How to get a short code for texting: steps, fees and providers

A short code is the five- or six-digit number behind "Text JOIN to 55123." Brands use one when they need to send a lot of texts in a short window, run keyword programs on TV or packaging, or want a number that is easy to remember. Getting one is not like buying a phone number. You lease it from a central registry, write a program brief, and then wait for every major carrier to approve it. The approval alone often takes two to three months.

This guide walks through the process, the fees you should budget for, and how long each stage tends to take. It also covers the alternatives worth considering if the cost or the wait doesn't fit. We make Ready, and we don't lease short codes. We run on registered 10DLC numbers and iMessage blue lines. So the alternatives section shows our numbers, and we say where a short code is the better choice.

Do you actually need a short code?

Settle this before you pay for anything. A short code earns its cost in three situations:

• Burst volume. A short code has far more per-second throughput than a standard 10DLC campaign. A fresh 10DLC campaign runs at roughly 1 to 4 segments per second, and higher use-case tiers run in the tens. If you need hundreds of thousands of texts delivered within minutes, such as a flash sale or an emergency alert, a short code is the right tool.
• Keyword marketing at scale. "Text DEALS to 55123" is easier to say on a radio spot or print on a box than a 10-digit number.
• Daily volume above 10DLC brand caps. T-Mobile caps 10DLC brands at roughly ~2,000 to ~200,000 messages a day, depending on trust score. Short codes don't work under that cap structure.

If you send a few thousand texts a week, mostly one-to-one or to an opted-in list, a short code is probably more than you need. Skip ahead to the alternatives.

Step 1: pick random or vanity

You lease every US short code from the Common Short Code Administration (the registry at usshortcodes.com). You have two options:

• Random: the registry assigns the digits. It costs less and works fine for alerts and transactional programs.
• Vanity: you choose the digits, often to spell a word or form a pattern. It costs more, and it's worth it mainly when people need to remember the number from an ad.

You can search the registry first to see whether the vanity code you want is free.

Step 2: choose a provider (connection aggregator)

The lease only gives you the right to the digits. You still need a messaging provider with carrier connections to provision the code, file the carrier application, and carry your traffic. Most large CPaaS vendors and dedicated short code aggregators do this. Compare them on:

1. Who writes the program brief. Some providers draft it for you. Others hand you a form and leave you to it.
2. Setup fees. Some charge a one-time provisioning fee on top of the lease. Others fold it in. Ask for the number in writing.
3. Per-message pricing after launch, which you pay in addition to the lease.
4. Migration terms. Check that the code is leased in your name, so you can move it to another provider later without starting over.

Step 3: write the program brief

This document decides whether carriers approve you. They review it closely, and vague answers lead to rejection. Expect to provide:

• Use case, in one or two specific sentences. "Order and delivery notifications for customers of [brand]" is good. "Marketing" on its own is not.
• Call to action: the exact wording and placement a person sees before opting in, with screenshots or mockups.
• Opt-in flow: the keyword or web form, plus the confirmation text, which must include program name, message frequency, "Msg & data rates may apply", and HELP/STOP instructions.
• Sample messages that match what you will really send.
• HELP and STOP responses, word for word.
• Privacy policy and terms URLs that are live and mention the SMS program.

The consent wording carries the same weight here as it does in 10DLC registration. The phrases that get a 10DLC campaign rejected will get a short code brief rejected too. Our post on opt-in wording that clears registration applies almost word for word. If your program is keyword-driven, how text-to-join works covers the reply flow carriers expect.

Step 4: carrier review, testing and launch

Your provider submits the brief to the carriers. Each carrier reviews it separately and on its own schedule. The timeline below is a common estimate, not a guarantee:

If a carrier rejects the brief or asks a question, the clock usually restarts for that carrier. After launch, carriers audit live programs. If your messages drift from what the brief describes, the code can be suspended.

Step 5: budget for the real cost

Short code leases are priced by the registry, and the rates change, so check the current rate card. The U.S. Short Code Registry lists a random code at $500 a month and a vanity code at $1,000 a month. The registry usually bills in quarterly or longer terms, so you pay several months up front. Then add:

• Any provider setup fee, which varies widely
• Per-message fees from your provider
• The internal time to write the brief and build the opt-in flow

That means a random code costs $6,000 a year in lease fees before you send a single message. Our short code cost breakdown covers these line items in more detail.

Alternatives if budget or speed rules it out

10DLC: the default for most businesses

A registered 10-digit number covers most business texting. On Ready, registration happens in the app, and most approvals take 2 to 7 days. There is no setup fee. You pay $25 at submit for the first month, and after that the monthly cost is the $10/mo brand fee, the $20/mo campaign fee, and $2 per number. You can send up to 500 texts a month before you register, at the normal per-text rate.

Worked example (assumptions stated): one number, a 20,000-contact opted-in list, one 140-character message with no emoji (1 segment each), sent once a month on Standard:

• Messages: 20,000 × $0.0075 = $150, plus 20,000 × $0.0045 carrier fee
• Registration: $25/mo for registration and $2/mo per number
• That total excludes the compliance surcharge: TCPA/DNC scrubbing and landline validation are $0.003 extra per segment each, and both are off by default.

For comparison, a random short code lease alone is $500 a month, before provider fees. The tradeoff is speed of delivery. At an assumed 4 segments per second, 20,000 segments take about 83 minutes to send. A brand at the lowest T-Mobile trust tier (~2,000 a day) would also have to spread that send across days. Brand vetting ($79 Standard / $179 Enhanced, one-time) can raise the daily cap if it moves you into a higher tier, but it doesn't change the per-second rate. If a 90-minute send window is fine for you, 10DLC works. If you need the whole list reached in five minutes, it doesn't.

For the case against skipping registration altogether, see is A2P 10DLC required. Unregistered traffic gets filtered by carriers.

Toll-free numbers

Toll-free texting falls between 10DLC and short codes. It has a separate verification process, a national-looking number, and no 10DLC brand caps. Our guide on how to get a toll-free number covers the steps.

Blue line (iMessage)

If you're texting people you already talk to, a Ready blue line sends as iMessage, so the text shows up blue on iPhones with your business name and photo. It needs no 10DLC registration. It costs $99 a month per line plus 6 cents a segment. Replies are also 6 cents a segment, and reactions are free. Each line can start up to 50 new conversations a day, so it suits conversations, not bulk sends. Campaigns still go from regular numbers. The docs are at docs.tryready.com/guides/imessage.

Quick comparison

The practical takeaway

Get a short code if you truly need burst throughput or a memorable keyword for national ads, and if you can budget for the lease plus roughly a quarter of lead time. Write the program brief carefully, because a vague brief is the main cause of delay. Lease the code in your own name.

If you're not sure you need one, start on 10DLC. You can be sending in days, and your volume data will tell you whether a short code is worth it later. You can create an account to register in the app, or check the per-segment card on our pricing page first.