In the world of A2P (Application-to-Person) 10DLC messaging, the term Campaign Service Provider (CSP) comes up often—but not everyone fully understands what it means or why it matters.

If you’re a software provider or messaging platform supporting customers who want to send SMS campaigns over 10-digit long code numbers, understanding the role of a CSP is critical. And if you’re a Telgorithm customer (or considering becoming one), it’s also a key part of how we operate.

Let’s break it down.

What Is a CSP?

A Campaign Service Provider (CSP) is an entity that registers and manages brands and messaging campaigns with The Campaign Registry (TCR) on behalf of other businesses. These businesses—your customers—are the brands. You, as the CSP, act as their trusted registration and compliance manager.

In the A2P 10DLC ecosystem, CSPs are the primary users of TCR and are responsible for submitting accurate brand information, campaign use cases, and message content for review and approval. CSPs sit upstream of the message delivery pipeline, helping ensure traffic is properly registered and compliant before it ever reaches the carriers.

Why Does CSP Status Matter?

Becoming a CSP gives you full control over the compliance and registration process—something Resellers simply don’t have. As a CSP, you control:

• How and when brands and campaigns are registered
• What’s submitted to DCAs for vetting and approval
• How quickly you can launch and scale compliant campaigns
• Which Connectivity Partners (CNPs) you work with—and when to switch

But most importantly: you own your customers’ brand and campaign records.

If you're a reseller, you have zero ownership of this data. Your customers’ brands and campaigns are locked under your provider’s CSP ID—which means if you ever want to switch providers, you have to start over. That includes re-registering brands, re-creating every campaign, and reapplying for external brand vettings. This isn’t just inconvenient—it can cost hundreds of thousands (even millions) of dollars in re-vetting fees, operational time, and downtime.

As a CSP, your registrations are portable. You can seamlessly migrate campaigns to a new provider using TCR’s official migration tool—without losing your compliance status, history, or customer trust.

Why Telgorithm Only Supports CSPs

At Telgorithm, we’ve made a deliberate decision: we only support registered CSPs. Why?

Because we believe this is the proper setup for software providers. Our approach of only supporting CSPs enables: 

• Total control for our customers - You own the registration process and customer relationships. We handle the messaging infrastructure and carrier connections.
• Cleaner, more compliant traffic - CSPs are required to vet their own customers and use cases—helping us maintain high deliverability and low risk across our network.
• Faster, more transparent support - No middlemen, no confusion. You get real-time access to TCR statuses and campaign details, and we work with you directly.
• Scalability built for platforms - We’re designed for software companies and platforms sending high volumes of A2P messages on behalf of their customers.

If you’re a single business just trying to send SMS for your own brand, you’ll be better served by a provider that handles registration for you. But if you’re building a product, platform, or API for others, being a CSP is the best path forward—and we’re here to support you.

Who Should Register as a CSP?

You should become a CSP if:

• You’re a software provider offering SMS/MMS messaging to other businesses
• You support multiple customers who each need their own 10DLC campaigns
• You want control, visibility, and speed over brand and campaign registration
• You want to own your relationship with TCR instead of going through a vendor

If you’re only sending messages for your own brand and don’t have customers using your platform, CSP status is likely not necessary. 

The CSP Role in the 10DLC Ecosystem

Here’s a quick snapshot of where CSPs fit into the A2P 10DLC flow:

• TCR – central registry for verifying and approving A2P 10DLC traffic
• Brand – the end business sending messages
• CSP – manages registration of that brand and their campaigns
• CNP (Connectivity Partner) – sends campaigns upstream for DCA to review; delivers registered messages to the DCAs (Telgorithm is a CNP)
• DCA (Direct Connect Aggregator) – approves campaigns and delivers registered messages to mobile carriers 
• MNOs (Mobile Carriers) – deliver registered messages to mobile phones

As a CSP, you control everything up to the message handoff—and a provider like Telgorithm takes care of reliable delivery from there.

Final Thoughts

Campaign Service Providers are the foundation of compliant, scalable 10DLC messaging in today’s ecosystem. They play a critical role in protecting trust, improving transparency, and enabling real-time visibility for software platforms that want to offer SMS the right way.

If you’re building an A2P messaging product and want a partner that’s purpose-built for CSPs, Telgorithm is here to help. We'll handle the infrastructure. You own the customer experience.

Speak to an expert today to learn more.