A Business Owner's Guide to The Campaign Registry (TCR)

Welcome, small business owner! If you’re using or considering a virtual phone number for your business, this guide is for you. You may have come across the term The Campaign Registry (TCR) and wondered how it impacts your ability to send text messages from your business. Or perhaps you’ve faced challenges with message delivery. Either way, don’t worry—we’re here to simplify it all for you.

This guide is your friendly companion through the world of TCR. We’ll break it all down in plain English, so you can understand what’s happening, why it matters, and most importantly, how to get your business registered without breaking a sweat.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

Think of The Campaign Registry (TCR) as the friendly neighborhood watch for text messaging. It’s a central hub where businesses like yours can register their business to ensure delivery of text messages sent from their business phone number.

Major mobile carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile have partnered with TCR to help keep the text messaging ecosystem safe and spam-free. When you register with TCR, you’re basically saying, “Hey, I’m a legitimate business and I promise to play by the rules.” This helps ensure that your messages get to your customers safely and that people’s phones aren’t bombarded with unwanted texts.

The TCR was set up to register virtual phone numbers. What’s a virtual phone number? It’s a type of phone number that isn’t attached to a specific device. For example, all 2nd phone number apps, including LinkedPhone, use virtual phone number technology so that business owners can receive calls and texts through their mobile device, computer, office VoIP phone, and even landlines.

The term “campaign” in The Campaign Registry can be a bit misleading, as it also applies to regular conversational texts between you and your customers. Even if you don’t run text message marketing campaigns or maintain a list of phone numbers for promotional purposes, registering your business number with TCR remains mandatory.

Businesses that don’t register with TCR face the very real risk that text messages will not be delivered. Please know that registration with TCR is not a LinkedPhone decision. It is now an industry-wide requirement. Learn more about TCR.

You may have heard the term “10 DLC” as it relates to The Campaign Registry. 10 DLC is simply a technical term for virtual phone numbers and stands for “10-digit long code” (e.g., your business number). TCR requires that service providers like LinkedPhone submit a “10DLC Form” on behalf of business owners to register their businesses as trustworthy sources of text messages. Registering with TCR is like your business’s passport to the world of business text messaging. The 10DLC Form includes basic information about your business, including:

It’s all about transparency and making sure everyone’s on the same page.

You’re right – this is a new thing, and you might be thinking, “I’ve been sending messages just fine until now. What changed?” Well, let’s take a little trip down memory lane.

Previously, business text messaging operated without much regulation, offering great flexibility for legitimate companies like yours. However, this open approach also enabled spammers to flood inboxes with unwanted messages, creating challenges for both businesses and customers. Spammers operating under fake business names used virtual phone numbers to quickly cycle through new phone numbers once their fraud or scam was noticed and reported to the authorities.

Telecom companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon saw this happening and thought, “We need to do something to protect our customers.” And thus, the idea for TCR was born. TCR works with major telecom carriers to ensure that text messages sent from virtual phone numbers originate from legitimate and trustworthy sources. It’s their way of trying to keep the messaging world safe while still allowing businesses to connect with their customers.

If you don’t use text messaging in your day-to-day business operations, there is no need to register with TCR. All other services provided by LinkedPhone will remain uninterrupted.

However, TCR registration is a requirement for any business sending text messages to U.S. phone numbers through a virtual phone service provider, like LinkedPhone. Registration with TCR ensures that your business messages are recognized as legitimate, increasing deliverability while protecting your brand and customers from spam. In a nutshell, TCR puts your business number on a “safe list” so that major telecom providers can confidently deliver your text messages.

At LinkedPhone, we’ve simplified the TCR registration process. We’ll manage the process on your behalf from beginning to end. Additionally, for a limited time, LinkedPhone will eat the registration costs and recurring monthly fees for its clients.

We hear you – you’re one of the good guys, always respectful of your customers and their inboxes. So why should you have to jump through these hoops?

Think of it this way: even frequent flyers with perfect track records still go through airport security. It’s not because anyone suspects them of wrongdoing; it’s just a necessary step to keep everyone safe.

Registering your business with TCR is like getting a VIP pass that tells the world, “This business is legit!” It helps separate you from spammers while at the same time providing your customers an extra layer of confidence when they see messages from you.

Finally, businesses registered with TCR are helping to create a better messaging environment for everyone. It’s a small step that can make a big difference in maintaining the integrity of business communications.

If you don’t register, you won’t be able to send outbound text messages from your LinkedPhone business number after December 1, 2024. However, you’ll still be able to receive messages.

Registration is only required if you plan to use outbound messaging. If you choose not to register now but decide to enable outbound texting later, you can complete the registration process at any time. LinkedPhone makes it simple and straightforward whenever you’re ready.

Now that we’ve covered the “why” and “who,” let’s talk about what’s in it for you. Registering with TCR comes with some pretty sweet perks:

The bottom line? Registering with The Campaign Registry is a simple step that brings a lot of peace of mind. It keeps your communications running smoothly, helps you build trust with your audience, and ultimately saves you from potential headaches down the road.

Businesses cannot directly register with the TCR. They must be registered through their service provider, like LinkedPhone.

If you’re a LinkedPhone customer looking to register your brand with The Campaign Registry (TCR), there’s no need to worry about the process. LinkedPhone takes care of everything for you, making it hassle-free and easy. LinkedPhone will also cover, for a limited time, registration costs and recurring fees.

In order for LinkedPhone to submit a complete TCR application, we will need the following information about your business. This information is required by TCR and is not optional. If you are a current LinkedPhone client, you should have received an email with a secure form to submit your details. If you have not received this email, please reach out to [email protected].

After you provide the necessary details, we’ll handle the registration process for you. Once your application is submitted, The Campaign Registry typically requires 3 to 15 days to review and approve it.

As soon as your registration is approved, you’ll be all set to send text messages to any U.S. number seamlessly.

While TCR registration might seem like a nuisance, it’s ultimately designed to benefit both you and your customers. By registering, you’re positioning your business as a trusted sender, which can only improve your communication with customers in the long run.

If you have any questions along the way, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to guide you through this process and ensure your business is set up for messaging success.

Happy texting, and here’s to your business’s continued growth and success in the world of mobile communications!