Sole Proprietor vs Standard Brand
Choosing the right brand type decides how many campaigns you can run and how much you can send. Here is how to pick the right one.
Which Brand Type Fits Your Business?
Who can register as a Sole Proprietor?
Individuals or businesses in the US or Canada that do not have a business tax ID such as an EIN. A business with an EIN must register as a Standard or Low Volume Standard brand.
What are the Sole Proprietor limits?
One campaign, the Sole Proprietor use case only, and one 10 digit number per campaign. Volume is limited to 1,000 segments per day to T Mobile.
How is a Sole Proprietor verified?
A code is sent to a real US or Canadian mobile number and must be confirmed within 24 hours.
What does a Standard brand allow?
Standard brands need a tax ID such as an EIN, can run up to five campaigns per brand, and get a daily volume set by secondary vetting.
Can I switch later?
Moving from Sole Proprietor to Standard needs a new profile, brand and campaign, so it helps to choose correctly from the start.
What Is a Sole Proprietor 10DLC Brand?
A sole proprietor 10DLC brand is the A2P registration type for an individual or unincorporated business without a Tax ID (EIN). It is verified through the person’s own details instead of an EIN, it is limited to one campaign and one 10DLC number, and it carries lower daily volume. It is meant for direct customers only, not for platforms registering on behalf of others.
A standard brand, and its low-volume variant, is for any business with an EIN. It is verified against the IRS record, can run up to five campaigns per brand, and gets higher volume, which depends on its vetting score.
Sole Proprietor vs Low-Volume Standard vs Standard
The three brand types differ mainly in the Tax ID requirement, how many campaigns and numbers you can use, and daily volume. As reported by Twilio for messages to T-Mobile, sole proprietor brands get about 1,000 message segments a day, low-volume standard up to 2,000, and standard from 2,000 upward depending on the trust score.
| Point | Sole Proprietor | Low-Volume Standard | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax ID (EIN) | Not used | Required | Required |
| Campaigns per brand | 1 | Up to 5 | Up to 5 |
| 10DLC numbers | 1 | Multiple | Multiple |
| Daily volume to T-Mobile | About 1,000 segments | Up to 2,000 segments | 2,000 upward by trust score |
| Secondary vetting fee | No | No | Yes ($41.50 on Twilio) |
Volumes are as reported by providers and change with carrier rules. Fees are on our A2P 10DLC fees page.
Which Brand Type Should You Register?
Register as a sole proprietor only if you truly have no EIN and are texting your own customers at low volume from one number. If the business has an EIN, including any LLC or corporation, register a standard or low-volume standard brand. Using the wrong type is a common rejection: an LLC name on a sole proprietor brand returns code 30915.
- No EIN, one person, one number: sole proprietor.
- EIN, small volume: low-volume standard (no secondary vetting fee).
- EIN, growing volume or several campaigns: standard, with secondary vetting.
- Agency registering clients: each client registers as its own brand.
If your brand was already rejected, see brand identity rejections. For the full field list, see 10DLC brand registration.
Sole Proprietor and Standard Compared
Based on Twilio’s published A2P 10DLC rules.
Tax ID
Sole Proprietor: no EIN. Standard: EIN required.
Campaigns
Sole Proprietor: one. Standard: up to five per brand.
Numbers
Sole Proprietor: one number per campaign.
Volume
Sole Proprietor is capped low. Standard scales with vetting.
We Register the Right Brand Type
We confirm which brand type fits and handle the full registration.
Share Your Details
Send us your business details, website and how you text customers.
We Prepare and Submit
We write your brand and campaign and submit them to The Campaign Registry.
Carrier Review
Carriers review your campaign. Most reviews take a few business days.
Get Approved
Link your numbers and start sending compliant texts.
Any Brand Type, One Flat Price
Complete A2P 10DLC verification, done for you. $50 for one business, $399 for ten.
Single Verification
$50
per verification, paid once
For one business that needs carrier approval to text its customers.
- Brand registration with The Campaign Registry
- Campaign registration with use case and sample messages
- Opt in, privacy policy and STOP and HELP review
- Fixes and resubmission until approved
10 Verification Pack
$399
10 verifications, $39.90 each
For agencies and multi location businesses verifying several brands. Just $39.90 per verification.
- Everything in Single Verification
- 10 verifications for your clients or locations
- $39.90 each instead of $50, you save $101
- Fixes and resubmission until each one is approved
Registration and carrier fees are charged separately by your SMS provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an LLC register as a sole proprietor for 10DLC?
No. Sole proprietor registration is for individuals and unincorporated businesses without an EIN. An LLC or corporation should register a standard or low-volume standard brand, and using a company name on a sole proprietor brand is rejected with code 30915.
How many numbers can a sole proprietor campaign use?
One 10DLC number. Twilio registers a single number on a sole proprietor campaign, and extra numbers stay unregistered and return error 30034. Businesses that need several numbers should register as a standard brand.
Is low-volume standard cheaper than standard?
Usually, because low-volume standard brands skip the secondary vetting fee that standard brands pay. The trade-off is a lower daily volume cap, so choose standard if you expect to grow past it.
Can I switch from sole proprietor to standard later?
Yes, by registering a standard brand with your EIN once you have one, and creating campaigns under it. Plan for a new review, since the standard brand and its campaigns are vetted separately.
Not Sure Which Brand Type You Need?
Tell us about your business and we recommend the right one.
