(Hint: Have Your EIN Form Ready)
When you’re close to critical mass for your opt-in list(s), register your brand with The Campaign Registry (TCR) via your Communications Service Provider (TCR does not accept direct registrations). Like Commio, most CSPs are directly linked to TCR.
Enterprise (any registered business): You will need your Employer Identification Number ( EIN) and the exact legal name and address listed on your EIN form (IRS form SS-4 CP 575) with the IRS to register, because that is how TCR confirms your identity. Since this is an automated process, even the slightest variation will result in a rejection. The good news is that because it’s automated, registration is almost instantaneous.
Unverified Status: If your brand is rejected as ‘unverified,’ ensure your company information is an EXACT match with your EIN before resubmitting. If necessary, make edits to your brand information and resubmit; the system will automatically re-review your submission. Note that an EIN is exclusive to a brand and cannot be used for multiple brands. If you feel you have an exception, please speak with your CSP’s Support team. (Note: If your primary business registration is in Canada, please enter your Canadian Corporation Number, which may be federal or provincial.)
Sole proprietor: If you are a sole proprietor and don’t have an EIN, you can still register your brand. But, you’ll need to ensure that your CSP is equipped to send your information to TCR. Start by contacting your CSP’s support team.
Agency: When a campaign is submitted, the brand submitting it and the message content need to align; so if you’re a marketing or advertising agency handling campaigns for a client, you need to register your client’s brand—not your own. If, for example, the message cites Smith Plumbing Services, the brand should also reference Smith Plumbing Services, not the Garden State Marketing Agency. This also means you’ll need to acquire an exact copy of your client’s EIN information (see “Enterprise”).
If your client has worked with other agencies and they’ve already registered your client’s brand, you need to register it again to send the client’s campaigns. If the brand has already been vetted, you can fill out the “Vetting Partner – Vetting Identifier” section which allows TCR to check with a 3rd party vetting company to retrieve and apply their vetting score.
Franchises: Per TCR, this use case is for companies that either have independent agents under the brand’s umbrella, or for franchisees to fall under the corporate parent franchise company—i.e., those who share a single EIN. It allows a brand to create a national corporate campaign where all of their franchisees or agents can participate. This use case should be requested from the corporate office of the brand, not by a franchisee or agent of the company. If the franchisees have their own EINs, they should handle their own campaigns. Your CSP can provide more guidance.
Throughput
Once your brand is registered, you will be assigned a level of throughput (i.e., how many messages you can send within a timeframe). In most cases, this level is adequate. If you feel you need a higher level, you can request an external vetting. The Campaign Registry utilizes a couple of companies that will do a deeper background check of your brand, business age and size, etc., plus any previous messaging history or violations. This may or may not result in increased throughput.
See also: Introduction | Planning | 10DLC Infographic | Building Opt-in Lists | Registering Your Brand | Writing Your Message(s) | Registering Your Campaign(s) | Reviewing Campaign Success
