Understanding your Sender ID options

Understanding your Sender ID options – Australia

Alpha Sender IDs – No Replies

This is a business name, brand or word, that appears in place of a phone number as the Sender ID. It offers instant brand recognition but only allows one-way messages – recipients cannot reply to messages sent from an Aplhanumeric Sender ID.

Alpha Sender IDs can include letters, numbers and spaces. 11 character max.

We generally only recommend considering this option for things like reminders and alerts where you do not need to worry about receiving opt-outs or replies.

Pros:

• Branded experience for users

Cons:

• Users cannot reply to the message
  If your message is commercial or marketing, you must provide a valid opt-out method in the body of your message as recipients cannot simply reply to opt-out. See Opt Out Link

NOTE: In accordance with local legislation, all Alphanumeric Sender IDs are submitted to touchSMS for review before they are allocated to your account for sending. Your Sender ID request can take up to 24 hours for approval.

Virtual Numbers – Replies and Text In enabled.

These are mobile numbers used purely for sending SMS and receiving SMS/MMS. This approach is perfect for businesses wanting an ‘identity’ by way of a unique mobile number and is highly recommended for customers with larger databases, as well as those looking to send messages to their contacts regularly.

NOTE: touchSMS offers both Standard and Call Forward Virtual Numbers. Learn more.

Pros

• Virtual numbers are for your exclusive use and are not shared with any other customers.
• The recipient receives your message from the same number each and every time
• Forward inbound messages to additional Email Addresses
• Forwards inbound messages to URLs
• Forward inbound SMS/MMS to another mobile number
• Forward inbound calls to a landline or mobile of your choice (Call Forward numbers only)
• Set up Auto Replies
• Set up Keywords to trigger specific messages
• Customers can ‘Text In’ to initiate communication.
• Ask recipients to save your Virtual Number in their address book

Cons

• Virtual Numbers come at an additional cost – $15 per month for Standard Numbers and $30 per month for Call Forward Numbers.

To purchase a Virtual Number, login to touchSMS and select VIRTUAL NUMBERS, then click ORDER NUMBER.

Shared Local Number – Replies Only

In some regions, we are able to provide a FREE option for receiving replies to messages sent from touchSMS. To do so we allow users to send from a pool of virtual numbers that change dynamically. Each time you send a message using the Shared Local Number option, the system will randomly select one of these numbers to send from. This approach is perfect for low-volume users (less than 500 messages per month) or perfect for one-off larger sends.

Pros

• Use of our Shared Local Number is free.
• Receive replies or opt-outs back to your touchSMS account for basic processing.

Cons

• The number pool is shared with many of our small clients, and there is a small possibility that your recipient may receive a message from one of our other clients on the same number.
• You will not get the same number each time you send, so if you are sending messages on a regular basis, your recipients will end up receiving messages from different Sender IDs each time.
• Shared Numbers do not have enhanced reply management options, such as Keywords & Auto Responders.
  Contacts cannot Text In – only reply to a message you send

Own Number – Outbound Only

In some regions, you can send SMS using your verified mobile number as the Sender ID. Any replies to messages sent this way will be directed to your mobile phone – touchSMS cannot intercept replies to your verified mobile number.

Numbers must be verified using the 2FA process before they can be added as a sender ID option.

Pros

• Get replies to your message.
• Recipients receive your message from the same number each time you send

Cons

• Replies are not received to your touchSMS account
• Opt-outs must be managed manually by you.