What is Business Registration Number for Toll-Free Sender Verification?

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To keep messaging safe, trusted, and reliable for everyone, Toll-Free A2P messaging industry is making updates to the Toll-Free Verification (TFV) process. Starting on September 30th, 2025, customers can begin including their Business Registration Number (BRN) as part of the submission process. 

*Beginning January 2026, BRNs will be REQUIRED for all new TFN verification submissions.

Business Registration Number: A unique identifier assigned to a business by a government authority or regulatory agency to identify and legitimize the business is recognized and allow to operate within a specific jurisdiction. For example, in the U.S., most businesses are required to have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is a 9-digit number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) used for tax filing, business reporting, and other uses.

US-Based Organizations

• Required BRN: Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• The EIN must match the legal business name in your submission.
• If no EIN is available (e.g., a self-run business or sole prop with no employees), additional vetting will be required upon review. Approval is not necessarily guarantee if a business is classified as sole-proprietor.
  
  

Organizations Outside the US

• Provide your official business registration number as issued by a national or local business authority.
• You must also include:
  • Legal business name
  • Issuing country
  • Name of the registration authority

List of acceptable registration authority for BRNs:

• Canadian Business Number (CBN): is a unique 9-digit identifier assigned to your corporation by the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Québec Enterprise Number (NEQ): is a unique 10-digit identifier assigned to each business when registering with the Registraire des enterprises in Quebec, Canada.
• Company Registration Number (CRN): is a unique 8-digit identifier assigned to your business by Companies House in the United Kingdom.
• Goods and Services Tax (GST): is a unique alphanumeric identifier issued by the country's tax authority for collection of the tax. The format varies by country.
• Corporate Number (CN): is a unique 13-digit identifier assigned by the National Tax Agency to companies and other organizations registered in Japan.
• Business Registration Number (BRN): is an 8-digit identifier issued by Inland Revenue Department in Hong Kong. This can be found on the Business Registration Certificate, serves as proof of your business's legal status. It streamlines your tax and legal processes, establishing your organization’s legal status.
• Australian Company Number (ACN): is a unique 9-digit identifier assigned by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to every company registered in Australia. It is used to distinguish a company as a separate legal entity and must be displayed on certain official documents, invoices, and letterheads.
• Australian Business Number (ABN): is a unique 11-digit identifier that every business in Australia, no matter its size or structure, must have. This number is issued by the Australian Taxation Office and must be accompanied by a registered business name to identify and monitor a business for tax purposes.
• New Zealand Business Number (NZBN): is a unique 13-digit identifier for businesses in New Zealand. All businesses, government agencies and commercial entities...etc. in New Zealand must have a NZBN, regardless of the type of business structure and activities involved.
• Corporate Identification Number (CIN): is a 21-digit alpha-numeric number assigned to all Private Limited Companies, Person Companies, Government of India Companies, State Government Companies, Not-for-Profit, Nidhi Companies, and other entities registered in India.
• Value Added Tax (VAT): is a unique alpha-numeric identified consisting of up to 12 characters, that identifies a taxable person or business on consumable goods and services bought and sold within the European Union. Every EU country issues its own national VAT identification number, meaning businesses supplying goods or services in multiple EU nations may be required to apply for multiple VAT identification numbers.
  • Système d'Identification du Répertoire des Entreprises (SIREN): is a 9-digit identification code assigned to every registered business by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies in France.
  • Système d'Identification du Répertoire des Etablissements (SIRET): - is a 14-digit identifier (9 digits of the SIREN number + an additional 5 digits that represents the specific location or establishment of the business). Therefore, a SIRET number provides more detailed information about the physical location of the business in France.
  • Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (USt-IdNr): is a 9-digit identifier preceded by the prefix DE to businesses registered for VAT purposes in Germany.
  • Unique Identification Number (UID): is a 12-alphanumeric identifier beginning with the prefix "CHE", followed by 9 digits to identify businesses for VAT purposes in Switzerland.
  • Certificado de Identificación Fiscal (CIF): is a 9-alphanumeric (8 numbers and a letter) identifier to businesses registered for VAT purposes in Spain. In 2008, Spain officially replaced the CIF with the NIF for legal entities. Both are used interchangeably.
  • Número de Identificación Fiscal (NIF): is a 9-alphanumeric identifier (similar format as CIF) used to identify both individuals and legal entities in their dealings issued by Spanish Tax Agency or the tax authorities of Portugal.
• Registered Identification Number (RN): is a number given by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for businesses that manufacture, import, or sell textile, wool, and fur products in the United States covered by the Textile, Wool and Fur Acts. 
• Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS): is a unique 9-digit identifier for a business created by credit bureau Dun & Bradstreet. D-U-N-S Number have become the standard numbering system to identify business entities across the globe.
• Global Intermediary Identification Number (GIIN): is a unique 19-character identifier issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to financial institutions that have registered for the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The number is used for reporting purposes to identify financial institutions to the IRS and to withholding agents.
• Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica (CNPJ): is a unique 14-digit identifier issued by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) for businesses and other legal entities operating in Brazil.
• Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): is a 20-character, alpha-numeric code based on the ISO 17442 standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It connects to key reference information that enables clear and unique identification of legal entities participating in financial transactions and other official interactions.

Do I need to submit a new Toll-Free Verified Sender Form based on the new BRN requirements if my TFN is already verified?

• There is no need to re-submit a new form if your TFN has completed verification in the past with Sinch. Any new submissions going forward must follow the new requirements mentioned on Sinch’s online Toll-Free Verified Sender Form.

What is the benefit and purpose of providing a BRN?

• BRNs help reduce spam, improve message deliverability and build long-term trust across carrier networks by verifying that a brand is government-authorized, aligned with its campaign details, and comply with opt-in requirements and content policies.

Visit our 10DLC, Toll Free and Short Code Number Brand Identity Resources for a general reference on brand registration resources for A2P Messaging in North America.

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Unverified toll-free numbers (TFNs) and Pending Verification toll-free numbers (TFNs) are subject to industry-wide message blocking. Unverified toll-free numbers are TFNs that have not completed the toll-free sender verification process. Pending Verification toll-free numbers are TFNs where a verification request has been submitted, but the request is pending review and approval. 

Note: In the past it was possible to send messages from an Unverified TFN or Pending Verification TFN. However, as a result of industry-wide changes, all toll-free numbers, regardless of the use case, must be Verified to originate traffic.

UNVERIFIED toll-free numbers (TFNs) are subject to industry-wide message blocking, effective November 8, 2023.

PENDING VERIFICATION toll-free numbers (TFNs) are subject to industry-wide message blocking, effective January 31, 2024.

All toll-free numbers (TFNs) must be in a VERIFIED state in order to originate traffic.

Unverified TFNs and TFNs pending verification will be blocked with Sinch error code 64 “Blocked due to exceeded quota”. Please see Toll-Free Delivery Report Errors for a full list of Sinch Toll-Free error codes.