The TCR trust score is the reputation number attached to your 10DLC Brand after secondary (external) vetting. You will also see it called the A2P vetting score or the 10DLC brand score; all three names describe the same thing. Carriers and Campaign Service Providers (CSPs) use it, with your Campaign use case, to decide how much traffic your Brand can send. MyTCRPlus is an independent 10DLC compliance diagnostic platform: it is not a CSP, does not send SMS, does not assign official scores and is not affiliated with The Campaign Registry.
Short answer: Your score comes from an external vetting partner reviewing your business identity and reputation. It mostly affects throughput and access to some special use cases. You raise it by making your legal name, EIN, address, website and public footprint consistent, then requesting a re-vet through your CSP. Extra phone numbers do not raise it.
Three Names, One Score
| Term you see | Where it appears | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| TCR trust score | CSP portals, carrier documentation, forums | The vetting result attached to a registered Brand |
| A2P vetting score | Vetting partner reports, some CSP dashboards | The same number, named after the vetting step that produces it |
| 10DLC brand score | Agency and ISV dashboards | The same number, named after the 10DLC Brand it belongs to |
Basic Brand registration (identity verification) is a different step. A Brand can be verified and still have a low score if it was never sent to secondary vetting, or if the vetting partner found weak signals.
How the Score Is Set
- Brand registration. Your CSP submits the legal name, EIN, entity type, address and website to The Campaign Registry. Automated checks compare these against tax and registry sources.
- Secondary vetting. If you or your CSP request it, an external vetting partner reviews the Brand more deeply and returns a score. CSPs sell this as Standard, Enhanced or similar products; ask yours for the current price rather than relying on figures from blogs.
- Score attached to the Brand. The result is stored with the Brand. Some CSPs let you import an existing vetting result when you move providers.
- Carriers apply it. Carriers combine the Brand's score with the Campaign use case when setting limits. Each carrier applies it differently.
See TCR vetting process and brand trust scores for the full vetting walkthrough and what brand and campaign registration actually reviews.
What the Score Controls
- Throughput. Higher-scoring Brands are generally eligible for higher message limits. Limits differ by carrier and change over time, so confirm current caps with your CSP.
- Some special use cases. Certain Campaign types require secondary vetting before they can be registered.
- Review friction. A low score on its own is not a rejection reason, but weak identity signals often appear alongside Campaign problems.
What it does not control: whether your Campaign content is approved. Campaign review checks your use case, samples, opt-in flow and privacy policy separately. A high score does not fix a vague message flow.
Signals That Lower a Score
- Legal name on the registration does not match IRS records (CP 575 or 147C letter) character for character.
- Website is missing, parked, behind a login, or does not name the business.
- Address is a virtual office or does not match public listings.
- Business email uses a free mail domain instead of the website domain.
- Very new business with no public footprint yet.
- Inconsistent DBA usage across the website, registration and messages.
How to Raise Your TCR Trust Score
- Align identity first. Make legal name, EIN, address and phone match your IRS letter and state filing exactly.
- Fix the website. HTTPS, the legal business name, a physical address, a contact page, a privacy policy with an SMS section, and terms.
- Use a domain email for the Brand contact.
- Request a re-vet or appeal through your CSP with documents (IRS letter, state registration, utility bill for address) after the fixes are live.
- Re-check before resubmitting. Run the TCR Trust Score Preflight Simulator and the Brand Consistency Checker to find mismatches first. The simulator estimates; it does not produce an official score.
For controllable and uncontrollable factors in detail, see improving brand score in TCR, and for how scores map to limits over time, trust score evolution and message limits.
When a Low Score Is Fine
If you send low volumes (appointment reminders for one location, order updates for a small store), a modest score may never limit you. Paying for enhanced vetting makes sense when you hit throughput limits, need a use case that requires vetting, or run high-volume marketing.
What Vetting Partners Look At
Secondary vetting partners do not publish their scoring formulas, but their reviews draw on the same categories of public evidence. Knowing them tells you where to focus:
| Signal category | What it typically includes | What you control |
|---|---|---|
| Identity match | Legal name, EIN, entity type and address against IRS and state records | Copy identity exactly from your CP 575 or 147C letter |
| Business standing | Active state registration, time in business | Keep filings current |
| Web presence | A live website on your domain that names the business and describes its services | Fix parked, placeholder or login-only sites |
| Contact consistency | Phone, address and email consistent across website, listings and registration | Use a domain email; align listings |
| Reputation | Public signals such as listings and reviews | Keep listings accurate; respond to issues |
| Messaging history | Complaint and opt-out patterns on existing traffic, where available | Run clean, consented programs |
Trust Score and Throughput: How Limits Work
Carriers translate your Brand's vetting result and your Campaign's use case into limits. The details differ by carrier and change over time:
- Some carriers set a daily message cap per Brand that rises with the score tier.
- Others meter messages per minute by Campaign class.
- Some rely mainly on content filtering rather than fixed caps.
Two practical consequences follow. First, unvetted or low-scoring Brands start at the lowest tier, which is enough for many small programs but not for large marketing sends. Second, adding phone numbers does not raise limits, because limits attach to the Brand and Campaign. Spreading traffic across numbers to get around limits is snowshoeing, which carriers prohibit. Ask your CSP for the limits that apply to your Brand today.
Standard vs Enhanced Vetting
CSPs sell secondary vetting under different product names. The common distinction:
| Standard vetting | Enhanced vetting | |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | Automated review of identity and public signals | Deeper review, sometimes with manual checks and documents |
| Typical use | Raising limits for most businesses | Brands with weak public footprints, appeals, or special use cases |
| Cost | Lower one-time fee | Higher one-time fee |
| Result | A score attached to the Brand | A score, often with more detail behind it |
Prices change and differ by CSP, so get a current quote. If your first result is low because of an identity mismatch, fix the mismatch before paying for enhanced vetting; a deeper review of inconsistent data rarely helps.
Appealing a Low Score
- Find the cause. Ask your CSP for any feedback attached to the vetting result. Identity mismatches are the most common.
- Fix the record. Correct the legal name, address or website so they match your IRS letter and state filing.
- Gather evidence. IRS letter, state registration, a utility bill or lease for the address, and screenshots of the website.
- Submit the appeal or re-vet through your CSP with the evidence.
- Wait and confirm. Ask your CSP how long the review takes; see how long TCR vetting takes.
Score Scenarios
Dental practice, 3 years old, clean website. Identity matches; the practice sends a few hundred reminders a day. A modest score is enough and enhanced vetting is unnecessary.
E-commerce brand planning large promotional sends. Identity matches, but the default tier limits daily volume. Paying for vetting to reach a higher tier makes sense before a major campaign.
New LLC with a placeholder website. Low score driven by weak web presence and a new entity. Build out the website and contact details first, then re-vet; paying for enhanced vetting before that wastes money.
Brand registered with a trade name instead of the legal name. Verification fails or the score is low. Correct the legal name from the IRS letter, then re-vet.
Monitoring Your Score Over Time
Your score is not permanent. Rebrands, address moves, website changes and changes in messaging behavior can all affect future vetting. When anything in your identity changes, update the Brand through your CSP, keep your website consistent, and consider re-vetting if your limits no longer fit your program. Pair score checks with regular TCR health checks.
Trust Score for Agencies and Platforms
Agencies and software platforms that register many client Brands see the full range of scores. A few practices keep results predictable:
- Collect identity documents at onboarding. Ask each client for their IRS letter and confirm the legal name before you register anything.
- Check websites before registration. A client with a placeholder site will score low; fix it first.
- Register each client as its own Brand under its own EIN. Do not register clients under the agency's Brand.
- Track scores by client so you can explain limits and plan vetting purchases.
- Re-check after client changes such as rebrands or moves.
See A2P compliance platform for agencies.
Trust Score vs Campaign Approval
Teams often confuse the two because both happen during registration:
| Trust score (Brand vetting) | Campaign approval | |
|---|---|---|
| What is reviewed | The business identity and reputation | The specific messaging program |
| Main inputs | Legal name, EIN, address, website, public footprint | Use case, samples, opt-in flow, privacy policy, terms |
| Result | A score that affects limits | Approved or rejected |
| Common fix | Align identity data, then re-vet | Rewrite opt-in, samples and policies, then resubmit |
A Brand with a high score can still have Campaigns rejected, and an approved Campaign can still be limited by a low score. Work on both. See TCR campaign approval and A2P SMS denied.
Before You Pay for Vetting
Run through this list first:
- [ ] Legal name and EIN match your IRS letter exactly
- [ ] Entity type matches IRS and state records
- [ ] Website on your own domain names the business and shows contact details
- [ ] Business email on that domain
- [ ] Address consistent across website, listings and registration
- [ ] No old or duplicate Brands registered for the same business
If any item fails, fix it before you buy vetting. Then run the TCR Trust Score Preflight Simulator to estimate where you stand.
Related Tools and Guides
Use the Brand Consistency Checker to compare identity fields, the TCR Trust Score Preflight Simulator to estimate score risk, and the brand vetting guide for what each vetting step controls.
FAQ
What is a good TCR trust score?
There is no universal cutoff that applies to every carrier. Higher is better for throughput; ask your CSP which tiers apply to your Brand today.
Is the A2P vetting score the same as the TCR trust score?
Yes. Both names refer to the score a vetting partner returns for your registered Brand.
What is a 10DLC brand score?
Another name for the same vetting score, used mostly in agency and software dashboards that manage many Brands.
Does adding more phone numbers raise my limits?
No. Limits follow the Brand and Campaign, not the number count.
Can I see my score before registering?
No official score exists before vetting. A preflight simulator can estimate the identity issues that typically lower a score.
How long does vetting take?
It varies by vetting product and CSP. See how long TCR vetting takes.
Disclaimer
Informational only, not legal advice. Scores, tiers and fees are set by vetting partners, CSPs and carriers and change over time. MyTCRPlus does not assign official TCR scores.