---
title: A2P 10DLC Fees and Pricing in 2025: Complete Breakdown
description: Detailed breakdown of all A2P 10DLC costs in 2025: carrier pass-through fees, TCR registration fees, monthly costs, and upcoming fee changes.
date: 2025-12-24
author: Jennifer Villalobos
locale: en
source: https://www.zavu.dev/en/blog/a2p-10dlc-fees-2025
tags: SMS, Pricing, 10DLC, Compliance
---

# 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:

1. **Carrier pass-through fees** - Charged per message by each carrier
2. **TCR registration fees** - One-time and monthly fees for brand/campaign registration
3. **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)

```
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)

```
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)

```
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 fees at cost** - Brand and campaign registration passed through without markup
- **Refund on rejection** - The brand fee is returned if the carrier rejects the registration
- **Compliance monitoring** - We handle carrier policy changes
- **Support** - Help with registration and troubleshooting

### What You Pay

- **From $0.004 per SMS** - Carrier fees already included, no separate surcharge
- **$20/month on Pro** - Which comes back as $20 of monthly usage credit
- **TCR fees at cost** - $4 brand, $15 campaign ($2 for low volume), $10/month while active ($2 low volume). These belong to The Campaign Registry, not to us

### Comparison

| Cost Component | Traditional Provider | Zavu |
|----------------|---------------------|------|
| Base message fee | $0.0083 | 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:

```
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: ~$0.0083 + 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 pay:
- From $0.004 per SMS, carrier fees included
- TCR fees at cost, refunded if the carrier rejects the brand
- Phone numbers at cost

**Ready to start sending?** [Get started with Zavu](https://dashboard.zavu.dev) - we handle the compliance, you focus on building.

See also:
- [What is A2P 10DLC?](/blog/what-is-a2p-10dlc) - Understanding the basics
- [10DLC Registration Requirements](/blog/10dlc-registration-requirements) - Step-by-step guide
- [A2P 10DLC Guide](/a2p-10dlc) - Complete overview

**Need help understanding 10DLC fees?** [Contact us](/contact-us) or join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/ZxE8DYkveh) for support and updates.