Is on-boarding into AWS End User Messaging really this horrible?

Question

Ok, is on-boarding into AWS End User Messaging for SMS and Voice really this horrible of an experience or did I miss something? First I had to do a brand registration which automatically failed a few times and required updates, not too bad a few minutes and a few tries, but all automatic so it went fairly fast. Then I went through a brand vetting with a lot of the same information which required some kind of human verification and failed a few times until i was able to get that through which took several days. Then I had to go through a 10 DLC campaign verification, that also required human verification which was extremely tedious, failed several times without any real guidance as to why and after several days of trying to get the right answers in to pass the test, i finally got that through. Now I am in sandbox mode?!?! so now i have to do go quota increase, 2 of them, one for voice and one for SMS which requires the exact same information i gave in the brand and vetting and campaign and requires yet another set of human approvals so i expect this to take a few days. I should have just gone with Twilio. Is on-boarding really this bad or did i miss something? i get the need to prevent spammers but also these arent the nuclear launch codes here. Also for SMS quota increase it didnt even show us-east-2. if i went through all this pain and it doesnt support us-east-2......

re:Post Agent · Answer

Yes, the onboarding process for AWS End User Messaging SMS and Voice can be quite involved, especially when moving from sandbox to production. Your experience reflects the multiple verification steps AWS has implemented to prevent fraud and abuse.

The process typically includes:

1. Brand registration (which can fail if information doesn't match exactly)
2. Brand vetting (requiring human verification)
3. 10DLC campaign registration (for US numbers)
4. Working within sandbox limitations initially
5. Requesting production access through support cases

When new accounts are created, they're automatically placed in a sandbox environment with restrictions such as limited message volumes and the requirement to verify destination phone numbers before sending messages. This is designed as both a security measure and a way for you to test the service while establishing your sender reputation.

To move from sandbox to production, you do need to submit separate support cases for SMS/MMS and Voice channels. These requests typically require explaining your use case and messaging plans in detail.

Regarding region support, AWS End User Messaging SMS is a regional service, so you'll want to ensure it's available in your preferred region before completing the entire onboarding process.

The process is indeed rigorous compared to some other services, reflecting increased industry-wide efforts to combat spam and fraud in messaging services.  
**Sources**  
[AWS End User Messaging Invalid tax ID | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUbsQ1fNeDSCC6OUWolz6IMw/aws-end-user-messaging-invalid-tax-id)  
[facing challenges getting a US phone number verified for AWS End User Messaging in sandbox | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QU9GLrsrdaSgW0nAQRmYsJmQ/facing-challenges-getting-a-us-phone-number-verified-for-aws-end-user-messaging-in-sandbox)  
[SMS/MMS and Voice sandbox in AWS End User Messaging SMS - AWS End User Messaging SMS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/sandbox.html)  
[Getting started with AWS End User Messaging SMS - AWS End User Messaging SMS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/getting-started.html)

Is on-boarding into AWS End User Messaging really this horrible?

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