SMS Compliance Glossary

    Every term used across 10DLC registration, TCPA compliance, and SMS marketing — defined in plain English.

    "Msg & Data Rates May Apply"

    The carrier-required disclosure that must appear next to any SMS opt-in indicating the recipient may incur charges from their wireless carrier.

    10DLC

    10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is the US carrier-mandated framework for sending Application-to-Person SMS from local 10-digit numbers, requiring brand and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry.

    A2P (Application-to-Person)

    A2P messaging is any SMS sent from an automated system — including platforms like GoHighLevel, Twilio, Klaviyo — to an individual recipient. A2P traffic must be registered under 10DLC.

    Brand Registration

    Brand registration is the TCR process of vetting a sending business against its IRS records (legal name + EIN) before any 10DLC campaign can be submitted.

    Campaign Registration

    Campaign registration is the process of submitting a specific SMS use case (Marketing, Customer Care, 2FA, etc.) to The Campaign Registry for carrier approval.

    Consent Proof

    Consent proof is the evidentiary record that a recipient explicitly opted in to SMS — typically a timestamped, IP-logged, hash-locked record of what the user saw and when they consented.

    Consent Revocation

    Under TCPA, consumers can revoke SMS consent at any time by any reasonable means. Senders must honor the revocation — typically by adding the number to a suppression list — within 10 business days.

    Express Written Consent

    Express written consent is the TCPA standard for marketing SMS — a clear, conspicuous disclosure with a separate, unchecked affirmative opt-in by the consumer, retained as evidence.

    Opt-In URL

    The publicly accessible web page where TCR reviewers and carriers can verify the consent flow during 10DLC campaign approval.

    P2P (Person-to-Person)

    In SMS, P2P (Person-to-Person) messaging is a true 1:1 conversation typed manually by a human. P2P traffic is exempt from 10DLC registration, but the definition is narrow and routinely audited by carriers.

    Session Replay

    Session replay records the exact UI interactions during an opt-in (mouse, scroll, clicks, form fields) so the consent moment can be re-watched as evidence in a TCPA dispute.

    STOP / HELP Keywords

    Industry-standard SMS keywords that consumers reply with to opt out (STOP) or request information (HELP). All A2P senders must process them automatically.

    Suppression List

    A suppression list is the registry of phone numbers that have revoked consent. Senders must check this list before every outbound send to remain TCPA-compliant.

    TCPA

    The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is a US federal law (47 U.S.C. § 227) that restricts marketing calls and texts to mobile phones, with statutory damages of $500–$1,500 per violation.

    TCR (The Campaign Registry)

    The Campaign Registry is the central authority that vets and approves brand and campaign registrations for 10DLC SMS in the United States.