SMS is still one of the most direct ways to reach people on their phones. Open rates hover around 98%, and mobile usage keeps growing worldwide. Teams use it for auth codes, delivery updates, appointment reminders, promos, and back-and-forth customer conversations. For most organizations, it sits right next to voice and email as a core channel.
Businesses send SMS from three main number types:
- Short codes: 5-6 digit numbers built for high-volume A2P messaging
- Long codes, including 10DLC numbers registered for business messaging in the U.S.
- Toll-free numbers that can be verified and text-enabled
These routes differ in how carriers process the traffic, how the numbers get registered, and what throughput and monitoring look like.
Which one you pick depends on:
- How fast you need to send and your peak burst capacity
- Your expected daily or monthly volume
- Whether you’re blasting campaigns or having two-way conversations
- Registration and compliance processes
- Budget and how quickly you need to launch
This guide breaks down the structural differences between short codes, long codes (including 10DLC), and toll-free SMS. It covers carrier routing, throughput mechanics, filtering behavior, regulatory considerations, and integration through SMS gateways and APIs.
The real difference: routing, carrier trust, and throughput
The gap between short codes and long codes comes down to the carrier routing layer. Carriers evaluate your message traffic based on how the number is registered, how it’s classified, and how much trust you’ve built. That classification controls delivery speed, filtering risk, and volume limits.
Carrier treatment: pre-approved vs registered vs unregistered traffic
Carriers split SMS traffic into two buckets:
- P2P (Person-to-Person): individual, manual messaging
- A2P (Application-to-Person): business or automated messaging
Business messaging is A2P. Carriers expect it to use approved or registered routes.
Short codes sit at the top of the carrier trust hierarchy. They go through a formal approval process before activation. Campaign use cases get reviewed upfront. Once approved, traffic is treated as sanctioned A2P messaging and watched closely.
10DLC numbers are 10-digit long codes registered through The Campaign Registry (TCR) in the U.S. You register your brand and declare your campaign types. Carriers then assign a trust score that controls your allowed volume and throughput.
Toll-free numbers need verification and use-case submission. They get reviewed, though the approval process is generally lighter than short code provisioning.
Standard long codes were built for personal messaging. When you use them for business traffic without registration, carriers flag high-volume patterns as suspicious. This usually leads to filtering, throttling, or outright blocking.
Misclassifying your traffic creates real operational risk. Sending A2P messages over P2P routes can trigger carrier enforcement: daily caps, message filtering, or number suspension. Carriers use traffic pattern analysis, volume thresholds, and content signals to catch this.
Your number selection shapes how carriers evaluate your traffic from message one.
Throughput mechanics (messages per second: MPS)
Throughput is how many messages you can send per second from a number. It dictates how fast a campaign can go out.
Typical benchmarks:
- Short code: up to 400 MPS
- 10DLC: 10-75 MPS depending on trust score and carrier
- Toll-free: roughly 25-30 MPS
- Standard long code: 1-10 MPS
This matters most for time-sensitive messaging.
An OTP campaign going to 100,000 users looks very different at 10 MPS versus 400 MPS. At lower throughput, messages queue up and trickle out. Delays compound as volume climbs. For authentication or flash promos, that lag kills effectiveness.
Carriers enforce limits differently too:
- T-Mobile tends to impose daily message caps tied to campaign registration and trust score.
- AT&T leans more on throughput-per-minute controls.
When you exceed your permitted levels, carriers throttle your traffic. They slow delivery rather than rejecting messages outright, which creates unpredictable timing right when it matters most during peak campaigns.
Your operational planning should factor in:
- Peak burst size
- Total send volume
- Carrier-specific limits
- Trust score impact (for 10DLC)
- Queue management at the gateway level
Throughput controls how fast your audience gets time-sensitive messages and whether your campaigns can scale without delivery delays.
Cost structure beyond monthly fees
SMS pricing usually gets boiled down to “monthly lease plus per-message rate.” The real cost structure varies by route and includes registration, carrier fees, operational risk, and time-to-launch impact.
A proper cost assessment covers both direct spend and indirect exposure.
Upfront vs ongoing cost model
Short codes are leased monthly, typically $1,000 to $3,000 per month depending on whether the number is random or vanity. Setup and carrier approval happen before activation. Per-message fees stack on top of the lease. Higher fixed costs, but you get high throughput and carrier-recognized A2P routing.
10DLC requires brand registration and campaign registration through TCR. Fees can include brand registration, campaign registration, and ongoing carrier surcharges per message. The fixed cost is lower than short code leasing, but per-message carrier fees add up on top of standard messaging rates.
Toll-free SMS requires verification before A2P messaging. Costs typically include verification or onboarding fees, per-message charges, and carrier surcharges. No short code lease, so fixed costs stay moderate.
Standard long codes have the lowest direct cost and minimal setup. But they’re designed for personal messaging. Use them for business A2P traffic without registration and your filtering risk goes up. That risk creates indirect costs: delivery failures, number suspension, wasted spend on messages that never arrive.
Evaluate cost based on how the route matches your expected volume and compliance model, not just the monthly bill.
Hidden cost drivers
Several cost factors get overlooked during planning:
Carrier surcharges (U.S. A2P fees): U.S. carriers apply A2P surcharges on registered traffic. These are separate from platform messaging rates and vary by carrier and campaign type. High-volume programs need to model these carefully.
Failed message costs: Filtered or rejected messages may still generate charges depending on routing and carrier handling. Repeated failures can also attract extra carrier scrutiny.
Filtering-related revenue impact: Delayed or blocked promo messages hurt campaign performance. For time-sensitive campaigns, throughput limits or throttling can drag down conversion rates.
Compliance exposure: Non-compliant messaging can result in penalties under regulations like the TCPA. Enforcement can involve fines and carrier-level restrictions. Factor legal risk into your route selection.
Time-to-launch delays: Short code provisioning takes anywhere from 3 to 12 weeks depending on carrier review and campaign complexity. 10DLC and toll-free verification timelines affect launch planning too. Delays can push back revenue-generating campaigns or product rollouts.
Deliverability and filtering risk
Deliverability comes down to carrier policy, traffic patterns, and registration status. Carriers actively police business messaging to control spam and protect subscribers. Your route determines how your traffic gets evaluated and how much slack you have on volume or content changes.
Filtering almost never shows up as a clean rejection. It looks like delays, reduced throughput, or messages silently disappearing during peak sends.
Why standard long codes get blocked
Standard long codes were built for person-to-person texting. Use them for business messaging at scale and carriers will spot the A2P patterns.
What triggers filtering:
A2P traffic on P2P routes: Automated sends, repeated templates, and one-to-many patterns all signal application-based traffic. Carriers treat this differently from manual texting.
Pattern-based filtering: Repeated message structures, identical content blasted to large audiences, and high send frequency create obvious patterns.
Volume anomalies: Sudden spikes from a single number, or sustained high throughput that doesn’t look like normal texting, raise flags.
Keyword and content signals: Certain phrases, URL patterns, or high opt-out rates draw extra scrutiny.
When you cross thresholds, carriers may throttle delivery, block messages, or suspend the number. Getting back on track can mean replacing the number entirely and re-registering under an approved A2P route.
10DLC trust scores explained
10DLC was created to give businesses a structured A2P route on 10-digit numbers in the U.S.
Registration happens through The Campaign Registry (TCR). You submit:
- Brand information
- Use case details
- Sample message content
Carriers review this and assign a trust score. That score controls:
- Allowed throughput (MPS)
- Daily message caps
- How closely carriers watch your traffic
Higher trust scores unlock higher sending limits. Lower scores can restrict volume or trigger extra review.
Campaign type matters too. Carriers evaluate marketing, account notifications, and customer care campaigns differently.
Registration gets you a compliant route, but it doesn’t turn off filtering. Carriers keep watching traffic patterns, opt-out behavior, and complaint rates. Your throughput can still be adjusted if your actual sending deviates from what you registered.
For operational planning, focus on:
- Accurate campaign registration
- Consistent message patterns
- Monitoring opt-out rates
- Managing volume during peak sends
Registration gives you structure and carrier visibility. But delivery performance still comes down to sending discipline.
Short code monitoring vs toll-free verification
Short codes go through formal carrier approval before activation. Campaign details get reviewed upfront, and the number is recognized as sanctioned A2P traffic from day one. Carriers apply strict monitoring to make sure you stay within your approved use case.
What this means in practice:
- Predictable throughput once approved
- Clear campaign scope
- Ongoing oversight for content and opt-out handling
Toll-free numbers need verification and use-case submission. The review is structured but generally lighter than short code provisioning. After verification, carriers monitor traffic patterns and complaint rates.
What this means in practice:
- Moderate throughput capacity
- Monitoring based on behavior and complaint signals
- Risk of suspension if your traffic drifts from your declared use case
The oversight level differs, but monitoring exists on every route. Deliverability depends on keeping your actual traffic aligned with your registered use case, volume, and message content.
When picking a number type, think about how much monitoring structure your team can handle and how tightly your campaigns match your declared messaging categories.
Use case mapping: which route fits each business scenario
Number selection gets clearer when you map it to actual operational scenarios. Volume, urgency, conversation depth, and regulatory sensitivity all influence which route holds up over time.
High-volume, time-sensitive campaigns (OTP, flash sales, emergency alerts)
Auth codes, big promo launches, and emergency notifications need to reach large audiences fast. Delays reduce effectiveness and frustrate customers.
Short codes handle high throughput and carry the most carrier trust. Once approved, they support large traffic bursts without significant throttling; good for scenarios where thousands of messages need to land within seconds.
Carrier recognition also lowers filtering risk for approved use cases. For organizations running recurring high-volume campaigns, short codes deliver predictable send speed and structured oversight.
Conversational sales and customer support
Sales outreach, appointment coordination, and support interactions involve ongoing two-way exchanges. Volume is typically spread throughout the day rather than sent in bursts.
10DLC and toll-free numbers support A2P registration while keeping a standard 10-digit format. Recipients see a familiar phone number, which tends to encourage replies.
Both routes handle two-way messaging and can be paired with voice on the same number. That lets customers switch between calling and texting without changing contact info.
For teams focused on dialogue rather than broadcast, these routes match conversational use cases and moderate throughput needs.
Mid-sized marketing campaigns (hundreds to thousands per day)
Mid-volume campaigns need scalable sending capacity without the fixed cost of short code leasing.
10DLC gives you registered A2P routing with throughput that supports daily marketing sends in the hundreds or low thousands, depending on your trust score and carrier policies. Registration provides structured compliance at manageable fixed costs.
This route works well for recurring promotions, product updates, or lifecycle campaigns that exceed long code limits but don’t need short code-level bursts.
Collections, account recovery, and sensitive notifications
Collections reminders, account recovery notices, and payment messaging operate in regulated environments and often need two-way interaction.
Toll-free numbers provide a verified A2P route with moderate throughput and broad geographic familiarity. Toll-free routing generally accommodates regulated use cases with straightforward verification processes.
The 800-series format also signals an established business, which can help response rates for operational messaging.
Local presence and relationship marketing
Local businesses and regional teams often rely on recognizable area codes to build familiarity. Outreach might include follow-ups, booking confirmations, and community-focused promotions.
Standard long codes and registered 10DLC numbers let you message from local area codes. This can boost response rates when recipients recognize where the message is coming from.
For lower-volume outreach with steady conversation flow, these routes support relationship-based communication without the infrastructure overhead of large-scale broadcast.
Compliance framework you can’t ignore (TCPA, CTIA, A2P rules)
SMS compliance is operational, not theoretical. Carrier policies and telecom regulations govern how you collect consent, send messages, and keep records. Your route choice affects how closely your traffic gets monitored and how fast enforcement actions hit.
This section covers practical implications, not legal theory.
A2P vs P2P: why route selection is a legal decision
Carriers distinguish between:
- P2P (Person-to-Person) traffic
- A2P (Application-to-Person) business messaging
Any automated, bulk, or system-triggered messaging counts as A2P. That includes marketing campaigns, appointment reminders, auth codes, and account notifications.
Sending A2P traffic over unregistered long codes violates carrier rules in the U.S. Carriers monitor traffic patterns, volume spikes, complaint rates, and message similarity to catch misclassification.
Enforcement includes:
- Message filtering or throttling
- Daily sending caps
- Number suspension
- Campaign rejection
- Escalation to carrier review
You also face regulatory exposure under laws like the TCPA if you haven’t obtained proper consent. TCPA fines are assessed per message and add up fast in large campaigns.
Route selection carries compliance weight. Registered routes create structured oversight. Unregistered traffic raises enforcement risk.
Mandatory requirements across all routes
Regardless of number type, several compliance standards apply:
Opt-in consent: Recipients must give clear consent before receiving marketing messages. Document your consent collection methods so they’re auditable.
STOP / HELP compliance: Messages must support recognized opt-out keywords like “STOP.” Process opt-out requests promptly. “HELP” responses should include a support message with contact info.
Record keeping: Keep records of opt-ins, opt-outs, and campaign declarations. You’ll need them for audits and dispute resolution.
Data handling (GDPR / CCPA): Personal data collected through SMS interactions needs to be handled under applicable data protection rules.
Content restrictions: Carriers restrict certain content categories, often referred to as SHAFT (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco), plus other regulated industries. What you declare must match what you actually send.
Compliance discipline directly affects deliverability. High opt-out rates, complaint spikes, or undeclared content changes can trigger carrier action even on registered routes.
Registration timelines and operational planning
Provisioning timelines vary by route and should factor into your launch planning:
- Short code: 3-12 weeks for carrier review and approval
- 10DLC: about 2-3 weeks for brand and campaign registration
- Toll-free: usually 1-2 weeks for verification
- Standard long code: immediate activation, but not suitable for A2P without registration
Align campaign timelines, product launches, and seasonal promotions with these approval windows.
Organizations that plan messaging infrastructure early avoid launch delays and don’t get stuck making last-minute routing changes. Compliance readiness keeps deployment predictable and reduces enforcement risk during live campaigns.
Decision framework: a five-step selection model
Picking an SMS route should follow a structured evaluation. Volume, interaction style, compliance capacity, and growth plans determine whether a number type stays viable past the first campaign.
Step 1: Message volume and velocity
Start with volume modeling:
- Average daily message volume
- Peak campaign bursts
- Simultaneous campaigns across departments
- Trigger-based automation (OTP, alerts, lifecycle messages)
If your peak send needs thousands of messages within seconds, throughput is your main constraint. Short codes handle high burst velocity. Registered 10DLC and toll-free numbers support moderate volume within defined limits. Standard long codes hit throughput ceilings fast under automation.
Run the math: how long would it take to deliver your largest campaign at the permitted MPS for each route? If delivery time exceeds the campaign’s useful window, that route creates friction.
Step 2: Conversation depth
Figure out whether your messaging is mainly broadcast or interactive:
- One-to-many promotional campaigns
- Transactional notifications with limited replies
- Ongoing back-and-forth conversations
- Hybrid workflows (broadcast followed by inbound replies)
Short codes support two-way messaging but are typically oriented around campaign-driven traffic. 10DLC and toll-free align well with conversational workflows, especially when paired with voice.
If conversation continuity, local familiarity, or customer support is central to what you’re doing, a 10-digit format may match user expectations better.
Step 3: Compliance tolerance and resources
Assess your internal readiness:
- Do you have documented opt-in processes?
- Can you track and store consent records?
- Is someone responsible for campaign registration updates?
- Can you monitor opt-out rates and complaint signals?
Short codes and 10DLC require structured campaign declarations. Toll-free requires verified use-case submission. Ongoing monitoring applies across all routes.
Organizations without clear compliance ownership tend to hit friction during registration or enforcement reviews. Pick a route that matches your available governance capacity.
Step 4: Budget structure
Look at cost tolerance beyond per-message pricing:
- Can you absorb fixed monthly leasing costs?
- Do you prefer lower fixed fees with higher variable usage costs?
- Are you launching a long-term messaging program or a limited campaign?
Short codes mean higher fixed commitments. 10DLC and toll-free lean toward usage-based costs with carrier surcharges. Long codes have minimal fixed cost but carry operational risk if used for A2P without registration.
Plan your budget around expected message growth over the next 12-24 months.
Step 5: Growth trajectory
Think ahead:
- Will message volume double within six months?
- Are new departments planning to use SMS?
- Is SMS tied to product expansion or new markets?
- Will compliance requirements get heavier as you scale?
Starting with a route that fits current volume but can’t absorb projected growth may force re-registration or number migration later. That means operational disruption and confused customers.
Route selection works best when it covers near-term campaigns and anticipated growth.
Hybrid strategies: when one number type isn’t enough
Many companies outgrow a single-number approach. Marketing, support, operations, and security teams often have different volume patterns and compliance needs. Forcing all traffic through one route creates bottlenecks or unnecessary cost.
A hybrid model assigns number types by function.
Short code for mass campaigns, 10DLC for replies
A short code handles high-volume outbound, including product launches and time-sensitive promos. Throughput supports rapid distribution.
Inbound replies route to a 10DLC number managed by support or sales. This keeps conversational traffic on a 10-digit format customers recognize and can call if they want to.
This split reduces congestion on the short code and creates clearer ownership between broadcast and conversation workflows.
Toll-free for support, short code for marketing
Support teams often need stable two-way messaging tied to a voice-enabled number. A toll-free number works here and keeps branding consistent across voice and SMS.
Marketing runs on a short code for burst traffic and keyword programs. Each team gets a route that matches its operational needs.
Multi-region strategies
Organizations operating across regions may combine routes by geography and regulation:
- Short codes for nationwide U.S. campaigns
- Registered 10DLC numbers for regional teams
- Local long codes for country-specific outreach
Routing by region aligns compliance with local carrier rules and lets you use familiar local area codes where they help.
Segmentation-based routing
Some teams segment audiences by engagement level or campaign type:
- High-frequency promotional segments on short codes
- Lifecycle or transactional messaging on 10DLC
- Service updates on toll-free
Segmentation spreads risk across multiple numbers and lets you tune performance by audience group.
SMS gateway orchestration and API-level routing logic
Hybrid strategies need coordination at the infrastructure layer.
An SMS gateway or messaging API can:
- Route outbound messages by campaign type
- Assign number pools dynamically
- Control throughput allocation across routes
- Capture delivery receipts and carrier error codes
- Separate transactional and promotional traffic
API-level routing lets you distribute traffic automatically based on campaign metadata or message tags.
Keep visibility into:
- Per-number throughput usage
- Carrier response codes
- Opt-out rates by route
- Volume spikes across campaigns
A hybrid model adds complexity, but it gives you flexibility and reduces dependence on a single routing channel. For organizations running both large campaigns and ongoing conversations, this structure scales without sacrificing deliverability.
Technical integration: SMS gateway, API, and platform considerations
Picking a number type is only part of it. Delivery performance, visibility, and scalability depend on how your SMS gateway and API infrastructure are set up.
Business messaging passes through multiple layers: your application, the SMS API, the gateway or aggregator, and finally the carrier network. Each layer affects routing, monitoring, and delivery outcomes.
How SMS gateways route traffic
An SMS gateway connects your application to carrier networks. Routing structure affects speed, reliability, and filtering exposure.
Direct carrier connections: Some gateways maintain direct integrations with carriers. Direct routes tend to offer predictable throughput and clearer delivery reporting. Traffic classification (A2P vs P2P) is applied at the carrier level based on number registration and campaign declaration.
Aggregators: Aggregators bundle connectivity across multiple carriers and regions. They simplify geographic expansion and cross-network routing but add filtering and policy layers. Aggregator policies need to align with carrier rules to avoid delivery inconsistencies.
A2P routes: Registered A2P routes (short code, 10DLC, verified toll-free) are tagged at the carrier level as sanctioned business messaging. Throughput limits and monitoring rules follow the route and trust classification.
Filtering layers
Filtering can happen at multiple levels:
- Gateway-level spam detection
- Aggregator traffic controls
- Carrier network enforcement
Message content, sending frequency, and complaint rates all feed into filtering decisions. Knowing where filtering occurs helps you isolate delivery issues during campaign execution.
Your infrastructure should give you visibility into which route and carrier handled each message.
SMS API capabilities that matter
The SMS API determines how your systems talk to the messaging infrastructure. A few capabilities make a real operational difference.
Webhooks: Real-time delivery events and inbound message notifications. These power automation, routing, and reporting.
Delivery receipts (DLRs): Carrier-level status updates like delivered, failed, or rejected. Detailed status codes help with troubleshooting and performance tracking.
Keyword automation: Configurable handling for inbound keywords like STOP, HELP, or campaign-specific triggers. This covers compliance and structured response workflows.
Throughput management: API-level controls for message queuing and send rates to keep you within carrier limits. Coordinating throughput across multiple numbers reduces throttling risk.
Campaign registration handling: For 10DLC, campaign metadata needs to match registered use cases. API tagging and route mapping keep traffic properly classified.
CRM integration: Logging message activity, matching contacts, and aligning workflows across voice and messaging channels.
API design directly affects your ability to scale messaging programs without constant manual oversight.
Platform-level analytics
Operational visibility determines whether messaging programs stay stable as you grow.
Watch these metrics:
Delivery rates: Tracking successful delivery across carriers and routes surfaces performance shifts.
Carrier error codes: Error codes tell you whether failures come from invalid numbers, filtering, throttling, or regulatory blocks.
Opt-out tracking: Monitoring opt-out trends by campaign or route catches content or frequency problems early.
Throughput bottlenecks: Spotting queue buildup during peak sends prevents delayed campaigns. Monitoring MPS utilization across numbers supports capacity planning.
Analytics should tie routing decisions to performance outcomes. Visibility into carrier behavior, volume trends, and filtering patterns lets you make adjustments before deliverability drops.
Messaging infrastructure isn’t static. As volume grows, technical controls at the gateway and API layer become central to keeping delivery predictable.
Future outlook: 10DLC standardization, carrier enforcement, and RCS
Business messaging is getting more structured at the carrier level. Registration, monitoring, and traffic classification are now baked into how SMS works in the U.S. and increasingly in other markets.
10DLC as the U.S. standard
10DLC has formalized A2P messaging on 10-digit numbers in the U.S. Brand registration and campaign declaration are now baseline requirements for legitimate business traffic.
If you’re using long codes with any automation or scale, registration isn’t optional anymore. Plan around:
- Ongoing carrier oversight
- Periodic policy updates
- Throughput tied to trust scoring and campaign classification
Teams that treat registration as ongoing infrastructure rather than a one-time checkbox tend to avoid disruption.
Increased carrier enforcement
Carriers keep refining their filtering systems. Current enforcement focuses on:
- Traffic pattern analysis
- Complaint and opt-out rates
- Use case alignment with registered campaigns
- Volume anomalies
Enforcement can include throttling, daily caps, campaign suspension, or number blocking. If anything, monitoring requirements are going up, not down.
The bottom line: delivery reliability depends on sustained compliance discipline, not just getting approved once.
AI-driven filtering
Carrier filtering increasingly relies on automated pattern detection and traffic modeling. These systems evaluate message similarity, sending frequency, and engagement signals.
Automation doesn’t replace human review; it speeds up how quickly irregular traffic gets flagged.
Expect filtering logic to keep evolving. Message content testing, send pacing, and segmentation strategies remain your best controls.
RCS growth
Rich Communication Services (RCS) adds branded messaging, media support, and interactive elements within supported devices and networks.
Adoption varies by region and carrier. SMS is still the most universally supported mobile messaging channel, while RCS fills in richer capabilities where available.
If you’re evaluating RCS, look at device coverage, carrier support, and fallback behavior to SMS.
Omnichannel orchestration within CPaaS platforms
SMS increasingly lives inside a broader stack that includes voice, email, chat, and other digital channels. Coordinating across channels requires shared visibility and routing logic.
CPaaS and contact center platforms integrate SMS alongside voice workflows, customer records, and reporting layers. That gets you:
- Consistent contact history
- Coordinated outbound campaigns
- Unified reporting across channels
Future messaging strategies will depend less on picking a number type in isolation and more on structured orchestration across channels.
The direction is clear: more registration structure, stricter enforcement, and deeper integration with broader communication platforms.
Explore how Voiso helps teams manage customer conversations with operational visibility and control.
FAQs
Can I switch from a long code to a short code later?
Yes. Many organizations start with a registered 10DLC or toll-free number and migrate to a short code as volume grows. The transition requires provisioning and carrier approval for the short code, which can take several weeks. You’ll also need to plan customer communication since the sending number changes. For high-growth programs, planning the migration early reduces disruption.
What happens if I send A2P traffic over a P2P long code?
Carriers monitor traffic patterns and classify automated or bulk messaging as A2P. If you send A2P traffic over an unregistered long code, carriers may throttle delivery, apply daily caps, filter messages, or suspend the number. Repeated violations can lead to longer-term restrictions. Registration under an approved A2P route is required for business automation in the U.S.
How long does 10DLC approval really take?
Brand and campaign registration through TCR typically takes about two to three weeks, depending on how complete your submission is and carrier review cycles. Incomplete campaign details or content mismatches can push timelines out. Plan ahead of your campaign launch dates.
Are toll-free numbers safer than long codes?
Verified toll-free numbers operate under an approved A2P structure with compliance monitoring. Standard unregistered long codes don’t offer the same structured oversight for business traffic. That said, safety depends on proper verification, keeping your actual messaging aligned with your declared use case, and ongoing compliance management. No route is exempt from carrier monitoring.
Which route offers the highest deliverability?
Short codes generally carry the most carrier trust and support the highest throughput once approved. But deliverability on any route depends on compliant opt-in practices, accurate campaign registration, consistent messaging, and controlled send patterns. Registration improves your classification, but carriers keep evaluating traffic behavior regardless.
Can I use multiple number types at the same time?
Yes. Many organizations run hybrid strategies, assigning different number types to marketing, support, and transactional messaging. Routing logic at the gateway or API layer distributes traffic by campaign type or audience segment. Managing multiple routes means monitoring throughput, opt-out rates, and carrier responses across each number.
