Sole Proprietor 2.0 Rate Limit Requirements 

Written by: Aaron Alter

What is a Sole Proprietor?

Sole Proprietor (SP) is the name of entities that currently use (or wish to use) A2P 10DLC text messaging that do not have EIN or Tax IDs, such as brand new or small businesses. The Campaign Registry (TCR) has created a specific process to support such entities. 

How to Register a Sole Proprietor on TCR

A Campaign Service Provider (CSP) will register the business, or Brand, under the “Sole Proprietor” entity type. The SP use case is the only one that will be available during Campaign registration. 

Below are TCR’s requirements of SPs:

1. Only one Campaign is allowed per Brand, with a maximum of one associated phone number. 
2. If the Campaign originates from an Independent Software Vendor (ISV), the ISV must be selected as the Campaign ‘Reseller’. 
3. Carrier rate limits: 1,000 messages/day limit on T-Mobile and 15 messages/minute limit on AT&T per Campaign. The CSP is responsible for enforcing daily limits and providing a monthly report to TCR.
4. TCR to collect the following data points for each SP during Brand Registration: Name, email, billing address, contact phone number, vertical, CSP Unique Identifier / Reference ID.
5. CSP to generate a monthly report for each account. 

Rate Limit Monitoring: A Closer Look 

One of the most notable changes in TCR’s SP 2.0 requirements are the Carrier limits for T-Mobile and AT&T, and the responsibility placed on the CSP to enforce those limits and submit monthly reports to TCR. 

The only way to accurately manage rate limits (AKA throughput limits) is by proactivelytracking the approved TCR and Carrier limits across all Campaigns, then managing how many messages are being sent to each mobile Carrier at a given time to ensure you don’t surpass your limits. 

Most messaging API providers today use capping to stay below rate limits – this approach not only hinders the ability to fully leverage the approved rate limits that you’ve paid for through TCR registration, it also can’t support T-Mobile’s daily limit. Providers instead “lift the ceiling” on messages going to T-Mobile, which is why so many businesses experience dropped or blocked messages on T-Mobile specifically. 

In the case of SPs, the Carrier limits are relatively low – 1,000 messages/day on T-Mobile and 15 messages/minute on AT&T. But for CSPs managing a high volume of SPs, tracking and managing their collective rate limits and accurately reporting on them can quickly become challenging and could result in disruptions and poor customer experiences. 

Telgorithm’s Solutions to Rate Limit Management 

Telgorithm’s API is equipped with several unique product features created to automatically and accurately manage rate limits, and at no additional cost. Our customers are able to fully leverage their approved rate limits for maximum ROI without ever exceeding them, meaning zero dropped or blocked messages.

Our patent-pending Smart Queueing technology is a fundamental necessity for SP management. It intelligently auto-tracks TCR and Carrier rate limits and auto-manages how many messages are being sent to each end user’s Carrier at a given time, sending messages at the fastest speeds without risking dropped or blocked messages. This is being done across all Campaigns. If and when any rate limits are met, the remaining messages are queued up to be sent at the next available time. 

Our recently released out-of-the-box Time Routing feature can be used to better manage any messages that are queued. Time Routing allows you to rescind or “expire” queued messages per Campaign that no longer need to be sent due to time sensitivity, such as limited-time marketing offers, alerts, 2FA notices, and more. You will receive an extensive callback report on which messages were queued so that you can either rescind or schedule for later by adding your preferred time periods for sending.

Finally, Telgorithm’s logs contain Carrier information making it possible for you to fulfill your TCR monthly reporting requirements. 

Need Help with SP 2.0 Management?

We’ve got your back. Reach out to our team of 10DLC experts to learn more about how we equip CSPs with the most advanced API tech for the most seamless and reliable experience. Discover how we can support automated TCR registration, expedited Campaign vetting approvals, accurate rate limit management, and so much more.