A2P 10DLC Fees and Pricing in 2025: Complete Breakdown

Understanding the true cost of A2P 10DLC messaging can be confusing. Between carrier pass-through fees, TCR registration fees, and monthly maintenance costs, expenses add up quickly. This guide breaks down every fee you need to know about in 2025.

Overview of 10DLC Costs

There are three main categories of 10DLC fees:

Carrier pass-through fees - Charged per message by each carrier

TCR registration fees - One-time and monthly fees for brand/campaign registration

Provider fees - What your messaging provider charges (varies by company)

Carrier Pass-Through Fees (Per Message)

Every SMS message sent via 10DLC incurs a carrier surcharge. These fees are charged by the destination carrier and passed through by your messaging provider.

Current Rates (December 2025)

Carrier	Pass-Through Fee	Notes

AT&T	$0.003	Per message segment
T-Mobile	$0.003	Per message segment
Verizon	$0.003	Increasing to $0.004 in June 2025
US Cellular	$0.002	Per message segment
Sprint	$0.003	Now merged with T-Mobile

What's a Message Segment?

SMS messages are limited to 160 characters (or 70 for Unicode). Longer messages are split into segments:

Message Length	Segments	Total Characters

1-160 chars	1	160
161-306 chars	2	306 (153 x 2)
307-459 chars	3	459 (153 x 3)

Important: Each segment incurs a separate carrier fee. A 200-character message = 2 segments = $0.006 in carrier fees.

Inbound Message Fees

Most carriers also charge for inbound (received) messages:

Carrier	Inbound Fee

AT&T	$0.003
T-Mobile	$0.003
Verizon	$0.003

TCR Registration Fees

The Campaign Registry (TCR) charges fees for registering brands and campaigns.

Brand Registration

Fee Type	Amount	Frequency

Brand registration	$4	One-time
Brand vetting (optional)	$40	One-time

Brand vetting is optional but can increase your Trust Score and throughput limits. It's recommended for businesses sending high volumes.

Campaign Registration

Campaign Type	Registration Fee	Monthly Fee

Standard campaign	$15	$10/month
Low-volume campaign	$2	$2/month
Sole proprietor	$2	$2/month

What's a Low-Volume Campaign?

Low-volume campaigns are available for businesses that:

Send fewer than 6,000 messages per month
Use cases like appointment reminders or transactional messages
Have simpler compliance requirements

Upcoming Fee Changes in 2025

June 1, 2025: Verizon Toll-Free Increase

Verizon is increasing its toll-free pass-through fee:

Current: $0.003 per segment
New: $0.004 per segment

This affects toll-free numbers, not 10DLC, but many businesses use both.

August 1, 2025: TCR Fee Increase

TCR has announced fee increases effective August 2025:

Standard campaign registration: $15 → $18
Monthly campaign fee: $10 → $12
Brand vetting: $40 → $45

Tip: Register before August 2025 to lock in current rates.

Total Cost Examples

Let's calculate the total cost for different scenarios:

Example 1: Small Business (1,000 messages/month)

text
Monthly messages: 1,000
Average carrier fee: $0.003

Carrier fees: 1,000 × $0.003 = $3.00
TCR monthly: $10.00
Phone number: $1.15

Total monthly: $14.15
Cost per message: $0.014

Example 2: Growing Startup (10,000 messages/month)

text
Monthly messages: 10,000
Average carrier fee: $0.003

Carrier fees: 10,000 × $0.003 = $30.00
TCR monthly: $10.00
Phone number: $1.15

Total monthly: $41.15
Cost per message: $0.004

Example 3: Enterprise (100,000 messages/month)

text
Monthly messages: 100,000
Average carrier fee: $0.003

Carrier fees: 100,000 × $0.003 = $300.00
TCR monthly: $10.00
Phone numbers (5): $5.75

Total monthly: $315.75
Cost per message: $0.003

How Zavu Pricing Works

Zavu simplifies 10DLC pricing with a transparent model:

What's Included

TCR registration fees - Brand and campaign registration included
Monthly TCR fees - No extra monthly compliance costs
Compliance monitoring - We handle carrier policy changes
Support - Help with registration and troubleshooting

What You Pay

$0.005/MAU - Monthly Active User fee (first contact per month)
Pass-through fees - Carrier fees at cost (no markup)
Phone numbers - $1.15/month per number

Comparison

Cost Component	Traditional Provider	Zavu

Base message fee	$0.0079	Pass-through only
Carrier fees	+ $0.003	Included
TCR registration	$4 + $15	Included
Monthly TCR	$10/month	Included
Markup	10-30%	None

Tips to Reduce 10DLC Costs

1. Optimize Message Length

Keep messages under 160 characters when possible:

text
Bad (162 chars = 2 segments):
"Your order #123456789 has been shipped via USPS Priority Mail. Expected delivery date is December 28, 2025. Track your package here: https://track.usps.com/..."

Good (158 chars = 1 segment):
"Order #123456789 shipped! Delivery: Dec 28. Track: https://zav.to/abc123 Reply HELP for support or STOP to unsubscribe."

2. Use Link Shorteners

Long URLs eat into your character limit. Use short links:

https://example.com/orders/12345/tracking → https://zav.to/abc123

3. Batch Similar Messages

Some providers charge per API call. Batch messages when possible:

typescript
// Instead of individual sends
for(const user of users) {
  await client.messages.send({ to: user.phone, text: message });
}

// Use broadcast API
await client.broadcasts.create({
  name: "Flash Sale",
  text: "Flash sale! 20% off today only.",
  contacts: users.map(u => ({ recipient: u.phone })),
});

4. Choose Low-Volume Campaigns

If you send under 6,000 messages/month, register as a low-volume campaign:

Registration: $2 (vs $15)
Monthly: $2 (vs $10)

5. Register Before August 2025

TCR fees are increasing in August 2025. Register now to lock in current rates.

Hidden Fees to Watch For

1. Carrier Compliance Fees

Some carriers charge additional compliance or infrastructure fees not included in standard pass-through rates.

2. Number Porting Fees

Moving numbers between providers can cost $10-25 per number.

3. Long Message Surcharges

Messages over 160 characters cost more (multiple segments).

4. MMS Fees

MMS (picture messages) cost significantly more than SMS:

SMS: ~$0.0079 + carrier fees
MMS: ~$0.02 + carrier fees

5. International Numbers

Messaging international numbers (even from US numbers) has different rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do carrier fees apply to inbound messages?

Yes, most carriers charge the same rate for inbound messages.

Are there volume discounts?

Carrier pass-through fees don't have volume discounts. Provider fees may decrease with volume.

What about toll-free numbers?

Toll-free numbers have higher carrier fees (~$0.003-0.004) but don't require 10DLC registration.

Do fees change by use case?

Carrier fees are the same regardless of use case (OTP, marketing, etc.). TCR fees may vary based on campaign type.

Summary

Fee Type	Amount	Frequency

Carrier pass-through	$0.002-0.003	Per message segment
Brand registration	$4	One-time
Campaign registration	$2-15	One-time
Campaign monthly	$2-10	Monthly
Brand vetting	$40	One-time (optional)

With Zavu, you only pay:

$0.005 per MAU
Carrier pass-through fees (no markup)
Phone numbers at cost

Ready to start sending? Get started with Zavu - we handle the compliance, you focus on building.See also:

What is A2P 10DLC? - Understanding the basics
10DLC Registration Requirements - Step-by-step guide
A2P 10DLC Guide - Complete overview

Need help understanding 10DLC fees? Contact us or join our Discord community for support and updates.