For a US wholesale buyer, the cost of sending text at volume comes from three places: registration fees for the brand and the campaign, a per-message fee for delivery, and the throughput that the registration allows. Unregistered 10-digit traffic is not a cheaper option. It is the traffic the registry exists to identify, and it can be filtered before it reaches a phone.
What SMS termination means
A text message has to reach a specific phone through the carrier that serves that phone. The sending platform hands the message to an SMS provider, which passes it through an aggregator or directly into a carrier network. The last step, where the recipient's carrier delivers the message to the handset, is called termination. Wholesale termination is the same delivery sold in bulk, usually priced per segment.
Segments are the billing unit. To check segment counts for your own messages, use the SMS segment calculator. A message that fits in one segment is billed once, and a longer message is split into several segments that are each billed. A longer template costs more even when the number of messages stays the same. The SMS segment guide explains how the count works.
Why 10-digit numbers need registration
A local 10-digit number, often called a long code, looks like an ordinary phone number. Application-to-person (A2P) messages are different from one person texting another. They are sent by a business or an application, often to many recipients from one number. Because a single number can send a large volume, carriers need to know who is sending, for what purpose, and with what consent. 10DLC (10-digit long code) is the framework that answers those questions.
The registry describes 10DLC as a channel in which brands and campaign service providers are verified before they can send. Each message can then be traced to a verified brand and a declared campaign. Three terms carry most of the process:
- Brand: the business that owns the messages.
- Campaign: one declared use case, such as account alerts, appointment reminders, or marketing.
- Campaign Service Provider (CSP): the intermediary that submits registrations to The Campaign Registry (TCR) on a brand's behalf. TCR's site says direct registration for brands is not currently available, so brands register through a CSP.
How registration works
Each step depends on the one before it, so the order matters. The table shows the usual sequence. Screens, timelines, and document requests differ between providers, so treat the table as a map rather than a script.
| Step | What happens | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose a CSP | Pick a provider that is a registered CSP and submits on the brand's behalf. | Confirm this before signing anything, because brands cannot register directly. |
| 2. Register the brand | Business identity details are submitted, such as legal name, address, and tax identifier. | A one-time brand fee applies. |
| 3. Vet the brand | A third party checks the business. Standard and enhanced vetting are available. | Sole proprietor and low-volume brands skip secondary vetting and get no trust score. |
| 4. Register each campaign | Declare the use case, sample messages, how consent was collected, and the opt-out and help wording. | Public privacy and terms links are typically required. The monthly campaign fee starts here. |
| 5. Campaign approval | TCR approves the campaign, and the provider receives a Campaign ID. | Messages go out only after the Campaign ID is in place with the connectivity partner. |
| 6. Send and maintain | Keep traffic consistent with the registered use case. | A change in purpose or content may require a new campaign registration. This is general guidance, so confirm the rule with the provider. |
What the fees cover
Registration has three kinds of charge: a one-time brand fee, optional vetting fees, and a monthly campaign fee. Per-message fees are a fourth, separate line. The figures below come from TCR's CSP user guide (April 2026 edition) and a third-party schedule, checked on October 16, 2026. Fees change, so confirm them on the TCR site before budgeting.
| Fee | Reported amount | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Brand registration, one time | $4.50 ($4.00 for sole proprietors) | Charged once per brand submission. |
| Standard vetting, one time | $41.50 | Feeds the brand's trust score. Reported as non-refundable under TCR terms. |
| Enhanced vetting, one time | $101.50 | A higher-assurance option for brands that need the higher score. |
| Campaign fee, monthly | $10.00 for most use cases; $1.50 for low volume; $2.00 for sole proprietors | Non-political campaigns carry a three-month minimum, then renew month to month. |
| Vetting appeal | Charged per appeal | The amount depends on the vetting result, so check the current CSP guide. |
Per-message fees are charged by the provider, not by TCR. They cover the cost of delivery through the carrier and aggregator, plus whatever margin the provider adds. No single published per-segment rate applies to every provider, so the figure has to come from the provider's rate card. Some providers pass carrier charges through at cost, while others bundle them into one rate. Providers may also add their own campaign review or setup charges, which are separate from the registry fees.
Throughput and the trust score
Throughput is how fast a campaign may send. Carriers set it, and it is tied to a trust score. That score reflects how complete and accurate the brand and campaign registration is, and whether the brand has been vetted. A higher score allows a higher rate.
| Trust score | AT&T (SMS) | T-Mobile (SMS) | Verizon (SMS) | MMS per carrier, from March 18, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 to 100 | About 75 per second per campaign | 200,000 segments per day per brand | Per number, not tiered | Up to 40 per second |
| 50 to 74 | About 40 per second per campaign | 40,000 segments per day per brand | Per number, not tiered | Up to 20 per second |
| Below 50 | About 4 per second per campaign | 10,000 per day (scores 25 to 49); 2,000 per day (1 to 24) | Per number, not tiered | Up to 5 per second |
The carrier differences matter for planning. T-Mobile's daily cap is shared across all campaigns and numbers for a brand, so splitting traffic does not raise it. AT&T limits apply per campaign, so separate campaigns can add capacity there. Verizon limits apply per number. The Verizon SMS figure is reported by aggregators rather than published by the carrier, and the MMS column comes from Twilio's changelog, which notes that the rollout was gradual.
The trust score is the main lever a buyer has. It changes through re-vetting, not with time. A monthly total can look small against a daily cap and still fail during a burst, so the peak sending rate matters as much as the average.
Where CTIA fits
CTIA is the wireless industry trade association. Its Messaging Principles and Best Practices cover consent, opt-out, help responses, and message content. CTIA describes them as voluntary industry practices rather than law. Carriers adopt the principles in their agreements with messaging providers and enforce them through those agreements, so a sender can lose messaging access for conduct that no statute addresses.
The consent rules that carry legal weight are federal. Under 47 CFR 64.1200, a text message counts as a call. Marketing texts sent with automated technology to a wireless number generally require prior express written consent, which the rule describes as a signed written agreement that names the number. Electronic signatures can qualify. A consumer may revoke consent by any reasonable method, and replies such as "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel," and "unsubscribe" are reasonable on their face. Revocations must be honored within a reasonable time, not more than ten business days, and a sender may not require one exclusive method to revoke a text.
This is general information about how the rules are written, not legal advice. Consent requirements depend on the message type, the recipient, and the state, so a business should have its own counsel review its program.
In practice, the sender owns the consent behind its messages. A provider may ask for evidence of consent before approving a campaign, and a campaign without that evidence is harder to defend if its traffic is questioned.
A worked monthly budget
The numbers in this example are invented to show how the parts add up. They are not a quote and not a published rate. Assume one brand sends one standard campaign with these inputs:
- 40,000 messages per month, averaging 1.5 segments each, so 60,000 segments.
- A provider rate of $0.004 per segment (invented).
- A 15 percent provider margin on the per-segment charge (invented).
- Brand registration and standard vetting at the start: $4.50 plus $41.50, or $46.
- A monthly campaign fee of $10.
| Line | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery, 60,000 segments at $0.004 | $240.00 | $240.00 | $240.00 |
| Provider margin, 15 percent | $36.00 | $36.00 | $36.00 |
| Campaign fee | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| One-time brand and vetting | $46.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $332.00 | $286.00 | $286.00 |
Over the three-month minimum, the total is $904, or about $0.0075 per message once the fixed fees are included. Two things change the result. The first is message length. If the average rises to 2.0 segments, the segment count becomes 80,000, and the monthly total rises by about $92 after margin. The second is the minimum term. Campaign fees run for three months even if traffic stops early.
The daily segment volume in this example is about 2,000, which is well under the daily caps in the throughput table. The busiest hour is what carrier limits actually test, though, so a sending plan should model peak rate as well as the monthly total.
What to prepare before registering
- The legal business name, tax identifier, and business address, matching official records.
- A named contact and a support phone number or email address, since a HELP reply needs one.
- A public website with a privacy policy and terms of service that the campaign can link to.
- A written description of each use case, with example messages for each.
- Evidence of how consent is collected for each use case, such as the form, checkbox text, or call script, with timestamps where the system records them.
- STOP and HELP wording that has been tested from start to finish.
- Expected monthly volume, average segments per message, and the peak sending rate.
- Message templates, each checked for its segment count.
- A list of the numbers that will send, with the campaign each one belongs to.
The voice side of wholesale routing, including route types, rate decks, and how to evaluate a termination provider, is covered in the wholesale voice termination guide.
Questions to ask a wholesale SMS provider
- Are you a registered CSP, and who submits the brand and campaign registrations for us?
- Which fees are passed through at cost, and which include margin: the registry fees, the carrier charges, or the per-segment rate?
- Do you charge campaign review or setup fees on top of the TCR fees?
- What throughput will our trust score allow on each carrier, and what would change it?
- What happens to our traffic if a campaign is rejected, suspended, or sent back for re-vetting?
- How are STOP and HELP handled, and do you send the opt-out confirmation?
- Do you need evidence of consent before a campaign goes live?
- What is the minimum term, and are campaign fees refundable if we cancel?
Sources
- The Campaign Registry, home page. Checked October 16, 2026. The campaign-registry.com address redirects here. Used for the CSP route and the Campaign ID step. The page lists no fee amounts.
- TCR CSP User Guide, April 2026. Fee figures checked October 16, 2026, from search excerpts. The PDF text could not be extracted in that check, so confirm against the document.
- SMS Comparison, 10DLC registration cost. Checked October 16, 2026. Third-party cross-check of the brand, vetting, and campaign figures.
- Twilio changelog, MMS rate limits for A2P 10DLC numbers. Checked October 16, 2026. Effective March 18, 2026.
- A2P.guide, 10DLC trust score and throughput. Checked October 16, 2026. Third-party guide; the page footer is dated 2026.
- 47 CFR 64.1200, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Checked October 16, 2026. Confirm against the current eCFR text.
- CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, May 2023. The PDF could not be extracted on October 16, 2026, so the principles here are described from search summaries. Read the original and check CTIA's site for a newer version.
- Bird, What is CTIA and what are its messaging principles. Checked October 16, 2026. Vendor summary, used only for how carriers enforce the principles.
Related reading
For the consumer side of business texting, see the business SMS guide. The STOP and HELP keyword guide covers the opt-out wording carriers expect, and the opt-in examples show how consent is collected. For the paperwork behind a wholesale account, see the wholesale KYC onboarding guide, and for comparing per-segment rates, see how to read a wholesale rate deck.
