What is 10DLC?
10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is the sanctioned way for businesses to send A2P (Application-to-Person) text messages using regular 10-digit phone numbers. This was established by U.S. mobile carriers to create a clean, trusted lane for business texting. Previously, many businesses sent messages using shared short codes or unregistered long codes, which led to rampant spam, poor deliverability, and consumer frustration.
Now, with 10DLC, your restaurant can reliably send reservation confirmations, promotional offers, loyalty rewards, waitlist updates, and more — all from a verified phone number that customers recognize as local and legitimate. Using 10DLC also positively impacts public perception of your restaurant's trustworthiness, as customers are more likely to trust communications from a recognizable and verified source.
And yes, it really is as important as it sounds. Consistently delivering a quality product through reliable communication channels like 10DLC helps build customer trust and reinforces your brand's reputation.
⛨️ Why Was 10DLC Created in the First Place?
Before 10DLC, A2P messaging was essentially the Wild West. Anyone could send bulk messages from random numbers — often leading to spam, phishing, and scams. Carriers had little visibility or control over who was sending what.
To combat this, carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile partnered with The Campaign Registry (TCR) to create a regulated pathway. Businesses now register their brand and messaging use case, which helps:
- Reduce spam
- Protect consumers
- Improve message deliverability
- Hold bad actors accountable
Adopting regulated messaging channels like 10DLC demonstrates responsible business practices by ensuring ethical communication, protecting consumers, and reinforcing brand trust.
Think of it as the difference between someone randomly knocking on your front door at midnight versus someone with a dinner reservation who rang the doorbell politely.
If you’re legit, you benefit. If you’re shady, you’re blocked.
Why Brand Trust Matters to Your Restaurant
Texting is one of the most effective ways to connect with your guests — but it’s only effective if the message actually arrives. And that’s where 10DLC matters.
If you use texting for:
- Confirming reservations
- Alerting waitlisted guests
- Sending limited-time promos
- Following up on feedback
- Managing a loyalty program
…then 10DLC isn’t optional. It’s mandatory.
Using 10DLC also positively influences customers' view of your restaurant as trustworthy and reliable, which is essential for building lasting relationships.
Failure to register for 10DLC leads to:
- Message filtering or total blocking
- Slower message delivery
- Risk of fines up to $10,000 per incident
Registering properly for 10DLC means:
- High deliverability
- Peace of mind and legal compliance
- Better customer experience
In short: If you’re texting without 10DLC, you’re walking through a minefield. With 10DLC, you’re on a paved highway.
And let’s be real—today’s diners want convenience. Texting is fast, personal, and effective. Consistent, reliable messaging helps build trust with your guests. If you’re not using it to drive repeat business, fill slow nights, or boost loyalty, you’re leaving serious money on the table. Building trust through 10DLC can encourage repeat purchases and foster long-term loyalty.
Building Brand Trust with 10DLC
Building brand trust with 10DLC messaging starts with creating a personal connection between your business and your customers. When companies use 10DLC to send messages from a recognizable, local number, it immediately feels more authentic and trustworthy. But it’s not just about the technology—it’s about how you use it.
To truly build brand trust, your messages should reflect your brand values and respect customer preferences. That means sending relevant, timely updates—like exclusive offers, reservation reminders, or loyalty rewards—that genuinely add value to your customer base. When your messaging is transparent, consistent, and always aligned with what your brand stands for, you instill trust and show customers you care about their experience.
Ultimately, building brand trust with 10DLC is about more than just sending messages. It’s about using every interaction to reinforce your commitment to your customers, making them feel valued and understood. When businesses focus on delivering the right message at the right time, they lay the foundation for lasting relationships and a loyal customer base.
The Updated Cost Breakdown (as of August 1, 2025)
One-Time Fees
- Brand Registration: $19
- Campaign Registration: $15 (per use case)
Monthly Fees
- Low Volume Standard Campaign: $1.50/month — Ideal for restaurants sending fewer than ~2,000 messages/day
- Standard Campaigns: $10/month — For higher-volume needs
- Special Campaigns:
- Charity: $3/month
- Emergency: $5/month
- Political: $10/month
Carrier Pass-Through Fees (Per Message Segment)
These are added to your provider’s messaging fees:
- AT&T: $0.003 (SMS), $0.0075 (MMS)
- T-Mobile: $0.003 (SMS), $0.01 (MMS)
- Verizon: $0.0031 (SMS), $0.0052 (MMS)
Annual Renewals
Brand and campaign registrations must be renewed annually at the same rates.
Bottom line? It’s affordable. Especially when you consider the ROI of reaching a guest with a dinner special or “your table’s ready” ping that saves a potential walkout.
What is Vetting in 10DLC Registration?
Vetting determines your Brand Trust Score, which dictates how many messages you can send per day and how likely they are to be filtered. Think of it as your credit score in the messaging world.
Brand trust refers to the confidence customers have in your restaurant's reliability and integrity, which is reflected in your Brand Trust Score.
Your Brand Trust Score is influenced by your brand's ability to consistently deliver on messaging promises, demonstrating competence and reliability to your customers.
The vetting process is one way to measure brand trust in the context of 10DLC compliance, using data-driven assessments to evaluate your trustworthiness.
Standard Vet (via Aegis or WMC)
Use this if you:
- Send low/moderate volumes of texts
- Don’t operate under special use cases (e.g., political)
- Want to register quickly and affordably
Costs:
- Vetting: $41.50
- Brand registration: $4.50
- Appeal (if score is poor): $11.00
Limitations:
- Throughput is tied to your score (0–100)
- Lower scores = lower message volume caps (~2k–6k/day)
- No manual review; automated system only
Enhanced Vet (Advanced Vet via Aegis)
Use this if you:
- Send tens or hundreds of thousands of messages/day
- Use special campaign types (political, emergency, customer care)
- Need higher throughput or plan to scale
Costs:
- Vetting: $101.50
- Failed vet: $6.00
- Appeal (optional): $11.00
Benefits:
- Manual review (humans involved)
- Much higher message limits (up to 1 million/day)
- Required for high-compliance use cases
Cost Summary Table (Post–Aug 1, 2025)
TL;DR Decision Tree
- Just need to send occasional promos or reminders? → Standard Vet
- Want full flexibility, speed, or special use cases? → Enhanced Vet
- Got a low trust score but think it's wrong? → Appeal or upgrade vetting
Fines and Noncompliance Penalties
If you skip registration and keep sending SMS through a non-registered number, you risk:
- Fines ranging from $500 to $10,000 per violation
- Message blocking without notice
- Blacklisting by carriers
And worst of all — you may never even realize your customers aren’t receiving your messages. Missed messages can result in negative feedback on social media and review sites, which can quickly damage public perception and erode trust in your restaurant.
One poorly timed block during a dinner rush could lose you reservations, damage your reputation, or send a loyal guest into the arms of your competitor.
Best Practices for 10DLC Messaging
To make the most of 10DLC messaging and build brand trust, it’s essential to follow a few best practices. First, always get explicit consent from your customers before sending any messages—this shows respect for their preferences and helps build a positive relationship from the start. Use clear, concise language in your messages, and make sure it’s easy for customers to opt out if they choose.
Consistency is key: your 10DLC messaging should match your overall brand messaging and marketing strategy. That means using the same tone, style, and branding across all your communication channels. When your messages feel like a natural extension of your brand, customers are more likely to trust and engage with them.
By following these best practices, companies can create messaging campaigns that not only reach their audience but also build brand trust and encourage long-term loyalty. Remember, every message is an opportunity to reinforce your brand and show customers you value their time and attention.
Why Use FlyghtVoice for 10DLC in Your Marketing Strategy?
Trying to register yourself is like filling out DMV paperwork in a language you don’t speak. Between The Campaign Registry, carriers, and messaging providers, it’s a mess of acronyms, portals, and frustration.
We handle everything.
With FlyghtVoice:
- We fill out and submit all required forms
- We select the right campaign type for you
- We manage sample messages and compliance
- We track renewals and vetting timelines
- We make sure you don’t overpay or underperform
- Friendly support that doesn’t charge by the minute. Our knowledgeable employees act as trusted partners throughout the registration process, helping to build confidence and transparency.
- A clear, simple dashboard to track everything (optional). The dashboard provides actionable data and valuable insights to help you optimize your messaging strategy and build trust.
Our team understands how restaurant operations work — fast-paced, high-pressure, and short on time. That’s why we make 10DLC setup as easy as a text to your POS tech.
We’ll even translate all that compliance lingo into plain English, so you’re never left wondering what’s next.
What You Need to Provide for Registration
When you're ready, FlyghtVoice will ask you for:
- Legal business name
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Business address
- Business website URL
- Privacy policy URL on your website
- Contact person info
- Campaign use case (e.g. reminders, marketing, alerts)
- Sample messages you’ll send
- Your primary phone number
That’s it. No spreadsheets. No endless forms. Just what we need to get you up and running.
Common Restaurant Use Cases for 10DLC to Drive Customer Loyalty
Here’s how restaurants like yours use texting every day:
- Reservation Confirmations: “Hi Emma! Your table at Rose Tavern is booked for 6:45pm.”
- Waitlist Notifications: “You’re up next! Head to the host stand now.”
- Promotions: “BOGO entrées this Friday. Show this message to your server.”
- Loyalty Rewards: “Congrats! You’ve earned a free dessert. Valid through Sunday.”
10DLC helps restaurants deliver high-quality products or services and attentive service by enabling timely, personalized communication with guests. Effective customer interactions via text messaging can enhance the overall dining experience and build trust with your customers.
It’s modern hospitality. Your guests expect it.
Measuring Success with 10DLC Campaigns
Understanding how your 10DLC campaigns are performing is crucial for building brand trust and customer loyalty. Start by tracking key metrics like delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates—these numbers show how effectively your messages are reaching and engaging your customers.
But don’t stop at the numbers. Use sentiment analysis and customer feedback to get a deeper sense of how your messaging is being received. Are customers responding positively? Do they feel your brand is delivering on its promises? These insights can help you refine your approach and ensure your messaging is always aligned with your brand’s values.
By regularly measuring and analyzing the success of your 10DLC campaigns, companies can make data-driven decisions that strengthen brand trust, improve customer loyalty, and drive better results from every message sent.
Troubleshooting Common 10DLC Issues
Even with the best planning, issues can arise with 10DLC messaging that may impact brand trust and customer loyalty. Common problems include message delivery failures, opt-out requests, and customer complaints. The key to maintaining a positive reputation is to address these issues quickly and transparently.
Make sure your business has a clear process for handling opt-out requests and that customers can easily stop receiving messages if they wish. Respond to customer feedback and concerns in a timely manner, showing that you value their input and are committed to resolving any issues. By being proactive and customer-focused, companies can minimize disruptions and maintain a strong relationship with their customer base.
Remember, every interaction—especially when things go wrong—is a chance to reinforce your brand’s commitment to customer satisfaction and build lasting trust.
What You Get With FlyghtVoice
- Local voice + SMS number customers recognize
- Bulletproof compliance with 10DLC and carrier rules
- Full administrative setup and monitoring
- No wasted time navigating red tape
- Friendly support that doesn’t charge by the minute
- A clear, simple dashboard to track everything (optional)
- Confidence that your texts will go through when it matters
- Using FlyghtVoice can help generate social proof through positive customer feedback and reviews, boosting your credibility.
- Partnering with trusted brands like FlyghtVoice enhances your restaurant's reputation and fosters long-term customer loyalty.
- A strong social media presence, supported by reliable messaging, further builds trust with your audience and strengthens your brand community.
You handle the food. We’ll handle the phones.
The Future of 10DLC for Restaurants
Looking ahead, 10DLC is set to become an even more powerful tool for restaurants aiming to build brand trust and customer loyalty. As consumers increasingly rely on their mobile devices, restaurants can use 10DLC messaging to deliver personalized offers, timely updates, and exclusive rewards that drive sales and keep customers coming back.
Beyond promotions, 10DLC also enables restaurants to gather valuable feedback and conduct sentiment analysis, helping refine marketing strategies and improve overall customer satisfaction. By leveraging these insights, businesses can adapt to changing consumer behavior and ensure their messaging always aligns with their brand’s values.
The future of 10DLC is all about building long-term loyalty and trust with your customer base. By staying transparent, consistent, and responsive to customer needs, restaurants can use 10DLC to create memorable experiences that turn first-time guests into loyal regulars.
Ready to Register?
If you’re already using FlyghtVoice — you’re halfway there. We’ll reach out to gather what’s needed and do the rest.
If not? Let’s fix that. Contact us today and get:
- Compliant
- Protected
- Optimized
Because a text that never arrives doesn’t just cost you money — it costs you trust. Delivering on your brand promises through reliable messaging is essential for maintaining customer trust.
And that’s something we take personally.
Sources
- SkySwitch - 10DLC Updates and Release Notes Quick Reference Page
https://docs.skyswitch.com/en/articles/881-10dlc-updates-and-release-notes-quick-reference-page - Bandwidth - 10DLC Pricing Tiers, Explained
https://www.bandwidth.com/blog/10dlc-pricing-tiers/ - Telnyx - 10DLC Fees and Charges
https://support.telnyx.com/en/articles/5634625-10dlc-fees-and-charges - Vonage - 10DLC Pricing and Fees
https://api.support.vonage.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058158511-10-DLC-Pricing-and-Fees - HighLevel - A2P 10DLC Pricing and Carrier Fees
https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000005200-understanding-a2p-10dlc-messaging-fees-registration-monthly-and-carrier-costs
