SMS Guide: Telnyx

How to Submit Your A2P 10DLC Campaign Registration in Telnyx

In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up your Telnyx account. This article provides clear instructions and valuable resources to help you leverage Telnyx's features, enhancing Lead Sherpa's capabilities for your business.

The setup at a glance

• Prepare your business records, website, privacy policy, terms, and SMS opt-in.

• Create and verify the Telnyx account, then add billing.

• Create a Messaging Profile and purchase SMS-capable local numbers.

• Register and vet the 10DLC brand, then submit the campaign.

• Assign approved numbers to the campaign.

• Create a Telnyx API v2 key and connect the account to Lead Sherpa.

A registration is not consent

10DLC approval tells carriers who is sending and what the messages are for. It does not give a business permission to text a person. Send marketing messages only to people whose consent covers that program, sender, and message type. Keep the consent record.

Resources

→ Telnyx - Sign Up

→ Telnyx - How to Sign Up for a Telnyx account

→ Telnyx - Register for 10DLC Messaging

→ Telnyx - Setting Up a Messaging Profile

→ Telnyx - SMS Guide

→ Telnyx - Throughput Limit for Outbound Long Code SMS

→ Telnyx - Rate limits
 

1. Applying for an EIN

Why do I need an EIN to send messages?

    An Employer Identification Number (EIN) is like a social security number but for a business. It is important for businesses to handle taxes, hire employees, open bank accounts, build credit, and comply with legal requirements.

     To send messages, you need to be 10DLC-approved, and to request a 10DLC, you need to have an EIN. 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) is a messaging system used to send application-to-person (A2P) messages via standard phone numbers. These messages are often used for marketing, notifications, and other types of communication between businesses and their customers. An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is required for 10DLC registration for a few reasons:

1. Business Identification: Just like how an EIN identifies a business for tax purposes, it also serves to identify the business when it engages in communication activities, including A2P messaging via 10DLC. This helps ensure accountability and traceability in messaging, which is important for regulatory compliance and maintaining trust between businesses and consumers.

    2. Regulatory Compliance: In the United States, regulatory bodies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) oversee messaging practices to protect consumers from spam, fraud, and abuse. Requiring businesses to provide their EIN helps these regulatory bodies verify the legitimacy of businesses engaging in A2P messaging and enforce compliance with relevant rules and regulations.

    3. Trust and Accountability: Providing an EIN adds a layer of trust and accountability to the messaging ecosystem. It allows messaging providers and carriers to verify the identity and legitimacy of businesses sending A2P messages, which helps maintain the integrity of the messaging channel and protects consumers from unwanted or malicious communications.

How to apply?

Step 1: Determine your eligibility

• If your principal business is located in the United States or its territories, you may apply for an EIN online.
• The person applying online must have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (SSN, ITIN, EIN).
• You are limited to one EIN per responsible party per day.
• The "responsible party" is the person who ultimately owns or controls the entity or who exercises ultimate effective control over the entity. Unless the applicant is a government entity, the responsible party must be an individual (i.e., a natural person), not an entity.

    Step 2: Understand the online application

• You must complete the application in one session, as you will not be able to save and return at a later time.
• Your session will expire after 15 minutes of inactivity, and you will need to start over.

    Step 3: Submit your application

• Apply here: https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp

• After all validations are done, you will get your EIN immediately upon completion. You can then download, save, and print your EIN confirmation notice.

   

2. How to set up a website

Why do I need a website?

In order to request your campaign to be 10DLC approved, a website with a clear description of what you do (purchase homes), an opt-in form requiring name, property address, phone number, and a checkbox that must be checked by the user, indicating their consent to be messaged are needed.

Setting your website up

Step 1: Get a Domain. 

Step 2: Create a website that reflects your real estate investing business. 

• Here is a video tutorial that could be useful: How To Create A Business Website

Step 3: Things you need on your Website: 

• The website must be live and clearly describe your business activities (e.g., purchasing homes).
• It must include an opt-in form that collects the user’s name, property address, and phone number, along with two checkboxes for users to consent to receive messages.
  • Here is the language for each checkbox:
    • Informational Consent: "I consent to receive informational SMS messages from [COMPANY NAME]. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help. See our TERMS and PRIVACY POLICY. We do not share or sell your mobile number or consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase."
    • Transactional Consent: "I consent to receive transactional SMS messages from [COMPANY NAME]. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help. See our TERMS and PRIVACY POLICY. We do not share or sell your mobile number or consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase."
  • Please ensure that none of the checkboxes are required to submit the form. 
• Add disclaimer language under your opt-in form. Our recommended language for collecting opt-in is:
  • "Messages are not sent just for submitting a contact form. The consent must be checked to opt-in. By submitting this form, you may choose to consent to receive informational text messages and calls from [COMPANY NAME] related to your inquiry and property details, such as updates or responses to your request. If you separately opt in to marketing communications, you consent to receive marketing and promotional text messages, calls, and emails from [COMPANY NAME] about offers and services. Messages may be sent using automated technology. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP or request assistance by replying HELP. Consent is not a condition of purchase."
• Privacy Policy Page
  • Ensure this page is live and accessible.
  • Include a statement like: 
    • “No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.”
• Terms & Conditions Page
  • Ensure this page is live and accessible.
     

3. Create and fund the Telnyx account

Create the account

• Open the Telnyx sign-up page and create the account with a business email address. Telnyx may block some free email providers.

• Open the "Verify Your Account" email and verify the email address. Complete phone verification if prompted.

• Complete any "Know Your Customer" identity check shown during sign-up.

• Enter the organization name, choose Messaging as the use case, and finish the onboarding questions.

Add billing and secure the login

• In the Mission Control Portal, add a payment method and fund the account as required for number purchases and messaging charges.

• Turn on multi-factor authentication for every administrator who can access billing, phone numbers, or API keys.

• Use named team accounts instead of sharing one login.

4. Create the Messaging Profile

A Messaging Profile holds the inbound and outbound SMS settings used by the phone numbers connected to Lead Sherpa.

• In Mission Control, open Messaging, then Programmable Messaging.

• Select Add New Profile or Create your first profile.

• Give it a clear name, such as Lead Sherpa - [Company Name]. Keep API v2 selected.

• Leave inbound webhook fields blank during the initial setup.

• Under Allowed Destinations, allow only the countries you will message. For this guide, select the United States.

• Leave Alphanumeric Sender ID blank for U.S. local-number messaging.

• Don't enable MMS Transcoding.

• Save the profile.

5. Register the 10DLC brand

The brand identifies the business that sends the messages. Use the entity that owns the Telnyx account and appears in the website disclosures.

• In Mission Control, open Messaging, 10DLC, then Brands.

• Select Create Brand.

• Enter the legal company name, display name, EIN, physical address, business phone, contact email, website, entity type, and Real Estate vertical.

• Compare every legal field with the EIN record before submitting. 

• Accept the terms and submit the brand.

Request brand vetting

Brand vetting assigns a trust score that affects carrier throughput. In the brand record, open the Vetting Request section, select the available standard provider and class, and submit the request. Telnyx says standard vetting usually takes 1 to 7 business days.

6. Create the 10DLC campaign

The campaign explains what will be sent, who will receive it, and how each recipient agreed to receive it.

• Open Messaging, 10DLC, then Campaigns, and select Create New Campaign.

• Choose the approved brand.

• Choose Mixed for your Use Case.

• Review the carrier terms and brand score.

• Complete the campaign fields using the actual website and opt-in process. Do not paste generic examples without adapting them.

• Add the Privacy Policy and Terms links in their designated fields or in the call-to-action field, as the Telnyx form requires.

• Review the submission, accept the terms, and submit it for carrier review.

Recommended campaign field content

Sample campaign description

[COMPANY NAME] is a real estate investor company that purchases residential properties from homeowners interested in selling. This campaign sends low-volume SMS messages exclusively to consumers who have voluntarily submitted their contact information and property details through the contact form at [CONTACT FORM URL] and have affirmatively opted in to receive text messages from [COMPANY NAME]. A consumer visits [WEBSITE URL], navigates to the contact page, and completes the form by entering their name, phone number, email, and property address. Below the form fields, two separate consent checkboxes are presented, both unchecked by default: (1) Informational Consent: "I consent to receive informational SMS messages from [COMPANY NAME] about property updates, market insights, and related services. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help. See our TERMS and PRIVACY POLICY. We do not share or sell your mobile number or consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase." (2) Transactional Consent: "I consent to receive transactional SMS messages from [COMPANY NAME] about my inquiries, property details, and active transactions. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help. See our TERMS and PRIVACY POLICY. We do not share or sell your mobile number or consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase." A disclaimer beneath the checkboxes states explicitly: "Messages are not sent just for submitting a contact form. The consent must be checked to opt-in." A consumer who submits the contact form without checking a consent box and without providing a phone number is not added to the SMS subscriber list. Consent to receive SMS is not a condition of any business relationship with [COMPANY NAME]. After a consumer submits the form with a valid phone number and at least one consent checkbox selected, [COMPANY NAME] sends an opt-in confirmation SMS that identifies the sender, summarizes the message program, and provides opt-out (Reply STOP) and help (Reply HELP) instructions. The consumer is then added to the SMS list corresponding to the consent type(s) they selected. Messages sent through this campaign relate exclusively to the consumer's submitted property inquiry. Messages may include follow-up on the consumer's inquiry, requests to schedule a conversation, offer information, and status updates regarding the property they submitted. Message frequency varies based on the stage of the inquiry and is expected to remain low-volume, approximately 4 to 10 messages per month per consumer. Consumers may reply STOP at any time to unsubscribe. They will receive a single opt-out confirmation and will not be contacted again unless they re-subscribe by replying START. Consumers may reply HELP at any time to receive support information. [COMPANY NAME] does not purchase, rent, share, or sell consumer phone numbers or SMS consent data for any purpose. All subscribers are acquired directly through the opt-in flow described above. The Privacy Policy ([PRIVACY POLICY URL]) and Terms of Service ([TERMS & CONDITIONS URL]) are linked directly on the contact form, immediately adjacent to the consent checkboxes.

Sample message flow

Consumers consent to SMS from [COMPANY NAME] through the contact form at [CONTACT FORM URL]. The form collects name, phone number, email, and property address. Form fields are optional. Two separate SMS consent checkboxes appear below the form, both optional and unchecked by default. The consumer must affirmatively check at least one to opt in. Informational Consent: "I consent to receive informational SMS messages from [COMPANY NAME] about property updates, market insights, and related services. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help. See our TERMS and PRIVACY POLICY. We do not share or sell your mobile number or consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase." Transactional Consent: "I consent to receive transactional SMS messages from [COMPANY NAME] about my inquiries, property details, and active transactions. Message frequency may vary. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help. See our TERMS and PRIVACY POLICY. We do not share or sell your mobile number or consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase." The form states: "Messages are not sent just for submitting a contact form. The consent must be checked to opt-in." Users who do not select a checkbox are not subscribed to SMS. Privacy Policy: [PRIVACY POLICY URL]. Terms: [TERMS & CONDITIONS URL]. [COMPANY NAME] does not purchase, rent, share, or sell consumer phone numbers or SMS consent data.

Write the campaign messages

Use your real brand name and write messages that match the submitted program. Telnyx requires at least two samples and recommends a third. Current Telnyx guidance says every sample should include opt-out instructions.

Sample messages to customize

Hi [First Name], this is [Agent Name] with [Company Name]. Thanks for asking us to contact you about [Property Address]. Would you like to discuss the property? Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [First Name], [Agent Name] from [Company Name] here. I am following up on your request about [Property Address]. Is there a good time to talk? Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [First Name], this is [Agent Name] with [Company Name]. We have the details you shared for [Property Address]. Would you like to review the next step? Reply STOP to opt out.

Keyword replies

Opt-in confirmation

[Company Name]: You are subscribed to property-related marketing texts. Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help or STOP to opt out.

HELP reply

[Company Name] property messaging. For help, contact [email] or [phone]. Reply STOP to opt out.

STOP reply

[Company Name]: You have been unsubscribed and will receive no further messages from this program.

7. Wait for approval and assign numbers

After submission, the campaign goes through carrier review and carrier-by-carrier provisioning. Do not send campaign traffic until the campaign is ACTIVE and the numbers are assigned.

• Open Messaging, 10DLC, Campaigns and check the campaign status.

• When the campaign is approved, open the campaign and find Assign Numbers.

• Select the Lead Sherpa Messaging Profile, then choose or enter the numbers to assign.

• Confirm that every Lead Sherpa sending number is attached to the Messaging Profile and the approved campaign.

Telnyx lists typical post-approval provisioning windows from immediate to several business days, depending on the carrier. If a campaign is rejected, read the stated reason before resubmitting. Telnyx charges a carrier review fee for submissions and resubmissions, and rejected campaigns may need to be recreated.

8. Connect Telnyx to Lead Sherpa

Create a dedicated API v2 key

• In Telnyx, open Account Settings, then API Keys.

• Select Create API Key and label it Lead Sherpa Production.

• Copy the key immediately. Telnyx shows the value only when it is created.

7. Buy and assign phone numbers

• Open My Numbers and select Buy Number or Search & Buy Numbers.

• Choose United States, Local, and SMS capability. Search by the area code for the market you plan to contact.

• Add the numbers to the cart. You need the minimum of 5, but we advise you to buy at least 10 to avoid issues. Select the Lead Sherpa Messaging Profile in the cart so the numbers are assigned when the order completes.

• Review the activation and monthly recurring charges, then place the order. Telnyx states that number orders are final.

If the Messaging Profile was not assigned during checkout:

• Open My Numbers.

• Find a number and select the edit icon in the Messaging Profile column.

• Choose the Lead Sherpa profile, save the change, and accept any displayed cost change.

• Repeat for each number. Confirm that the profile's phone-number count updates.

Connect to LeadSherpa

• In Lead Sherpa, open your Number Manager, Phone Connections, New Phone Connection.

• Choose Telnyx as the phone provider.

• Paste the dedicated API v2 key and select Connect Credentials.

• Let Lead Sherpa review the connected numbers. Select the Messaging Profile your 10DLC campaign is linked to in Telnyx.

• If you add Telnyx numbers later, assign them to the correct Messaging Profile and 10DLC campaign first. Then return to Lead Sherpa and use Refresh Connections.

Troubleshooting