Answers

How much does A2P 10DLC cost?

Three layers stack: one-time brand registration and vetting fees, recurring per-campaign monthly fees, and per-message carrier surcharges that scale with volume and rose again in 2026. The headline SMS price per message is never the real price. The full itemized 2026 cost model, with per-scenario totals, is published in The State of B2B iMessage report.

The per-message surcharges are the layer that compounds: they sit on top of whatever your SMS provider charges, they differ by carrier and campaign type, and at real outbound volume they quietly become the largest line on the bill. The itemized model, one-time and recurring, is in the report, free to reuse with attribution.

To price your own program rather than a generic one, the A2P cost calculator takes your monthly volume and returns the stacked total, registration through surcharges, using the 2026 rates.

The comparison point: iMessage carries none of this layer, because it does not travel carrier SMS routes. No registration fees, no campaign fees, no per-message surcharges; the trade is a platform subscription instead. What that costs is a different question, answered at How much does iMessage outreach cost?

Updated August 10, 2026