The main difference is that SMS short codes (5-6 digits) are for high-volume, brandable marketing campaigns (promos, alerts) with fast delivery but high cost, while SMS long codes (10 digits, like normal phone numbers) are for conversational, two-way customer service and transactional messages, costing less and feeling more personal but with lower speed. Short codes excel at mass communication, while long codes offer personalized, localized interaction.
The main difference is that an SMS long code is a 10 digit number that can be used to send SMS messages, plus send and receive faxes or calls. SMS short codes are different because they are 5-6 digits and can only send and receive texts. Marketers today have more ways to reach customers than they ever have before.
A numeric sender ID used for text messaging containing fewer digits than typical phone numbers. Short code numbers have between three and seven digits. This makes them shorter than their ten-digit long code counterparts. Short codes were designed for high-throughput, two-way messaging.
Short Code Rules and Regulations
First, US and Canadian short codes have to be 5-6 digit phone numbers. Normal phone numbers are 10 digits by comparison, so they are genuinely much shorter. And there are often no dashes or parentheses, as you may see in personal and business numbers.
SMS short codes are five- or six-digit phone numbers that can be used to send and receive text messages. They're commonly used to send marketing messages, mass text notifications or alerts, and account verification codes.
Codes are five digits in length. Short codes will start with either a "3" or "4". For example, 34001 or 42001. Each short code or short code range (a range will generally be 34000 to 34009) are assigned specific tariffs or end user prices (EUP).
Companies use them to send alerts, promotional offers, or verification codes. For example, you might receive a message from a shortcode like “12345” asking you to confirm your account or offering a discount.
You can look up an SMS short code owner in the US short code directory. Click on the search icon and enter the short code to look up who owns it.
A short code costs $500 a month. Or if you want a custom number, it's $1,000. This fee is charged by the Short Code Registry, not Clearstream.
How to Use SMS Short Codes. To use a short code, simply create a new message, type the short code where you would normally add a 10-digital phone number, type your message, and send.
NOTE: SMS short codes can only be used for messaging within the country in which they are registered. They are not international.
Here are some common shortcode syntax errors on the [tribe_events] shortcode example:
How to Create a Shortcode in WordPress (In 7 Steps)
All short-code messaging must be controlled and vetted by a single entity, even if the messages are sent on behalf of multiple brands. Those of companies whose privacy policies mention sharing or selling end-user personal information for any purposes other than fulfilling services.
Android phones exclusively use SMS and MMS texting formats. These texting and messaging services come in almost all phone plans and don't count against your data plans.
Making the most of SMS
It is a reliable option for reaching people without relying on internet access, and it works across all phone types. However, it also comes with limitations, such as message length, a lack of media support, and higher costs in some cases.
TRAI had introduced the 100-SMSes a day cap to stop unsolicited and pesky text messages from telemarketers selling everything from real estate to weight loss solutions. The cap also put an end to subscribers using multiple SIM cards to send text messages without registering as telemarketers.
As mentioned earlier, U.S. mobile carriers charge message senders (like Text-Em-All) a fee for each SMS or MMS sent over their network. These are often called carrier fees or surcharges. They may only be fractions of a penny per message, but they do add up when you're sending at scale.
TextFree is a VoIP service that lets you chat for free from a real U.S. phone number. With TextFree web, you can send real SMS messages online from a bigger keyboard. In our mobile app, you'll find features such as calling, voicemail, MMS, group messaging, stickers and more.
Technically, you don't buy a dedicated short code, but you lease it from the Short Code Registry—an entity empowered by the carriers to maintain a single database of available, reserved and registered short codes. But provisioning your short code is easier than you think!
22395: MailChimp Verification. 32099: Facebook 2FA. 21523: Dancing with the Stars. 21015: CBS Radio Programming.
Brands use short code numbers to text updates, promotions, and reminders to their contacts at scale. There are two types of short codes: memorable and random.
People use short codes because they're fast, safe, and easy to remember. Businesses rely on them for sending text messages like sale alerts, appointment reminders, and verification codes. Since short code is already pre-approved by carriers, messages reach customers at high speeds with fewer delivery issues.
RCS is a type of mobile messaging, but it's more interactive, engaging, and secure than SMS. Watch the full video for everything you need to know about this “next generation” of text messaging. Sinch's Robert Gerstmann said that one of the potential powers of RCS is that it can replace apps altogether.