10DLC (Ten-Digit Long Code) is the US carrier registration program required for any business sending SMS from a standard 10-digit number. Without it, messages get heavily rate-limited or blocked outright. How it applies to you depends on which texting setup your shop uses.
Your own business number: register in-app under Settings → Texting
Every shop texts from its own approved number — there's no shared SalesThumb texting number. Shops can register for 10DLC right inside SalesThumb. Owners and admins go to Settings → Texting, enter the business details exactly as they appear on the IRS EIN letter, and choose Get a new number or Keep my current number. Then they click Submit for approval. SalesThumb handles the carrier registration and pays the setup fees.
The Texting page then tracks four steps: Business review, Carrier registration, Texting approval and Number. The shop's owners get an email whenever a step changes. Once every step is approved, the page shows Texting is live, and customers get texts from your own number.
You can finish registration during a free trial. Texting starts once you're on a paid plan.
For the full walkthrough, including what to do when a step says Needs a fix, see Texting from your own business number.
Not registered yet: texting is off
There's no shared SalesThumb texting number. Until your own number is approved, texting is off for your shop: apply for a new text number or use your current business phone number in Settings → Texting.
Bring Your Own Carrier: you register directly with Twilio
High-volume shops can connect their own Twilio account instead (Settings → Integrations → Business Texting & Email, then Already have a Twilio account? Bring your own). Their sends stop counting against the platform spend cap, and they pay Twilio and the carriers directly. If you go this route, 10DLC registration happens with Twilio, outside of SalesThumb: you (or Twilio support) register your brand and campaign in the Twilio Console. Once that's approved and you have a working Twilio Account SID, Auth Token and verified from-number, paste those three values into that form under Settings → Integrations → Business Texting & Email to connect. SalesThumb checks the credentials with Twilio when you save.
What to expect during Twilio's own registration
If you're registering your own campaign with Twilio, these fields get rejected most often:
- Sample message: a typical message, not a marketing blast. "Hi Sarah, your ceramic install is scheduled for Tue 10am. Reply YES to confirm." passes review more reliably than promotional copy.
- Use case: "mixed" if you'll send both transactional (reminders) and promotional (review requests) messages. "Marketing only" gets stricter carrier limits.
- Opt-in language: how customers agree to SMS, e.g. "Customers provide their phone number at quote time and explicitly opt into SMS at booking."
Twilio's registration fees and approval timelines are set by Twilio and the carriers, not SalesThumb. Check the current fee schedule and typical review time in your Twilio Console before you budget for it.
Checking your status
If you registered under Settings → Texting, the Texting page is your status page. It shows each step's status and any fix the carriers ask for.
For overall messaging health, go to Messages → Deliverability. If your delivery rate or failure rate falls outside the healthy range, the page shows a warning banner. The banner lists incomplete A2P 10DLC registration as one common cause, alongside invalid phone numbers and carrier content filtering.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I have to register for 10DLC to text customers?
A: Yes. There's no shared SalesThumb texting number, so texting is off until your shop's number is approved. In Settings → Texting, apply for a new text number or use your current business phone number; SalesThumb handles the registration.
Q: Who pays the 10DLC registration fees?
A: If you register under Settings → Texting, SalesThumb pays the setup fees. If you bring your own Twilio account, you register and pay Twilio directly.
Q: Where do I see my registration status?
A: On the Settings → Texting page. It shows Business review, Carrier registration, Texting approval and Number, each marked Waiting, In review, Approved or Needs a fix.
Q: Can I register during my free trial?
A: Yes. You can finish registration during the trial. Texting starts once you're on a paid plan.