What is The Campaign Registry (TCR)?

The Campaign Registry, or TCR, is the central hub that manages 10DLC registrations in the United States. It acts as the intermediary between businesses, messaging providers, and mobile carriers. When you register your brand and campaigns for 10DLC messaging, that information flows through TCR to the carriers for approval.

How much does TCR registration cost?

Brand registration through TCR typically costs around $4 as a one-time fee. Standard campaign registration costs approximately $15, also one-time. Some special use cases (like political or emergency messaging) may have different fees. Optional enhanced brand vetting is an additional one-time cost that can improve your trust score.

What is the difference between brand registration and campaign registration?

Brand registration verifies your business identity (who you are), while campaign registration describes your messaging use case (what you plan to send). Think of brand registration as getting your business license, and campaign registration as getting a specific permit for each type of messaging you want to do.

Can I register multiple campaigns under one brand?

Yes. Once your brand is registered, you can create as many campaigns as you need. Each campaign represents a different messaging use case. For example, you might have one campaign for appointment reminders and another for marketing promotions.

What happens if my TCR registration is rejected?

If your brand or campaign registration is rejected, you will receive a reason for the rejection. Common reasons include mismatched business information, incomplete details, or non-compliant sample messages. You can fix the issues and resubmit. Most rejections are resolved quickly once you correct the specific problems identified.

TCR Registration: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

The Campaign Registry (TCR) is the gateway to 10DLC messaging. Every business that wants to send text messages from a local phone number in the United States needs to register through TCR. This guide walks you through the entire process, step by step.

What Is The Campaign Registry?

The Campaign Registry (TCR) is an independent organization that serves as the central registration hub for 10DLC messaging in the United States. Think of it as the authority that verifies businesses and approves their messaging use cases before carriers allow their messages through.

TCR sits between three parties:

Businesses (brands) that want to send text messages
Messaging providers (like Twilio, Vonage, or Bandwidth) that transmit the messages
Mobile carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) that deliver messages to phones

When you register through TCR, your information is shared with the carriers so they can approve your messaging and assign appropriate throughput levels. Without TCR registration, carriers will filter or block your business messages.

Why TCR matters

TCR registration is not just a recommendation — it is a requirement. Major carriers have implemented strict filtering that blocks unregistered business messages. Registration is the only way to ensure your texts reach their intended recipients.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before beginning the registration process. Having everything ready upfront is the single best way to avoid delays:

EIN (Employer Identification Number): Your federal tax ID, exactly as it appears on your IRS records. This is the most common source of registration issues.
Legal business name: The name on file with the IRS. Not your DBA, not your brand name — your legal entity name.
Business address: Your registered business address. It should match what is on file with the IRS and your state secretary of state.
Business website: A working website for your business. Carriers review this as part of the approval process.
Contact information: A phone number and email address for your business.
Use case description: A clear explanation of why you are sending texts and what types of messages you will send.
Sample messages: Two to three example messages you plan to send, including opt-out instructions.
Privacy policy URL: A link to your privacy policy that covers SMS messaging and data handling.
Terms of service URL: A link to your terms of service that mentions SMS consent.

The Registration Process: Step by Step

Step 1: Brand Registration

Brand registration tells TCR and the carriers who you are. You will provide:

Legal business name and DBA (if different)
EIN or tax identification number
Business type (corporation, LLC, sole proprietor, etc.)
Industry vertical (healthcare, retail, technology, etc.)
Business address, phone, email, and website
Stock exchange and ticker symbol (for publicly traded companies)

Once submitted, TCR runs an automatic identity verification. This check cross-references your information against business databases to confirm your identity. The result is a trust score that affects your messaging throughput.

Timing

Brand registration is typically reviewed within one to five business days. Clean submissions with matching records are often approved within hours.

Step 2: Campaign Registration

Once your brand is approved, you register campaigns. Each campaign describes a specific messaging use case. You will provide:

Use case type: Select from standard options like customer care, delivery notifications, marketing, account notifications, two-factor authentication, and more
Campaign description: A clear, detailed explanation of what messages you will send and why
Sample messages: Real examples of messages you plan to send (typically 2–3)
Message flow: How subscribers opt in and how they can opt out
Opt-in keywords: Keywords customers text to subscribe (like “JOIN” or “YES”)
Opt-out keywords: Keywords to unsubscribe (must include “STOP” at minimum)
Help keyword: A keyword for getting help (typically “HELP”)
Privacy policy and terms of service URLs

Campaign review involves both automated checks and manual review by carrier representatives. They verify that your use case is legitimate, your sample messages are compliant, and your opt-in and opt-out processes meet industry standards.

Step 3: DCA Election

DCA stands for Direct Connect Aggregator. After your campaign is registered, it needs to be connected to the carrier networks. This is handled by your messaging provider through what is called a DCA election. In most cases, your messaging platform handles this step automatically once your campaign is approved.

Step 4: Number Assignment

The final step is assigning your phone numbers to approved campaigns. Each number can only be associated with one campaign at a time. Once assigned, your numbers are recognized by carriers and your messages will flow through with the throughput your trust score allows.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the issues we see most often. Avoiding them will save you time and frustration:

Business name mismatch: Your legal name must exactly match your IRS records. Even minor differences (like “LLC” vs “L.L.C.”) can cause rejection. Double-check before submitting.
Wrong EIN: Make sure you are using your federal EIN, not a state tax ID or other number. If you are unsure, check your IRS confirmation letter (CP 575).
Vague campaign descriptions: “We send texts to customers” is not specific enough. Describe exactly what you send, when, and why. Be detailed.
Missing opt-out language: Every sample message must include clear opt-out instructions. “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” is the standard.
No privacy policy: Your website must have a privacy policy that specifically mentions SMS messaging and how you handle subscriber data.
Incomplete consent flow: You need to clearly describe how customers opt in to receive messages. Just having a phone number is not sufficient consent.
Using a personal phone as business contact: Use your business phone number, not your personal cell. This affects your trust score.

Most common rejection reason

By far the most common reason for rejection is a mismatch between the business name or EIN on the registration and what the IRS has on file. Take 60 seconds to verify these details before submitting and you will avoid the most frequent cause of delays.

Expected Timeline

Here is a realistic timeline for the full TCR registration process:

Brand registration review: 1–5 business days. Well-known businesses with clean records are often approved within hours.
Campaign registration review: 3–7 business days for standard use cases. Special use cases (political, emergency, charity) may take longer.
DCA election and carrier approval: Typically 1–3 business days after campaign approval.
Number assignment: Usually instant once the campaign is fully approved.

Total time from start to sending: typically one to two weeks for standard use cases. Plan for three to four weeks if you are registering special use cases or need enhanced brand vetting.

Understanding Trust Scores

When TCR processes your brand registration, it assigns a trust score based on factors like:

Business age and history
Online presence and website quality
Accuracy of registration information
Business type (publicly traded companies score highest)
Industry vertical

Higher trust scores unlock higher messaging throughput. If your initial trust score is lower than you would like, you can request enhanced brand vetting. This is an additional review process that, when passed, can significantly increase your score and throughput limits.

Pro tip

If you are a newer business or a sole proprietor, your initial trust score may be on the lower end. Enhanced brand vetting is a worthwhile investment if you need higher throughput. It is a one-time cost that permanently improves your messaging capacity.

What Happens After Registration?

Once your registration is complete and your numbers are assigned, you are ready to start sending. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin:

Stay within your approved use case: Only send messages that match your registered campaign. If you need a new use case, register a new campaign.
Monitor your deliverability: Keep an eye on delivery rates. If you see a sudden drop, it could indicate a compliance issue.
Honor opt-outs immediately: When someone texts STOP, remove them from your list right away. This is both a legal requirement and a carrier requirement.
Keep records of consent: Maintain records of how and when each recipient opted in to receive your messages. You may need to prove consent if challenged.
Update your registration if your business changes: If you change your business name, address, or use case, update your TCR registration accordingly.