How to Avoid TCR Brand & Campaign Rejections the First Time Around

Written by: Aaron Alter

Understanding Brand and Campaign Rejections

If you're sending business SMS/MMS text messaging for your customers, you’re likely aware that there are new mandatory requirements for Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging that affect your message deliverability. And there is a deadline to get it all done. 

In order to send messages on local or 10-digit long code (10DLC) numbers in North America, your numbers need to be registered with The Campaign Registry (TCR), a third party that validates all businesses leveraging A2P or business text messaging to protect mobile users from SPAM. 

As part of TCR registration process you must adhere to the following steps:

1. Recommended to register your business as a Campaign Service Provider (CSP) meaning you list your business as the primary user of TCR
2. Mandatory to register all of the Brands that will be listed underneath your business. Brands meaning your customers that the messages will be coming from. 
3. Mandatory to register all of the Campaigns underneath those Brands. Campaigns meaning the messaging use cases your customers leverage i.e. marketing, appointment reminders, alerts, etc. 

Once you are registered as a CSP with TCR, all of the information you shared about your customers and their use cases, AKA your Brands and Campaigns, need to be vetted for accuracy by Direct Connect Aggregators (DCAs) and either approved or rejected.

If anything is out of place, all that work you just did will be for nothing. Because a rejection means you’ll have to start the process all over again. Not to mention you’ll have to pay again. 

How to get Brands and Campaigns approved the first time around. 

In order to avoid TCR rejections you need to look out for some of the most common reasons to get rejected: 

The most common reasons for Brand rejections include:

• Incorrect Legal Company Name: It is critical that the company name of the Brand you are registering for matches the EIN for it to be correctly verified.
• Typos: Enter your information carefully – human error can be a challenge and can significantly impact your verification process.
• Skipping DUNS, GIIN or LEI Number: This section is optional but helps TCR to identify your Brand. If you choose to, select an "Alternative Business ID" (from a dropdown) on the left and enter the number on the right.
• Inaccurate Business Location: Important! Specify the address, city, state, zip code, and country that is on file with the IRS through your EIN.
• Not having a proper Website/Online Presence: It is a requirement to have a website or online presence to get approved, do not skip this. 
• Missing Contact Info: For Sole Proprietor Brands*, the mobile number field is required and will be used to perform OTP.

The most common reasons for Campaign rejections include:

• Clear Call-to-Action / Message Flow: Clearly describe how you’re getting opt-ins from your customers
• Include Sample Messages: Share a minimum of 2 sample messages and ALWAYS include opt-out language 
• Subscriber Opt-in / Opt-out: Must mark both as “yes” – we strongly encourage including keywords

As of October 6, 2023 there have been some critically important changes made that will further impact 10DLC Campaign approvals. Below are the key changes:

1. Privacy policyis now mandatory for all sizes of companies (all verticals), except Sole Proprietorship.
2. Brand name must be added to all sample messages, including keyword messages.
3. Message frequency must be mentioned in the Opt-in sample message.
4. 'Help' sample message must include the contact details.
5. "Message & Data rates may apply" must be included in the MT SMS disclosure.
6. Call-to-action / CTA must be included in the verbiage if Opt-in is collected verbally.

Telgorithm can provide businesses with an interactive tour to guide you through the entire process to remain 10DLC compliant. Request a tour here. 

Brand or Campaign Registration Rejected and Don’t Know Why? 

If you need a team of experts to walk you through every step of the way – you’ve come to the right place. Not only will Telgorithm support you through the 10DLC compliance process, it proactively monitors TCR rejections for you, flagging to let you know a rejection has occurred and actively identify why so that you can solve it together quickly. 

Need additional 10DLC support? 

Telgorithm’s A2P text message API is able to automate TCR registration ensuring you are a CSP and have total control over your TCR portal. Plus our trusted relationships with Direct Connect Aggregators (DCAs) and TCR have enabled us to expedite TCR Brand and Campaign vetting and APPROVALS so you can send fully registered messages in just 5-7 days (vs. the average 4-8+ weeks our competitors offer). 

With industry-wide registration deadlines looming, we know there is no room for error as your 10DLC numbers not being fully registered and approved can lead to disruptions to your messaging which could impact your revenue and customer retention. Contact an expert today and partner with an A2P SMS provider whose team are experts on A2P 10DLC and can support you with TCR approval.