Toll-free vs 10DLC: which number should your business text from?

Use 10DLC local numbers if you text people in the US, and a verified toll-free number if you text people in Canada. 10DLC registers your business and use case once with the US carriers; toll-free verification approves each number and covers both countries. Teams that text both countries usually run both, one campaign for each.

This guide compares the two side by side: what each is, how registration works, how long it takes, who can use it, the sending limits as far as primary sources state them, cost, and Canada. It ends with when to use each and how to run both. It is one part of our business texting rules for the US and Canada, summarizes carrier and registry documents as read in October 2026, and is not legal advice.

What is the difference between 10DLC and toll-free texting?

They are two kinds of business number, each with its own approval path. A 10DLC number is an ordinary local number, like (512) 555-0142, registered for business texting through The Campaign Registry with your brand and campaign. A toll-free number starts with an 8XX code, like (833) 555-0142, and each one is approved through toll-free verification.

10DLC stands for "10-digit long code". The Campaign Registry describes it as "the sanctioned standard for non-consumer (A2P) text messaging utilizing a traditional 10 digit phone number", and notes that it "supports voice calls on the same number used for non-consumer SMS" (The Campaign Registry, August 2025, read 2026-10-17).

Toll-free numbers began as voice numbers. CTIA's guidance lists the toll-free area codes as "800, 888, 877, 866, 855, and 844", says "the messaging ecosystem has evolved to allow use of a toll-free telephone number as the identifier for wireless messaging services", and adds that "The toll-free subscriber who is the holder of record of a toll-free number for voice services has the sole authority to control additional services associated with that toll-free number" (CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, 2023, section 5.5.6). Newer toll-free codes such as 833 are in use as well.

Toll-free vs 10DLC, side by side

	10DLC (local number)	Verified toll-free
What it looks like	A local area code: (512) 555-0142	An 8XX code: (833) 555-0142
Who you register	Your brand (the business) and each campaign (what you text and how people opt in), through The Campaign Registry	Each number, through toll-free verification
Who files it	Your texting provider: "direct registration with TCR is not available for Brands" (The Campaign Registry)	Your texting provider
Typical time	A few days to two or three weeks	Typically one to two weeks
Who can use it	Businesses with a tax ID, and sole proprietors on a limited registration	Businesses and sole proprietors
Recipients it reaches	US mobiles	US and Canadian mobiles, once verified
Sending limits	Set by each carrier per brand or campaign (see the next table)	No figure in any carrier or registry document we read
New use case	A new campaign under the same brand	Check the number's verification covers it
Calls	Voice works on the same number	Voice works on the same number

The times are typical: the carriers set the pace and publish no guaranteed turnaround.

What are the sending limits for 10DLC?

They depend on the carrier, your brand's vetting score and the kind of campaign. The registry's guide for providers sets out the two largest carriers' terms:

Carrier	How the limit works	Entry level	Highest level
AT&T	Messages per minute, set for each campaign; "Throughput is not shared across other campaigns for the same Brand"	240 SMS a minute (classes E and F, score 1 to 49)	4,500 SMS a minute (classes A and B, score 75 to 100)
T-Mobile	A daily allowance "allocated to each Brand and tied to the Brand's EIN", shared across its campaigns	2,000 a day (Low tier, score 1 to 24)	200,000 a day (Top tier, score 75 to 100)
Sole proprietor	Fixed	15 a minute (AT&T)	1,000 a day (T-Mobile)

Source: The Campaign Registry CSP User Guide, August 2025, read 2026-10-17. The guide says "Terms may be subject to change by MNOs at any time". Brands on the Russell 3000 list get the highest level automatically; other verified brands start at the entry level and "can apply for Standard vetting to try and increase their throughput".

For most teams following up with leads and customers, the entry levels are far above what they send: 2,000 texts a day on T-Mobile is 40,000 over a working month. Limits start to matter for large one-time sends, which is a reason to spread sends through the day.

For toll-free numbers, we found no carrier or registry document that states a sending limit, so we don't quote one. Ask your provider what limit applies to a verified toll-free number.

How does registration work for each?

10DLC has two records. Your brand is your business: legal name, tax ID, address, website and a contact. Your campaign is what you text and why, how people opt in, and sample messages. Carriers review both before your numbers can send, and one brand can hold several campaigns. The registry guide notes that "All campaigns have a minimum 3 month commitment", except political ones.

Toll-free verification reviews each number: the business behind it, what it will send, how people opt in, and sample messages. Each number you add needs its own verification.

Both reviews look for the same things: details that match public records, a live website with a privacy policy, an opt-in a reviewer can find and read, and samples that name the business and carry opt-out wording. Our guide on how to register for 10DLC covers both paths step by step, and the 10DLC checklist helps you prepare.

Which should you use to text Canadian customers?

A verified toll-free number. Canada has no 10DLC registry, and Canadian carriers filter business texts from ordinary numbers heavily, so business texts to Canadian mobiles usually go out from a toll-free number that has passed verification, or from a short code. A US 10DLC registration covers US carriers only.

The law that applies to the texts themselves is Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. A commercial text to a Canadian needs express or implied consent (s. 6(1)), must identify the sender and set out an unsubscribe mechanism (s. 6(2)), and an unsubscribe must take effect "without delay, and in any event no later than 10 business days" (s. 11(3)) (CASL, S.C. 2010, c. 23). CASL reaches US businesses texting phones in Canada too. Canadian recipients may reply ARRET, the French for stop, so treat it the same as STOP.

Our guides to texting Canadian customers and CASL for text messages cover the rest.

What about short codes?

Short codes are 5- or 6-digit numbers for high-volume programs such as alerts and marketing. CTIA describes them as built for "bulk wireless messages", with carrier "upfront vetting and ongoing auditing" (CTIA, 2023). In Canada, short code programs are run by the Canadian Telecommunications Association under its own compliance policies (Canadian Common Short Codes Compliance Policies v2.1, 2026).

For two-way conversations with leads and customers, where a person answers each reply, a local or toll-free number usually fits better: people can reply and call the same number, and the thread reads like a conversation with a business.

When should you use 10DLC?

Use 10DLC local numbers when:

• Your recipients are in the US. It is the carriers' registered route for business texts from ordinary numbers.
• You want a local number. A local area code reads as a business nearby, and the same number can take calls.
• You run several kinds of texting. One brand can hold several campaigns, such as sales follow-up and appointment reminders, each registered on its own.
• You have a tax ID. A standard brand registration needs one. One person without an EIN can register as a sole proprietor, with one number and lower limits.

When should you use toll-free?

Use a verified toll-free number when:

• Your recipients are in Canada. It is the usual route for business texts to Canadian mobiles.
• You text both countries at modest volume and want one number. A verified toll-free number can text US and Canadian mobiles.
• You sell nationally and want a number with no area code. An 8XX number reads as a company line wherever the customer lives.

Before choosing toll-free for US recipients alone, ask your provider what sending limit applies, since we found no primary source that states one.

How do you use both?

Run one campaign for each country, each with its own numbers. Put US leads in a campaign that texts from your 10DLC numbers, and Canadian leads in a campaign that texts from your verified toll-free number. A Canadian lead then never gets a text from a local US number, and each campaign's sending hours follow its leads' time zones.

Three things keep it tidy:

1. Split the list by country before you import, using the area code or a country column. Canadian area codes include 416, 514, 604 and 403, among many others.
2. Keep one opt-out list across both campaigns. A person who replied STOP in one campaign should never be texted from the other. CTIA asks senders to "retain and maintain all opt-in and opt-out requests in their records to ensure that future messages are not attempted" (section 5.1.5).
3. Answer both from one inbox, so your team sees every reply, from either country, in one place.

What does each cost?

Both have a monthly fee per number, and the registration costs differ. 10DLC has one-time fees when the brand and campaign are registered and a monthly campaign fee, set by the carriers and the registry and passed on by providers. Toll-free verification is per number. Our guide to business texting costs lays out every line.

At Textually's prices, as listed on our pricing page on 2026-10-17:

	10DLC (local)	Toll-free
Number	$10 a month	$12 a month
Registration	A one-time carrier fee at cost; the monthly campaign fee is included in the platform fee	Canadian toll-free verification is free
Texts	One text per segment, 5 cents down to 2.5 cents	The same, for US and Canadian numbers

Where does Textually fit?

Textually sets up both for you. You fill in your business and campaign details once, and we register your brand and campaign for 10DLC for US recipients and verify toll-free numbers for Canadian recipients, then set up your numbers. You choose each campaign's numbers in its settings, so a US campaign can text from local numbers and a Canadian one from a toll-free number, and each lead stays on the number that first texted them. Every text checks for a consent record, carries the registered opt-out line until the person replies, and goes out in your sending hours on the lead's own clock. STOP and ARRET end texts to that person across your whole workspace, and every reply from both countries lands in one shared inbox. See 10DLC registration, done for you, texting Canada, or apply for access.

Questions

Is toll-free or 10DLC better for business texting?

It depends on who you text. 10DLC local numbers are the registered route for US recipients, and a verified toll-free number is the usual route for Canadian recipients and can text US mobiles too. Teams that text both countries usually use both.

Can I text Canada with a 10DLC number?

10DLC is the US carriers' registration system and covers US carriers. Canadian carriers filter business texts from ordinary numbers heavily, so business texts to Canadian mobiles usually go from a verified toll-free number or a short code.

How long does toll-free verification take compared with 10DLC?

Toll-free verification typically takes one to two weeks. 10DLC registration usually takes a few days to two or three weeks. Both are typical times; the carriers set the pace and publish no guaranteed turnaround.

What is the throughput of a 10DLC number?

It is set per brand or campaign. The Campaign Registry's August 2025 guide lists AT&T at 240 to 4,500 SMS a minute per campaign and T-Mobile at 2,000 to 200,000 a day per brand, depending on vetting score, with lower fixed limits for sole proprietors. Carriers can change these terms.

Do I need a separate registration for each toll-free number?

Yes. Toll-free verification approves each number on its own, so every toll-free number you add goes through it. With 10DLC, the brand and campaign are registered once and numbers are attached to the approved campaign.

Can one number text both the US and Canada?

A verified toll-free number can text both US and Canadian mobiles. A 10DLC local number is registered for US carriers, so for Canadian recipients use a verified toll-free number.