Text messaging from brands (whether for-profit companies or political campaigns/advocacy organizations/nonprofits) has increased dramatically in recent years. In response to this increase in texting activity, cell phone carriers like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. have introduced new regulations to reduce spam texting traffic. These regulations are sometimes referred to as “10DLC.” (The acronym “10DLC” technically refers to the “10 digit long-code” phone number that is used to send text messages, if you were wondering.)
Essentially, cell phone carriers now require brand registration for any entity that sends out text messages. Every vendor who offers texting is affected by these 10DLC registration requirements.
To use either Peer-to-Peer Texting or Broadcast Texting on Impactive, texting registration (10DLC registration) is mandatory. You will not be able to send any texts until your registration is approved - therefore, texting registration should be one of your first setup steps upon gaining access to Impactive, so we can get your submission approved and get you on your way to texting ASAP. Registration currently takes between 1-3 weeks; unfortunately, there is no way to expedite this timeline, as it is managed by third-party vetting agencies.
Submitting the 10DLC Registration Form
Visit the "10DLC" tab under Campaign Settings in your admin dashboard:
Follow the instructions there to select the type of organization you're registering as, and fill out the required information. You can fill out the form partially, save it, and return later to submit it if needed. Pay careful attention to give the proper information (as registered with the IRS), without typos or other mistakes; errors will delay your registration approval. Here's the information you'll need to submit:
Field | Notes |
Organization's Legal Name | The legal name of your organization, present on IRS paperwork. This does not have to be the same name as your Impactive license. |
Organization's Website | The full URL (including https://) of your organization's website. |
Organization's Address | The address present on your organization's IRS paperwork.
Note that if this address is a PO Box, your registration may be initially be rejected, but can be easily appealed by the Impactive team; reach out to [email protected] to let us know if we should look out for this issue on your registration. |
Organization's Campaign Verify Token (if applicable) | Only applicable for electoral entities (campaigns, parties/committees, PACs). Those entities must receive a Campaign Verify token by registering with Campaign Verify before submitting Impactive registration.
Note that the token required here is a long string of letters and numbers beginning with "cv" - it is NOT the initial four-digit "PIN" code that Campaign Verify provides.
Receiving a CV token will take 24 hours if your organization has an email address listed on its FEC filing, or will take approximately 7 days if an email address is not listed (Campaign Verify will mail the token). Any questions or concerns with this process can be taken up with Campaign Verify. |
Organization's EIN | The Employer Identification Number (EIN) found on your organization's IRS paperwork. |
Organization's Authorized Representative (Name, Email, Phone, Title, Role Classification) | Input the information for a person who works for your organization who could be contacted for verification of this texting registration if needed (though this is extremely rare).
For Role Classification, simply select the designation that somewhat aligns with that person's job title - ex. an Organizing Manager could be listed as a Director. |
Area Codes | Your desired area codes for Peer-to-Peer Texting and Broadcast Texting; enter up to four desired codes for Peer-to-Peer, and one desired code for your single Broadcast Texting number. Read more about phone numbers for Peer-to-Peer and Broadcast Texting here. |
3. After triple-checking that all information entered is 100% correct (remember that errors will cause your registration to be delayed), submit the form.
That’s it! From here, Impactive will automatically send your registration to relevant third-party vetting agencies. The timeline for registration approval can vary depending on the time of year and other factors outside of Impactive's control, but our clients typically receive approval in anywhere from 1-3 weeks.
Once you’re approved, you'll receive emails (one email confirming approval for each of Peer-to-Peer and Broadcast Texting), and you'll see in the 10DLC tab of Campaign Settings, and on your Peer-to-Peer Texting and Broadcast Texting pages, that your registration is approved:
For any assistance with your registration or questions about this process, feel free to reach out to [email protected].