-wide cutoff date for unregistered messages in the coming months.
Are there any text volume thresholds for which registration isn't required? No, if you use OpenPhone to send business texts to any US phone number, you’ll need to complete the US carrier registration form.
Pre-registration
How do I access and complete the US carrier registration form?
- Go to your OpenPhone account’s settings page.
- Select “Trust”.
- Click “Get started” to go through a short questionnaire to confirm your eligibility.
Do I register first then port over my number? Yes, we recommend waiting until your carrier registration application is approved and then submitting your request to port a number to OpenPhone. If you don’t have an active account with us yet, you can sign up for a temporary phone number and then get your workspace registered.
Can I register now as a sole proprietor if I don't have a business EIN? Yes. If you’re the sole proprietor (owner) of a business without an EIN (or equivalent business tax ID) and based in the US or Canada, you can follow the instructions outlined here to get registered.
Post-registration
If I add a number to my workspace do I need to register again? No, you don't need to register again after adding a number to your workspace. Completing one carrier registration covers all phone numbers in your workspace.
How can I check whether my registration was approved? After you’ve submitted the US carrier registration form, you can easily track the progress of your application by returning to the “Trust” settings from the web or desktop app.
Are there limits to how many texts I can send after my registration is approved? Yes, the text limits will be made clear to you during registration. On average, these limits exceed typical text message usage; usually in the order of thousands of messages per day.
FAQs
Are there additional charges to send text messages? Yes. However, these fees are not charged by OpenPhone. US carriers are working with The Campaign Registry and other third parties to review submissions from users across all virtual phone service providers. These third parties charge a one-time $19 fee, which OpenPhone collects on behalf of The Campaign Registry and forwards to them upon registration. In addition to the one-time fee, The Campaign Registry also charges an ongoing monthly fee for keeping your registration in good standing with US carriers:
- $1.50 per month if you register as an organization
- $2 if you register as a sole proprietor or personal user
- $3 per month if you're a non-profit
Note: If your submission is not approved, you'll need to pay a $15 resubmission fee.
Do I need to register a toll-free number using the carrier registration form? If you have a single toll-free number on OpenPhone, you don't need to complete the carrier registration form mentioned above. If you use your toll-free number to send text messages, you can get toll-free verified!
If I have a Canadian number, do I need to register? Yes, you will need to register if you are texting from a Canadian number to a US number.
What type of messages are prohibited from being sent? Our guide to messaging categories and examples not allowed on our platform covers all prohibited use cases.
If I registered with another provider with another provider before moving to OpenPhone do I have to register again? Yes, all new OpenPhone subscribers need to register upon signup.
What are the benefits of registering with the Free Caller Registry? If you’re following best practices and are still being marked as SPAM on your recipient’s caller ID, consider registering with the Free Caller Registry (FCR). This registration process can take weeks for the Free Caller Registry to complete.
