**** As of October 19, 2022, Plivo has paused Starter registrations. Please refer to our blog post Updated A2P 10DLC Registration Guidelines in the US for our current 10DLC registration recommendations. ****
Businesses of all sizes can benefit by using text messaging to communicate with their customers and prospects. Texting is inexpensive, it scales easily, and it has global reach, but its main advantage is that people prefer to be contacted by text message. They’d rather receive a text than a phone call or email.
Plivo’s SMS API lets businesses add texting to their applications. You may have heard that there’s a new number type in the US, 10-digit long code (10DLC), that has become the best way to send A2P text messages. Businesses can now register their long codes and get the benefits of better deliverability and potentially higher throughput. However, the registration costs for 10DLC numbers may be a little high for some individuals and small businesses, so we’re introducing a new Starter 10DLC registration plan.
10DLC registration for individuals and small businesses
When you visit the 10DLC registration page of the Plivo console, you’ll now see two options: Standard and Starter. A Standard account lets you register your brand and campaigns and get everything you know and love about Plivo.
Starter is a new option designed for individuals and small businesses that lack a tax identification number or EIN. Its key advantage is its low cost: Starters don’t have to pay a registration fee, just a monthly fee of less than a dollar for a messaging campaign.
The price is right, but Starter brands are more limited than Standard. Starters can register only a single campaign, and associate a maximum of five phone numbers with it. Messaging throughput, which can be as high as 4,500 transactions per minute for a Standard brand, is limited to 75 transactions per minute. But that’s more than enough for a small medical practice that sends out appointment reminders, or any other business that sends out only a few dozen messages a day.
The 10DLC page in our Support portal has more details about Starter brands and all things 10DLC.
SMS services for everyone and anyone
Starter brands and 10DLC phone numbers put text messaging within reach of any organization, from the neighborhood flea market vendor to Fortune 100 businesses.
If you’ve been interested in Plivo but hesitant to make a commitment because you were afraid of receiving a high bill, don’t wait any longer. If you’re a small-businessperson who loved Plivo but had to switch for cost reasons, we’d like to have you back. Sign up for a trial account and use the free credits we provide new customers with to rent a phone number and register your brand, then use Plivo’s SMS API to integrate your applications with our cloud communications platform.
