1
What Is A2P Registration?
A2P (Application to Person) registration is a US telecom requirement for businesses sending SMS at volume. It's not optional — it protects your messages from being filtered or blocked by carriers.
- A2P stands for Application-to-Person messaging — This covers any SMS sent by software or a platform on behalf of a business, as opposed to person-to-person texts between two individuals.
- US carriers require this for business SMS — T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and other major carriers all require A2P registration for 10DLC numbers sending business messages. Without it, carriers may filter or block your texts.
- Registration goes through The Campaign Registry (TCR) — TCR is the industry body that manages 10DLC registration. Jtek submits your information to TCR on your behalf — you don't interact with TCR directly.
- There are two parts: Brand and Campaign — Brand registration identifies your business. Campaign registration describes what types of SMS you send. Both are required for full deliverability.
- Registration is a one-time process per business — Once your Brand and Campaign are approved, you're set. You won't need to re-register unless you significantly change your SMS use case.
Tip: Start your A2P registration as soon as you add your first phone number. Approval takes 3–7 business days and your SMS deliverability is limited until it's complete.
2
Information You'll Need
Gather this information before starting the registration form. Having it ready makes the process much faster and reduces the chance of errors that delay approval.
- Legal business name — The official name your business is registered under, exactly as it appears on your EIN paperwork. Not your DBA or trade name.
- EIN (Employer Identification Number / tax ID) — Your federal tax ID. This is a 9-digit number in the format XX-XXXXXXX. If you're a sole proprietor, your Social Security Number may work, but an EIN is preferred.
- Business type — Whether you're a Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Corporation, Partnership, or Non-Profit. Select the one that matches how your business is legally structured.
- Business website URL — Your public-facing business website. If you don't have a website, a professional social media profile (like LinkedIn) may work, but a website is strongly preferred.
- SMS use case description — A brief description of how and why you send SMS (e.g., "Appointment reminders and lead follow-up for a real estate team serving the Austin market"). Be specific and accurate — vague descriptions get rejected.
Tip: Double-check that your legal business name and EIN match exactly. A mismatch between your registration and IRS records is one of the most common reasons Brand registration gets rejected.
3
Completing the Registration in Jtek
Jtek walks you through the A2P registration form step by step. You fill it out once, and Jtek submits it to The Campaign Registry on your behalf.
- Go to Settings in the left sidebar — Click the gear icon at the bottom of the navigation.
- Click "Phone Numbers" → "A2P Registration" — You'll see the A2P registration section with a status tracker showing Brand and Campaign submission status.
- Click "Register Brand" — Fill in the Brand registration form with your legal business name, EIN, business type, website, and address. Review carefully before submitting.
- Submit the Brand registration — Jtek sends your Brand information to The Campaign Registry. You'll see the status change to "Submitted." Brand review typically takes 1–3 business days.
- Wait for Brand approval before starting Campaign registration — The Campaign registration form becomes available after your Brand is approved. Don't skip ahead — Campaign approval requires Brand approval first.
A2P Registration Status
Brand
Approved
Campaign
In Review
Active
Pending
Warning: Do not send high-volume SMS campaigns while your A2P registration is pending. Carriers may filter or block messages from unregistered numbers. Keep volume low until you receive Campaign approval.
4
Campaign Use Case
After your Brand is approved, you'll register a Campaign — a description of the types of messages you send. This is reviewed by carriers to ensure your SMS usage is legitimate.
- Click "Register Campaign" in Jtek after Brand approval — The Campaign registration form appears once your Brand status shows Approved.
- Select your use case type — For most small businesses, choose "Low Volume Mixed" (covers appointment reminders, lead follow-up, newsletters, and promotions) or a specific use case like "Appointments" if you primarily send scheduling messages.
- Provide sample messages — The form asks for 2–3 sample messages that represent what you'll actually send. Use real examples: "Hi Sarah, just following up on your inquiry about our services. Are you available for a quick call?" is far better than a vague placeholder.
- Confirm opt-in and opt-out language — You'll be asked to confirm that recipients have opted in to receive messages from you, and that you include opt-out instructions ("Reply STOP to unsubscribe") in your messages.
- Submit the Campaign — Jtek submits your Campaign to The Campaign Registry. Review takes 3–7 business days. You'll receive a notification when the status changes.
Tip: The more specific and accurate your sample messages are, the faster your Campaign gets approved. Reviewers are looking for legitimate business use — generic samples like "Hello, this is a test message" raise flags.
5
After Approval
Once your Campaign is approved, your SMS deliverability is fully unlocked. Here's what to expect and how to confirm everything is working.
- You'll see "Registered" status in Phone Numbers settings — Go to Settings → Phone Numbers → A2P Registration. All three stages (Brand, Campaign, Active) will show green checkmarks.
- Your messages now have full carrier support — Texts from your registered number are treated as legitimate business communications by all major US carriers. Filtering is minimized.
- Send a test campaign to confirm deliverability — Send a small test campaign to a trusted segment (contacts who know you) and monitor delivery rates. You should see delivery rates above 95%.
- Stay within your registered use case — Only send the types of messages you registered for. If your use case changes significantly (e.g., adding a new type of messaging), update your Campaign registration.
- Keep opt-out honored — Always include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" in outbound marketing SMS. When someone replies STOP, Jtek automatically unsubscribes them. Do not re-add opt-outs to your sending lists.
Tip: Take a screenshot of your Registered status screen when approval comes through. It's useful documentation if you ever need to verify your registration status with a carrier or client.