Message Throughput (MPS) and Trust Scores for A2P 10DLC in the US
Under the new A2P 10DLC service for sending messages via 10-digit long code numbers in the United States, there are changes to how message sending throughput is allocated. Message throughput in the US is now determined by your Brand type, Campaign type (use case), and Trust Score (for Standard Brands). This guide provides an overview of these changes and how throughput is allocated.
Note: T-Mobile will impose daily message limits toward their subscribers. This is separate from message sending throughput. For more details, refer to T-Mobile daily message limits for long code messaging with A2P 10DLC.
Table of Contents
- Throughput Overview
- What is a Trust Score?
- How is Throughput (MPS) Allocated for A2P 10DLC?
- Current Status of Message Throughput in A2P 10DLC
- Declared Use Cases: Message Throughput
- Mixed / Marketing Use Cases: Message Throughput
- Sole Proprietor Use Cases: Message Throughput
Throughput Overview
Message sending throughput for SMS is measured in message segments per second (MPS). Each message segment consists of up to 160 GSM-7 encoded characters. An SMS with more characters or different encoding can comprise multiple segments. For full details, see What The Heck Is A Segment.
Previously, MPS for US long code numbers was set at a standard 1 MPS per number, shared across all mobile carriers. Under the new A2P 10DLC service, MPS throughput is determined by the sender's Brand type, Campaign type (use case), and Trust Score (for Standard Brands).
What is a Trust Score?
A Trust Score is assigned during Standard Brand registration with The Campaign Registry (TCR), the third party that administers the US wireless carriers' new registration system. When an A2P Customer Profile registration for US 10DLC messaging is submitted, this information is sent to TCR for review. A score from 0 to 100 is assigned, which influences your messaging throughput and message limits toward US mobile carriers.
The Trust Score reflects a reputation algorithm that reviews specific criteria related to your company. In short, the higher your Trust Score, the higher your messaging throughput (MPS).
Note: Sole Proprietor and Low Volume Brands do not undergo "secondary vetting" and are not assigned a Trust Score. Their throughput is fixed based on their use case.
Trust Scores are static and do not automatically change over time.
What if I am Not Satisfied with My Trust Score?
Low Trust Scores can result from:
- Data discrepancies in your A2P registration, such as an address mismatch with your official business registration number (e.g., EIN).
- A small brand footprint.
Smaller organizations or those with less business presence may receive lower scores. If you receive a low Trust Score, please contact Stack support for guidance on possible causes or resolutions.
How is Throughput (MPS) Allocated for A2P 10DLC?
A maximum MPS is granted for each registered campaign (use case). This MPS is shared across all US/Canada long code numbers allocated to your campaign and all wireless carriers. Whether sending messages over a single number to a specific carrier or distributing messages over multiple numbers to various carriers, the same MPS limit applies.
Account Based Rate Limiting also affects throughput. This is an upper MPS limit set at the account level, combined across all senders. For instance, if your Account Based Rate Limit is 100 MPS, with three A2P 10DLC Campaigns approved for 75 MPS each, you'll still be limited to 100 MPS combined across all Campaigns. Any message segment exceeding 100 per second will be queued.
Specific Use Cases (referred to as "Declared" Campaigns) may receive higher MPS for the same Trust Score than a "Mixed" or Marketing type Use Case.
For a full list of Use Case and Campaign types as defined by carriers, and their respective per-message fees and other considerations, see List of Campaign Types and Use Case Types for A2P 10DLC registration.
Is Toll-Free SMS Throughput Affected?
No, Toll-Free SMS is not affected by the throughput changes described here, nor is it subject to the new campaign registration requirements. A US Toll-Free number has a default total of 3 MPS toward all US and Canada carriers. To request higher message throughput for a US Toll-Free number, please contact our Sales team.
Is Messaging to Countries Other Than the United States Affected?
No, messaging to countries other than the United States is not affected.
Current Status of Message Throughput in A2P 10DLC
The Trust Score you receive (for Standard Brands) and the Campaign type you select will dictate the throughput of your long code numbers toward AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Review the respective table below based on your selected Campaign type for specific MPS information.
Declared Use Cases: Message Throughput
A Declared use case means you have chosen one specific non-marketing use case (examples: 2FA, Account Notifications, etc.). For a full list, see List of Campaign Types and Use Cases.
| Trust Score | Total SMS MPS toward major US networks | AT&T SMS MPS | T-Mobile SMS MPS | Verizon SMS MPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 - 100 | 225 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| 50 - 74 | 120 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| 1 - 49 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 0 (Low Volume Standard Brand - Skipped Secondary Vetting) | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Your messages toward the US Cellular mobile network will be based on your major network throughput, up to a maximum of 8 MPS; your MPS toward all other minor US carriers (small independent carriers comprising less than 5% of the overall mobile market share) will be 1 MPS per phone number.
Mixed / Marketing Use Cases: Message Throughput
Mixed / Marketing use cases can be registered for customers who want to send messages for multiple use cases from the same set of numbers or for marketing. Different throughput levels are allocated for Mixed / Marketing use cases than for Declared use cases.
In addition to the "Mixed / Marketing" use case, there is a separate Campaign use case designated as "Low Volume Mixed" – this option has a lower monthly fee than a standard Campaign but is fixed at the lowest throughput tier below, regardless of your Trust Score.
| Trust Score | Total SMS MPS toward major US networks | AT&T SMS MPS | T-Mobile SMS MPS | Verizon SMS MPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 - 100 | 225 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| 50 - 74 | 120 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| 1 - 49 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 0 (Low Volume Standard Brand - Skipped Secondary Vetting) | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Low Volume Mixed Campaign (regardless of Trust Score) | 3.75 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1.25 |
Your messages toward the US Cellular mobile network will be based on your major network throughput, up to a maximum of 8 MPS; your MPS toward all other minor US carriers (small independent carriers comprising less than 5% of the overall mobile market share) will be 1 MPS per phone number.
Sole Proprietor Use Cases: Message Throughput
Sole Proprietor Brands are available for individuals or small businesses without a tax ID sending low-volume messaging. These brands are limited to 1 Campaign, 1 phone number per Campaign, and a throughput limit of 1 MPS. Sole Proprietor Campaigns do not have a Trust Score and have fixed throughput and limits of 1000 msg/day (T-Mobile) and 15 msg/minute (AT&T) per Campaign. If more throughput is desired, consider registering as a Standard Brand.
| Total SMS MPS toward major US networks | AT&T SMS MPS | T-Mobile SMS MPS | Verizon SMS MPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.25 | 0.25 | 1 per number | 1 per number |
A Sole Prop Campaign can contain up to 1 US/Canada long code number. All numbers will share 0.25 MPS toward AT&T, but each number will get 1 MPS toward T-Mobile and 1 MPS toward Verizon. This adds up to a maximum of 2.25 MPS toward the major US networks.