How to Request 10DLC Assistance from Lead Sherpa

    In this guide, we'll walk you through setting up your Twilio account to get it ready for our team to assist you with the 10DLC approval process. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXTERNAL RESOURCES & ARTICLES

    → How to Apply for an EIN (IRS)

    → How to set up a website (Youtube)

    → A2P 10DLC Campaign Approval Requirements (Twilio)

    → Twilio Page to Buy Numbers

    → I already have a Twilio account. How do I integrate it with Lead Sherpa?


1. Applying for an EIN

Why do I need an EIN to send messages?


    An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is like a social security number but for a business. It is important for businesses to handle taxes, hire employees, open bank accounts, build credit, and comply with legal requirements.

   

     To send messages, you need to be 10DLC-approved, and to request a 10DLC, you need to have an EIN. 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is a messaging system used to send application-to-person (A2P) messages via standard phone numbers. These messages are often used for marketing, notifications, and other types of communication between businesses and their customers. An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is required for 10DLC registration for a few reasons:

    

1. Business Identification: Just like how an EIN identifies a business for tax purposes, it also serves to identify the business when it engages in communication activities, including A2P messaging via 10DLC. This helps ensure accountability and traceability in messaging, which is important for regulatory compliance and maintaining trust between businesses and consumers.

    2. Regulatory Compliance: In the United States, regulatory bodies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) oversee messaging practices to protect consumers from spam, fraud, and abuse. Requiring businesses to provide their EIN helps these regulatory bodies verify the legitimacy of businesses engaging in A2P messaging and enforce compliance with relevant rules and regulations.

    3. Trust and Accountability: Providing an EIN adds a layer of trust and accountability to the messaging ecosystem. It allows messaging providers and carriers to verify the identity and legitimacy of businesses sending A2P messages, which helps maintain the integrity of the messaging channel and protects consumers from unwanted or malicious communications.


How to apply?


Step 1: Determine your eligibility

  • If your principal business is located in the United States or its territories, you may apply for an EIN online.
  • The person applying online must have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (SSN, ITIN, EIN).
  • You are limited to one EIN per responsible party per day.
  • The "responsible party" is the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity or who exercises ultimate effective control over the entity. Unless the applicant is a government entity, the responsible party must be an individual (i.e., a natural person), not an entity.

    Step 2: Understand the online application

  • You must complete the application in one session, as you will not be able to save and return at a later time. 
  • Your session will expire after 15 minutes of inactivity, and you will need to start over.

    Step 3: Submit your application

2. How to set up a website

Why do I need a website?

In order to request your campaign to be 10DLC approved, a website with a clear description of what you do (purchase homes), an opt-in form requiring name, property address, phone number, and a checkbox that must be checked by the user, indicating their consent to be messaged are needed.


Setting your website up


Step 1: Get a Domain. 

Step 2: Create a website that reflects your real estate investing business. 

Step 3: Add an opt-in form that is easily findable on your website and includes name and phone number input boxes.

  • Add disclaimer language under your opt-in form. Our recommend language for collecting opt-in is:
    • "By checking this box, I consent to receive recurring emails, text messages, and calls with marketing offers and other information about my property, including the possibility of using automated technology. Msg. & data rates apply. You may opt-out at any time. Consent is not a condition of purchase."
  • Here is a visual example of what your form should look like:



3. Creating a Twilio Account and a 10DLC Campaign

    Prerequisites:

  • You have established a business entity with an EIN and have the exact, accurate business name, address, and entity type available. More information on how to do that can be found here: How to Apply for an EIN 
  • You have published a website with a clear description of what you do (purchase homes) and an opt-in form requiring name, property address, phone number, and a checkbox that must be checked by the user, indicating their consent to be messaged.
  • Required information for United States A2P 10DLC registration:
    • Business Information:
      • Business Name
      • Physical Address (Street, City, State/Province/Region, Postal Code, Country)
      • Business Identity (Direct Customer or ISV/Reseller/Partner)
      • Business Type (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/Corporation /Co-Operative/LLC/Non-Profit)
      • Company Status (Private/Public)
        • Stock Ticker & Exchange (if Public)
      • Business Registration Number & Type (EIN for US-based companies, other business identifier for non-US
      • companies)
      • Industry
      • Website
      • Regions of Operations
    • Points of Contact - One or more authorized representatives with the following info:
      • Name
      • Email
      • Title
      • Phone Number
      • Job Position (Director/VP/GM/General Counsel/CEO/CFO)


   Steps: 

       1. Go to twilio.com/try-twilio and follow the setup instructions. Match information to your business where possible for easier setup later.



2. After creating an account, click "Register for A2P"



3. This should guide you to create a customer profile



4. At this point, you should be entering your company details, EIN, business type, website, etc.  Your screen should look like this:



→ If your screen looks like the image above (step 4), skip to step 7.


5. Alternatively, your screen may have a mandatory "Sole Proprietor Brand" checked because Twilio sets up a "default" customer profile for you that looks like this:



6. If your screen looks like the image above (step 5), you need to set up a new customer profile:



7. When creating your customer profile, YOU MUST ENSURE YOUR INFORMATION EXACTLY MATCHES IRS RECORDS. That is, your FEIN (FEDERAL EIN), business name, and address as registered with IRS exactly:



8. Once that is complete, proceed to register your brand.  You can either do low-volume or vetting to get higher throughput.  Vetting does not incur significant additional time and may unlock higher capacity, so it is encouraged:



9. Finally, create your 10 DLC campaign. THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET CORRECT.  Make sure to choose "marketing," attach it to your messaging service, and provide a self-generated and authentic description, sample messages, and flow for consent.


DO NOT RE-WRITE EXACTLY WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE IMAGE BELOW, OR IT WILL LIKELY BE REJECTED.  Write your own messages with the essential information (your name, company name, seller name, seller address, and appropriate language) as well as a sensible opt-in flow that references your website's form and other methods you have.


The approval process typically takes 2-5 days. However, if the submission is incorrect, it can take 5-10 days.