A2P 10DLC · most approvals in 24–48 hours
US mobile carriers require every business that texts from a local number to register who they are and what they send. This guide covers what to gather, how the review works, and how to get approved the first time.
Carrier registration — the industry name is A2P 10DLC — is how US mobile carriers verify businesses that text from standard 10-digit local numbers. “A2P” means application-to-person: any text sent through business software instead of a personal cell plan. Carriers treat every message from a Ready number as A2P, so every business texting US numbers from Ready should have an approved registration.
It has two parts. Your brand is who you are, checked against tax records. Your campaign is what you send and how customers agreed to hear from you. Both are reviewed by The Campaign Registry and the carriers’ vetting partners — not by Ready. Without an approved registration, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon can filter or block your texts without warning, even when they look sent on your end.
EIN and legal business name
Exactly as printed on your IRS confirmation letter (CP-575 or 147C) — including LLC or Inc., and the second name line if your letter has one. Carriers compare them letter by letter.
Business address
The address on your tax records, complete with suite or unit number. US and Canadian addresses are supported.
Website or business listing
A live, public page that names your business, says what you do, and shows how to reach you. A Facebook, Instagram, or Yelp business page can work if you don’t have a site.
Point of contact
Name, job title, email, and phone number for an authorized representative of the business — usually the owner.
Owner or admin access to Ready
Only workspace owners and admins can register. Set aside about 10 minutes.
Copy from your IRS letter, not from memory
Mismatched details are the most common reason registrations bounce. Enter your name, EIN, and address exactly as your CP-575 or 147C shows them. And if your EIN is less than 30 days old, wait — carriers can’t verify it yet.
Registered business (you have an EIN)
The standard path for LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and nonprofits. One registration covers every local number in your workspace, including numbers you add later.
Sole proprietor (no EIN)
For one-person businesses without a tax ID. You’ll need a US or Canadian address and a personal mobile number from a traditional carrier — we text it a 6-digit code to verify you. Covers one Ready number.
1
Open the Trust Center
In Ready on the web, go to Settings → Trust center and choose Register now. A few quick questions — including whether you have an EIN — put you on the right path.
2
Enter your business ID and details
Choose your entity type and enter your EIN, then your legal name and address exactly as your tax documents show them. Your EIN is stored encrypted, and only the last four digits are ever shown back.
3
Add your industry and website
Pick the closest industry and link your website or business listing. It has to be live and public — pages under construction or behind a password get rejected.
4
Name a point of contact
An authorized representative carriers can reach: name, email, phone, and role. Sole proprietors then verify their personal mobile number with a 6-digit text code.
5
Review the restricted topics
Carriers don’t allow some subjects over SMS at all: high-risk financial services, third-party lead generation, debt collection, prescription drugs, illegal substances, gambling, and S.H.A.F.T. content (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco). You confirm you won’t text about them.
6
Review and submit
Look over your details, confirm, and submit. Ready prepares the campaign paperwork for you — use case, sample messages, and opt-in details — so there’s nothing else to write.
Track progress any time under Settings → Trust center. Most approvals come back within 24–48 hours; some take up to 20 business days when carriers need a closer look. Ready notifies you when carriers approve your registration or ask for changes.
You can keep texting during review. Just know that carriers may delay or drop messages from numbers that aren’t approved yet, so don’t rely on delivery for anything time-sensitive until your status reads Verified.
In progress
You’ve started a registration but haven’t submitted it. Your answers are saved — pick up where you left off.
Pending review
Your details are with The Campaign Registry and the carriers. Nothing more is needed from you unless they come back with questions.
Verified
Your business and campaign are registered with the major US carriers, and texts from your numbers travel as registered traffic.
Action required
Carriers couldn’t verify something. The Trust Center shows their reason and takes you to the step that needs fixing.
Carriers send back a reason with every rejection. The Trust Center shows it and flags the step to fix, and your answers are saved — choose Fix registration, correct what was wrong, then confirm and resubmit.
Approval decisions belong to the carriers and their review partners, so Ready can’t overturn one. What we can do is help you read the reason and get the next submission right. These are the causes we see most:
Name, EIN, or address doesn’t match tax records
Include every designation (LLC, Inc., Corp.), any second name line such as “% SOLE MBR,” and the full address with suite or unit. Even casing is compared.
The EIN is too new
EINs issued in the last 30 days usually can’t be verified yet. Wait until yours has aged, then submit.
The website doesn’t check out
It must be public, clearly belong to your business, and say what you do and how to reach you. Personal social profiles and password-protected pages are turned down.
Opt-in wording is missing from your site
If a form on your site collects phone numbers, consent wording has to sit next to the submit button — not only in the footer or privacy policy.
The verification number isn’t a true mobile line
Sole proprietors only: the number must be a US or Canadian mobile from a traditional carrier. Ready numbers, Google Voice, and other internet-based lines won’t pass.
Sample opt-in wording for your web forms
“By entering your phone number, you agree to receive texts from [Business name] about your service. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase.” Place it beside the submit button and link your privacy policy. Need the policy itself? Use our free SMS privacy policy template.
Registered businesses are covered across the board: every local number in your workspace is included, and numbers you add later are enrolled automatically. A sole-proprietor registration covers one number.
Your registration stays valid as long as your business information stays current, so update it if your legal name, address, or website changes. The rules keep applying, too — anyone who replies STOP must stop getting texts, and the restricted topics stay off-limits.
Do I really need to register?
If you text US numbers from a Ready number, yes. Carriers treat every text sent through a business phone system as A2P traffic, and there’s no exemption for low volume.
How long does approval take?
Most approvals come back within 24–48 hours. Some take up to 20 business days when carriers need a closer look at a business or its website.
Can Ready speed it up?
No. Reviews are run by The Campaign Registry and the carriers’ vetting partners, and nobody can jump the line. The fastest route is an application that matches your tax records the first time.
Can I text while I’m waiting?
Yes. Ready doesn’t hold your messages during review, but carriers may delay or drop texts from numbers that aren’t approved yet.
What if I don’t have an EIN?
Register as a sole proprietor. You’ll need a US or Canadian address and a personal mobile number from a traditional carrier, and the registration covers one Ready number.
Can I move from sole proprietor to a business registration later?
Yes. Once you have an EIN that’s at least 30 days old, get in touch and we’ll help you switch to a business registration, which covers every number in your workspace.
I ported my number from another provider. Am I still registered?
No. Registration belongs to the provider, not the number, and it’s removed when a port-out begins. Register in Ready so texting is covered once your number lands.
Does this cover toll-free numbers?
No. A2P 10DLC applies to local 10-digit numbers. Toll-free numbers go through a separate carrier verification — talk to your Ready contact before texting from one.
Not sure what the carriers are asking for, or stuck on a rejection? Your Ready onboarding contact will go over your details with you before you resubmit.
Requirements reflect US carrier and Campaign Registry policy as of September 2026 and can change. Approval decisions are made by carriers and their review partners, not by Ready.