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The Campaign Registry (TCR) and Becoming a CSP

What TCR is

The Campaign Registry (TCR) is an industry body created by mobile carriers to combat spam. Before your messages can be delivered at scale via US long codes (10-digit local phone numbers), the brand sending them must be registered with TCR and the use case (campaign) must be approved.

The registry gives carriers a way to verify: who is behind this phone number, and what are they sending? Messages from unregistered or suspicious sources are increasingly filtered or blocked.

How Surge fits in

Surge is registered with TCR as a Campaign Service Provider (CSP) — an intermediary that helps its customers register brands and campaigns. When you submit a campaign through Surge, Surge submits it to TCR on your behalf.

From a practical standpoint, this means:

  • You manage everything through the Surge API and dashboard
  • Surge handles the TCR submission, status tracking, and communication with carriers
  • Your billing for TCR registration fees goes through Surge alongside your messaging charges
  • If there are carrier questions or changes needed, Surge routes that feedback to you

The alternative — registering as a CSP yourself — is described below, and Surge generally recommends against it for most customers.

Becoming a CSP yourself

If you're building a platform where thousands of your customers each send messages under their own brand, you may consider registering as a CSP directly with TCR.

What it means: You apply to TCR to become an independent CSP. After approval, you submit your customers' brand and campaign registrations directly to TCR rather than through Surge. You take on responsibility for compliance, TCR billing, and any issues with your customers' campaigns.

When it might make sense:

  • You have hundreds or thousands of distinct registered brands
  • You want to consolidate TCR fees and have a direct billing relationship with TCR
  • Your legal or compliance team requires direct regulatory responsibility

Why Surge generally recommends against it:

Going through Surge as your CSP is simpler in almost every respect:

  • API and dashboard integration. When you register through Surge, registration is part of the same API flow as messaging. Going direct to TCR means a separate integration with the TCR API and managing two systems.
  • Consolidated billing. With Surge as your CSP, all your costs appear in one place. As your own CSP, you pay Surge for messaging and TCR separately for registration fees.
  • Support. Campaign review feedback, carrier escalations, and status updates all flow through Surge's support team when you go through Surge. As an independent CSP, you deal directly with TCR.

If you're considering the CSP path, contact Surge support before you start. There are specific scenarios where it's the right choice, and support can help you evaluate whether yours is one of them.