In an increasingly mobile world with over 60% of global internet traffic coming from mobile devices in 2024, texting has become a crucial way for businesses to maintain communication with customers. Along with ensuring compliance with SMS regulations, it is also important to choose the right type of phone number for your business. To optimize your business’s A2P (application to person) messaging strategy, key factors to consider include message throughput, registration requirements, budget, and more.

Below, we explore the three main types of phone numbers that a business can use for texting: toll-free, 10-digit long code, and dedicated short code numbers.

Toll-free

A toll-free number is a 10-digit number with a designated three-digit prefix such as 800. Toll-free numbers are a great option for medium to high volume and can be called at no charge to customers. The registration requirements are more lenient which may be beneficial for small businesses and there are no registration or monthly fees. These numbers also support conversational messaging, or two-way communication. However, for international texting, toll-free only supports messaging for U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

10-digit long code (10DLC)

A 10DLC is a standard 10-digit local number that has been approved for business texting. Registering a 10DLC involves a verification process that establishes who your business is to carrier networks as well as the type of messages being sent such as account notifications, marketing, 2FA, etc. Since 10DLC’s contain a local area code, they create a trusted experience for customers and are a popular choice for conversational messaging. 10DLC numbers also have a high throughput which ensures that messages are delivered quickly, and 10DLC supports messaging in most countries, but not Canada.

Dedicated short code

A short code is a 5- or 6-digit number that is the best option for high volume messaging campaigns that need high speed delivery. Businesses can purchase a random number or a custom number called a vanity short code to build brand recognition. Short codes have the most extensive registration process, making it less likely for messages to be blocked by spam filters. International messaging is supported, but a short code needs to be registered for each country needed. Short codes have expensive monthly costs, are not designed for conversational messaging, and do not support voice capabilities.

Here is a comparison chart breaking down the important factors to consider when choosing a number for texting:

Sources: Statista, Vonage, Textline, Twilio, Sinch