Update on Shared Short Codes
Updated January 2023
There have been major changes to the messaging ecosystem this year - most notably, the introduction of A2P. A2P 10DLC is a registration process required by wireless carriers when using 10-digit local numbers for mass texting. The good news is A2P 10DLC numbers experience substantially less carrier filtering and faster throughput. The bad news is A2P registration is a bear to deal with. But, we’re actively working on ways to make the process easier for you and us.
With the rollout of A2P, wireless carriers are sunsetting shared short codes. This means most texting providers, including Clearstream, are not offering shared short codes anymore. Some providers still use them in a limited capacity, but it’s no longer a viable option for mass texting. Thankfully, customers currently using Clearstream’s shared short codes can continue using them. We’ve been grandfathered in, as of now.
A quick note to customers using dedicated short codes with Clearstream: these changes do not, and almost certainly never will, affect dedicated short codes, as they're seen as the industry gold-standard for texting.
Our Commitment
Clearstream is committed to helping churches reliably communicate with their people via text message. We have and will continue to offer access to every type of carrier-approved texting number available.
As things continue to evolve in the texting industry, we promise to update you. We've been in this space for nearly 13 years, and our aggregators and carrier partners have consistently provided us with reliable and accurate information. Our primary concern in navigating any potential carrier changes is to ensure that churches who trust Clearstream as their texting provider always have access to the fastest and most reliable texting solutions.
State of the Texting Industry
As of today, there are three types of numbers in the world of U.S.- based mass text messaging:
Dedicated Short Codes (e.g. 97000)
A2P 10DLC Numbers (e.g. 580-xxx-xxxx)
Toll-Free Numbers (e.g. 877-xxx-xxxx)
Over the years, wireless carriers have made efforts to curb text spam. Some efforts have addressed spam coming from bad actors who use shared short codes for text spam and phishing. This led to T-Mobile updating their Commercial Messaging Code of Conduct (2020), where they stated number sharing was no longer allowed. Other carriers, such as AT&T, made similar announcements. But it wasn’t until this past year, 2022, that shared short codes were officially sunsetted.
A majority of texting will now happen with A2P 10DLC numbers. However, dedicated short codes are the best option for high-message-throughput, reliable, non-carrier-filtered, emoji/multilingual-supported, two-way mass texting. If you're a large church, we recommend having your own dedicated short code. Clearstream is a vetted Premiere Partner with the U.S. Short Code Registry, and we can quickly set one up for you.
How We’ve Handled A2P
Like going to the dentist, A2P is annoying but necessary. If you don’t see a doctor for months, you’ll probably end up with a cavity. In the same way, if we don’t comply with A2P standards, you’ll end up with extremely slow throughput and heavy carrier filtering.
Our team has spent most of 2022 focused on making this process as easy as possible for you. Here are a few things we’ve done:
A2P registration happens within the Clearstream platform. When you sign up for an account, you’ll input your EIN number. We automatically handle the rest on the backend.
Clearstream covers the cost of registering your number with wireless carriers. Normally there is a fee involved, and many other providers charge extra.
Clearstream offers a custom link shortener. This helps eliminate filtering and blocked messages.
We stay up to date on A2P requirements. Our team reads documentation, and directly troubleshoots with Tier 1 aggregators and wireless carriers.
Our goal is to communicate clearly and accurately in an ever-evolving messaging ecosystem. If you have any questions, please reach out via live chat or email. Our support team is very responsive and knowledgable.
Michael, co-founder and COO