DLT Registration Process for Bulk SMS
As per TRAI (TCCCPR 2018) rules, every entity must complete DLT Registration — also known as Entity KYC — before it can use SMS services. Entity registration, sender ID registration, and template registration are all mandatory before any SMS can be sent.
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is a blockchain-based registration system implemented by TRAI to stop spam SMS and control hacking. Entities that want to send SMS must register under DLT with the proper documents. The complete process has three mandatory steps.
Step 1 — DLT (Entity) Registration
Register your business on the operator DLT portal and complete Entity KYC.
How it works
- Fill the registration form and upload the required KYC documents.
- After the documents are approved, you will receive a 19-digit Entity ID along with a username and password at your registered email address.
- Start registration by selecting Enterprise, then follow the remaining steps by filling in the required information and uploading the required documents.
DLT registration portals (select your operator):
Step 2 — Header / Sender ID Registration
Create sender IDs and take approval from the operator. Headers are of two types: Other and Promotional.
Service / Transactional Header
Comes under Service — Implicit or Explicit. The header must match your entity name.
Promotional Header
Comes under promotional headers with numeric IDs. Depending on the category, the header starts with a number 0–9.
Step 3 — Template Registration
Templates are of two types: Content and Consent. Content can be approved as Service Implicit, Service Explicit, or Promotional.
Template types
- Content Template — can be a Service or Promotional template.
- Consent Template — different from a content template. For sending Service Explicit and Promotional SMS, customer consent is required; these kinds of SMS can only be sent to data captured with customer consent.
Approval categories
- Service Implicit — transaction-type content such as OTPs, alerts, notifications, and mandatory SMS can be approved under Implicit.
- Service Explicit — take consent approval first, then content approval. SMS can be sent only to customers who have provided consent to receive all kinds of SMS from a particular entity — for example new products, services, or due-payment reminders.
- Promotional — similar to Service Explicit, but SMS is delivered to non-DND numbers only, with a numeric sender ID only. Operators do not provide DLR reports, and these SMS work only between 9 AM – 9 PM.
Fixed and dynamic templates
- Templates are of two types: Fixed and Dynamic.
- Variables can be added in a Dynamic template. Variable length is up to 30 characters.
- Templates registered/approved on the DLT platform must carry the brand name / entity name / trade name.
- Templates without any of this information are considered invalid and will be rejected.
Do's & Don'ts
Guidelines that keep your DLT templates approved and your SMS delivery on track.
Do's
- Link the sender ID to the template while creating it.
- For regional-language templates, copy & paste the content as-is.
- For a new line, type
\n.
Don'ts
- Don't use a double space while creating a template.
- Do not edit a variable once it has been selected.
Important — before you send
- After approval, make sure your Entity ID, Sender IDs, and Templates are uploaded properly in your SMS application.
- Always test before sending SMS to customers.
Need help with DLT registration?
Duotech handles entity registration, sender IDs, and template approvals end to end — so your bulk SMS goes live without the paperwork.