Frequently Asked Questions

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Expand the Batch SMS menu item by clicking on the downward arrow to the right of Batch SMS.


3. Click Templates.


4. Click Create New Template (see screenshot 1).


5. Add a Template Name (see screenshot 2).


6. Enter an Originator (who the sent message appears from), this can be a name (11 alphanumeric characters) or a number (16 digits).


7. Message Encoding determines what character set you wish to send messages in. Latin Alphabet (GSM-7) covers languages such as English, French and German. Other Alphabets (UCS2) cover languages such as Russian, Greek and Arabic, where the character set is completely different. You will need to convert messages into UCS2 yourself if necessary, and enter this in the message body for it to be delivered in the correct language on the handset.


8. Enter your message in the Text box.


9. Click Save Template.

Create:

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Click Address Book.


3. Click New Address Book (see screenshot 1).


4. Add an Address Book name. Click Next.


5. Select the columns you would like to include in your Address Book, this will depend on the data you have available to you and will allow you to include any uploaded data in your messages (see merge fields and screenshot 2). Click Next.


6. Review and Complete.

1. Click the Address Book you’d like to populate.


2. Click New Entry (see screenshot 3).


3. All Address Book entries must include a Name and Number (MSISDN)


4. Select Entry Type:
   
   
   
   1. Single – allows you to add entries individually.
   
   
   2. Upload File – allows you to upload a list of numbers.
   
   
   3. SFTP – allows you to connect a server to upload numbers programmatically.
   
   
   
   


5. If you have chosen Upload File or SFTP you will need to complete the INPUT FILE CONFIGURATION section.  Add a comma in the Separator field and select MSISDN in Column 1 and Name in Column 2.


6. Proceed to Summary, check and Complete.


7. This Address Book will now be available to send to in the Batches section.


8. You can create filters to segment your data (see screenshot 4).


9. Add the values you want to filter by and click Apply filters (see screenshot 5).


10. Click Save as new filter.

1. You will need to purchase an inbound SMS number to receive replies, please contact your Account Manager for details on how to do this.


2. Once an inbound SMS number has been configured on your account, you will be able to see replies in the ‘SMS response service’ tab.


3. An auto reply message can be set up to reply to any inbound messages received, your Account Manager can help you set this up.

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Expand the Batch SMS menu item by clicking on the downward arrow to the right of Batch SMS.


3. Click Single SMS.


4. Enter the recipients number, this must be in international format (447887123456).


5. Enter an Originator (who the sent message appears from), this can be a name (11 alphanumeric characters) or a number (16 digits).


6. Message Encoding determines what character set you wish to send messages in. Latin Alphabet (GSM-7) covers languages such as English, French and German. Other Alphabets (UCS2) cover languages such as Russian, Greek and Arabic, where the character set is completely different. You will need to convert messages into UCS2 yourself if necessary, and enter this in the message body for it to be delivered in the correct language on the handset.


7. Enter your message in the Text box.


8. Click Send Now.

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Expand the Batch SMS menu item by clicking on the downward arrow to the right of Batch SMS.


3. Click Batches.


4. Click the New Batch button to launch the wizard (see screenshot 1).


5. Complete the required fields, you can upload numbers from a file, or select a list from your address book. Click Next and then Next again when it’s confirmed that your address book / file upload has been successful.


6. Compose your message: you can use a Template, set an Originator (who the sent message appears from), use Merge Fields if uploaded, and set a time and date if you want to schedule the message to be sent later. (see screenshot 2). Click Next.


7. Preview your message to ensure you are happy with it, and that there are no spelling or formatting mistakes. You can send a single test message to check this by entering a number to see how it will appear on the handset. Click Next.


8. Check all the details are correct, tick the acknowledgement box then click Complete to send or schedule your batch (see screenshot 3).

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Expand the Batch SMS menu item by clicking on the downward arrow to the right of Batch SMS.


3. Click Batches.


4. Click the New Batch button to launch the wizard (see screenshot 1).


5. The file uploaded or the Address Book selected must have merge fields. Click Next.


6. Compose your message using the merge field chips on the right hand side of the message body box to insert the unique information into your message (see screenshot 2). Click Next.


7. Preview your message to ensure you are happy with it and that there are no spelling or formatting mistakes. You can send a single test message to check this by entering a number to see how it will appear on the handset. Click Next.


8. Check that all the details are correct, tick the acknowledgement box then click Complete to send or schedule your batch (see screenshot 3).

1. Open Excel or an equivalent spreadsheet application.


2. Cell A1 must always read Number, if you are uploading further merge fields please provide headings for each column in cells B1 to T1, depending on how many you require.


3. If you are uploading to an Address Book you must add Name in cell B1 alongside Number.  This column must be populated.


4. Input your data under the appropriate heading, numbers must be in International format without a + or leading zeros (447887123456).


5. Ensure column A is formatted as Number and any decimal places are removed, if this column is formatted in any other way it will not upload (highlight the numbers > right click > format > numbers > ensuring decimal = 0).


6. Save as a .CSV file, this can be done by using ‘Save As’ and selecting .CSV in the file format drop down box.

1. You will need to purchase an inbound SMS number to set up subscription services, please contact your Account Manager for details on how to do this.


2. Once an inbound SMS number has been configured on your account, you will need to set up an address book and enable SMS subscriptions.


3. Single and double opt in options are available, your Account Manager can help you set this up.

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Expand the Batch SMS menu item by clicking on the downward arrow to the right of Batch SMS.


3. Click Batches.


4. Here you will see all the Batches you have sent, click the icon under the Actions column for information on individual batches sent (see screenshot 1).


5. You can Export sent messages to view individual delivery status, or click Details to see an overview including delivery rate (see screenshot 2 & 3).

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Click SMS Response Service and then Create New.


3. Add a Name and click Add Keyword.


4. Click Create New Master Keyword and add your keyword in the master keyword field.


5. Click Add Keyword.


6. Set the Validity of the service, if you do not have an end date in mind please chose a date far in the future.


7. Click Next.


8. Setup a Reply message, if you require one. This will automatically be sent as a reply to any inbound messages received and will be chargeable at your agreed price.


9. Check the details on the Summary page, Confirm and Complete.

1. Launch Connect from your Sinch SMS Portal.


2. Expand the Batch SMS menu item by clicking on the downward arrow to the right of Batch SMS.


3. Click Batches.


4. Click the New Batch button to launch the wizard.


5. Complete the required fields, you can from a file, or select a list from your address book. Click Next and then Next again when it’s confirmed that your address book / file upload has been successful.


6. Receive replies:
   
   
   
   1. Receive replies, Yes. This will select a UK number that will enable a reply.  You can view these replies in the Batches section by clicking the icon in the Action column and selecting Received replies.
   
   
   2. Receive replies, Using keyword. This will allow inbound messages to be received to our shared inbound number (447717990000) if the message starts with your keyword.
   
   
   
   


7. Compose your message. You can use a Template or Merge Fields if uploaded, and set a time and date if you would like to schedule the message to be sent later. Click Next.


8. Preview your message to ensure you are happy with it – be sure to check for spelling and formatting mistakes. You can send a single test message to check this by entering a number to see how it will appear on the handset. Click Next.


9. Check all the details are correct, tick the acknowledgement box then click Complete to send or schedule your batch.

When you initially sign up for an account with us you get some free credit to test our system. You cannot change the message on this text, it is set to a standard sample message to discourage fraudulent use of the free credit we provide. If you would like to get in touch to discuss testing the system for a potentially large account, this is something we can look at on a case by case basis, but as a general rule, once the test credit is used up you will need to pay for all messages sent.

If you are sending very large batches of mission critical messages we can in some cases increase your throughput. Please contact your Account Manager to discuss.

When you sign up online for an account with Sinch you will be given some test credit to allow you to start sending messages immediately. Any test messages you send will feature the sample text that we have put together – this is due to historical fraudulent use of the test credit. As soon as you add more credit to your account, you will be able to send messages with more personalized content.

Sign up for your account here to get started.

No. Sinch keep message logs for 14 days, but messages sent on Connect are stored permanently. If you are using an API, it’s your responsibility to retrieve and store delivery reports as required.

Yes, it is possible to send a message to more than one country at a time, you just need to ensure that when you upload the international numbers, you have the appropriate country code in front of each number so that they can be routed correctly.

Please be aware that as messages are charged per network / destination, costs may vary on messages sent internationally, take a look at our SMS product page for more information.

The short answer is no.

Sinch offer an optional dynamic sender ID which enables customers to set the number shown on the receiving phone as their company name (to increase brand awareness, recognition and improve trust) or their company number if they choose to, but if someone receives a message and they want to trace who sent it to them, their provider will only be able to trace it back as far as Sinch.

When you send a text or SMS to another country, the cost depends on whether the phone you are texting is in another country roaming, or if it originates from the country being texted. There is no extra charge to send a text message to a phone that is roaming in another country, but if the SIM originates in another country charges will apply.

SMS (text messaging) or MMS (multimedia messaging) has the potential to benefit your business in many ways – from communicating special offers or events to your customers to managing employees and rescheduling appointments. Open rates on text messages are extremely high, so if you’re looking to increase customer engagement, messaging is definitely worth exploring.

Using an SMS (or text messaging) application is easy. Sinch can help you set it up and we have technical support that can help you with every step along the way.

Sending messages to increase engagement is just as easy. With SMS on your side you’ll be enjoying open rates of over 90% (source) via a medium that rarely leaves your customers side, so you can be sure that offers, discounts, invites, reminders, notifications etc. are delivered and acted on.

Yes; two-way messaging is possible through the rental and use of a virtual number. However, not all destinations support the ability of two-way messaging.

Please contact your Account Manager to determine whether or not your targeted destination supports two-way SMS.

Delivery receipts are information packets that have been generated by the handset. If the handset is not equipped to show the message, but has received the signal from the sender, an issue can arise where you can receive a successful delivery receipt, but it has not been fully received. In this case your recipient may never have seen the message. This is particularly common with older handsets where the memory is not enough to display the message in its entirety.

This problem can be investigated further by our support team, so if you believe this is happening submit a ticket and we will investigate the issue further for you.

When faced with a choice between SMS (short message service / text message) and MMS (multimedia message service), it depends what kind of message you are planning to send. If you are planning on only sending text or links to websites, then SMS is the way to go. If you plan on sending images, video or audio files then MMS would be a more appropriate route.

Take a look at our SMS and MMS product pages for more information on how these types of messaging can be used.

Open rates on a text message are very high – amongst the highest open rate for marketing / promotional material at over 90% (source). If you are hoping to engage your customers better and increase response rates, considering text messages is definitely worthwhile.

Find out more about text messages on our SMS product page.

MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service, a richer form of SMS which allows you to communicate with customers using not only text but also video, audio and images so that you can take a more integrated approach to campaigns.

For more information on MMS, take a look at our MMS product page.

You might see the PTT Error Code 23 (Absent Subscriber) in one of your delivery reports. This means that the number you are sending to no longer exists – so it could be wrong, fake, or old and now out of service.

The PTT Error Code is a permanent code, meaning that sending a message to the same number again in the future will result in the same outcome. So it’s best practice to remove these numbers from your database to ensure you have a correct and up-to-date list of numbers.

SMS stands for Short Message Service, more commonly known as text messages. Most smart phones support this hugely popular method of communication – billions of SMS messages are sent every day (source).

For more information on SMS messages, take a look at our SMS product page.

Features and restrictions of mobile messaging vary around the world depending on regulations, routes used and operators. We monitor the features we can provide to our customers, to give you a better idea of what features you can use in each particular destination.

Short Message Service (SMS) is the telecommunications industry term for a text message or short message of up to 160 characters in length which is sent by mobile devices, smart phones etc.

SMS is the acronym for Short Message Service, more commonly known as text messages. Text messages are messages of up to 160 characters in length sent via smart phones, mobile phones or tablets. Messages of more than 160 characters can be sent, but these will be sent as multiple messages concatenated to appear as one message, for which you could be charged more.

For more information on our SMS products, visit our SMS product page.

One of the things that makes us a leader in the mobile messaging market is our vast amount of direct connections. Over the years we have built relationships with suppliers and operators that allow us to reach all four corners of the globe. Serving over 200 destinations and thousands of networks, we are confident we can get your message to your audience, today.

There a large number of reasons why a message may not be delivered immediately. A full list of reasons can be found in our API Reference. But in our vast experience, the top 3 reasons for a message failing are as follows:

• The mobile handset is switched off or out of coverage, and the message expires before it is delivered. This is fairly typical failure if someone goes on vacation and leaves their mobile turned off


• The number you are sending to has been incorrectly formatted, does not exist or is a fixed line number. Check the number carefully


• There is an issue with the network at that moment or a network is imposing a curfew (typically at night), if this consistently happen then you should contact support

Each destination has its own particular rules and regulations regarding what type of sender ID can be used. Restrictions are put in place by Carriers and can result in some message sender IDs being overwritten or failing. In some destinations sender IDs also need to be pre-registered to be accepted by the carrier.

If you are experiencing any issues with sender IDs please contact your Account Manager. We monitor network restrictions and can assist you with ensuring your messages are delivered.

SMS can be integrated with any existing app (or application) via HTTP, REST or SMPP. Please see our technical documentation for more information on our APIs and how they can work for you.

A cloud service is a service provided to clients on demand over the internet from the cloud computing provider’s servers (hardware). This removes the need for a client to have their own on-premise servers to host and run the software. A cloud based SMS service is what Sinch offers, the services are accessed through our APIs and Web Tools.

Creating your own SMS application is simple using the Sinch cloud based SMS service, you can try our Web Tools and APIs – they’re easy to use and there is always expert help at hand if you need it. Sign up and get started today.

For more information on the cloud SMS services that Sinch offer take a look at our SMS product page. For more in depth detail check out our powerful APIs, or if you prefer to manage your SMS online, take a look at our Connect Tool.

The difference between A2P and P2P messaging is that A2P refers to messages for business use, sent from a company to a consumer, whereas P2P is personal messaging.

A2P messages can be sent in large batches by companies using webs tools or APIs integrated with their internal systems, and P2P messages are sent as individual messages to friends and family using a handset or messaging app.

Setting up the campaign flow will require making API calls from the client system to Sinch. This will most likely require the client to use their development resources to enable the sending and receiving of SMS messages from the client system to the mobile handset.

Once the campaign has been submitted and the development work is complete, the carriers will begin the provisioning process, where they enable the Short Code on their system for traffic. The campaign flow submitted will then be exercised and tested, from end to end. Once the campaign has been validated, meaning actual end to end testing, the campaign will be approved to be ran on the specific associated Short Code. Once this has been completed, both Sinch and the client will be notified that the campaign has been approved.

The US Campaign Management tool allows you to create and submit your messaging campaign for approval by US carriers. In the US, campaign approval is required before sending and receiving SMS A2P messages on a short code.

To access the Campaign Manager tool, login to the web portal and select, ‘Campaign Management’. Follow the step by step instructions on providing complete details of the campaign then submit it to Sinch, we will review the campaign order before submitting it to each required carrier.

Once submitted, status updates and approvals will be sent by email. Status information is also accessible online and can be viewed in the Campaign Management tab of the customer portal.

When you sign up online for an account with Sinch you will get some test credit immediately. You can use this credit to test the service we provide. Due to fraudulent use of this credit in the past, you can now only test our service by sending the standard sample message we have created. Once you add more credit to your account you are free to personalize messages as you wish.

Sign up for your account to get started.

Unfortunately we had a handful of people abuse our free trial, so we had to make changes to resolve this. The text you see in your free trial of the Connect web tool is unavailable for editing, but you will be able to send this pre-programmed message to multiple numbers and see how the service works. Once you make your first payment you will be able to edit the content to whatever you require.

For most countries you will only need a Long Number or a Short Code if you wish to engage in two way interactions with your customers. If you do not wish to engage in a two way dialogue then in most countries you can simply set the Sender ID (Originator) to something Alpha Numeric using your brand name e.g. ‘Sinch’.

In some countries however, notably the USA and Canada, a Short Code or Toll Free Number is required regardless of whether you want to engage in a two way dialogue, as alpha numeric SenderID’s are not supported. For more information about which countries require a Short Code or Long Number please review our comparison table.

Sinch can assist in obtaining a short code in many countries. For the USA we recommend you go directly to the US Common Short Codes and obtain their short code. Once the short code has been leased the short code and the associated campaign(s) can be submitted for carrier approvals.

For short codes in other countries, please contact your Account Manager.

No, each mobile network operator has their own HLR which they maintain and refer to. Our HLR and MNP services provide a single point of access to all relevant databases to perform searches.

You can perform HLR Lookups to confirm details on mobile numbers via our HTTP API. If you are integrating with an existing application or you can perform HLR searches via an easy to use web based application.

When you perform an MNP lookup or check you will be provided with information on which network a mobile phone is using. This information can be used by telecom companies to ensure customer bills are accurate.

You can perform a phone number check / lookup by connecting directly to the Sinch gateway via our HTTP API, or you can use our simple web based interface – either route will result in an effective HLR or MNP lookup.

HLR lookups can be performed via our easy to use web based application or via our HTTP API.

The Home Location Register (HLR) helps to validate mobile numbers by providing a search facility enabling numbers to be checked to see if they are active, and to find out which network they are operating on.

Each network operator has their own Home Location Register to which they refer and are responsible for maintaining.

Our HLR service will provide the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) address that is currently serving a mobile number. This is useful for identifying numbers roaming in another country as well as identifying the foreign network that a number is logged onto.

HLR stands for Home Location Register. The Home Location Register is a database of subscriber information for a mobile network. The database holds information on whether a mobile number is valid, its roaming status, porting information and network details. When you perform an HLR lookup, you are accessing this register to check details on mobile phone numbers.

Primarily, performing an HLR lookup search will let you know whether or not a mobile phone number is active. For businesses updating their records, this can help to clean up databases and delete numbers that are no longer being used, resulting in cost savings by ensuring only valid numbers are targeted. HLR is also used to identify the current network that a mobile number belongs to for accurate billing and routing of SMS or voice calls, and identifying whether a mobile number is roaming abroad.

An MNP lookup will provide current network information for a mobile phone as well as previous network information, if the number has been ported from another network.

An HLR lookup will provide you with details on the status of a mobile phone number – whether it’s active or inactive, if it’s roaming and which network the number is assigned to. An MNP lookup will only provide details on which network the number is assigned to.

HLR and MNP are two different kinds of databases. MNP stands for Mobile Number Portability and HLR stands for Home Location Register. The HLR databases hold information on mobile phone status in terms of network, roaming, validity of the number and whether or not it has been ported from another network. The MNP databases hold information purely on which network a phone is subscribed to.

Multimedia Messaging or MMS holds many advantages for your business when it comes to communicating with customers. From confirming appointments to advising when packages will be delivered, inviting customers to events and helping with technical support, MMS can deliver an improved customer experience over the purely text based SMS. With options to send videos, images and audio, all of which enables you to put your brand in front of customers using a medium they are very familiar with – the ubiquitous mobile phone, MMS offers the opportunity to grab attention and increase engagement.

Find out more about what MMS can offer by visiting the MMS product page.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is an extension to the more commonly used text message or Short Message Service (SMS). With MMS you can send up to 40 seconds of video, one image, audio files or multiple images in slideshows. MMS gives the user increased opportunities to put their brand in front of customers and to use more integrated marketing campaigns to build brand awareness and increase engagement.

For more information on MMS, take a look at our MMS product pages.

Multimedia Message Service, or MMS messaging is an enriched form of SMS (text messaging) enabling you to send audio, video and images to customers to improve user experience, heighten integration of marketing campaigns and increase engagement.

To find out more about MMS take a look at our MMS product page.

We use the Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP).

We use iSAC (Internet Speech Audio Codec). This is a flexible codec which adapts the voice quality to the quality of the network currently used. A good connection results in HD voice quality.

Yes. If you have your own version of WebRTC already used in your application, please contact us to discuss how to proceed.

Yes. Our iOS SDK does now support Apple’s 64-bit architecture for successful submissions to the app store.

The Sinch SDK will use P2P for the voice stream when possible. The ICE standard is used for NAT traversal. If a P2P channel is not possible (for example when both sides are behind a symmetric NATs) the voice channel will fall back to Sinch media proxies. Approximately 70-75% of the calls made with the SDK can be expected to go over P2P, while approximately 25-30% of the calls can be expected to go through servers. This is due to firewall restrictions.

No, we use a proprietary signalling protocol.

Sinch powers all kinds of applications, from MVP prototypes to successful and widely used applications. Our services scale on-demand and ensure you a high availability at all time.

There is currently support to mute the input via com.sinch.android.rtc.AudioController on Android, and SINAudioController on iOS. Sinch does not support muting the output; it can only be done by the user via silencing their volume.

No, we do not currently expose this information. This functionality will be part of our REST APIs.

If you’re having problems with message delivery, there are a few key things you can try to troubleshoot the issue:

Receiving Number – Is it a valid number, is it formatted correctly, does it include the international country prefix?

Do you have any credit? The amount of credit you have remaining is displayed in your account. Ensure you top credit up if necessary to ensure all messages requested are sent.

Did the SMS successfully reach our gateway? Do you have a ‘Sent’ status on the Connect delivery report? Did you receive acknowledgement from our servers that we accepted your message? If not, there could be an issue on your side that needs checking.

Am I sending with the correct username and password? You are provided with a specific username and password for each service you add to your account. All SMS messages should be submitted using these credentials, not your main account username and password.

Our Technical Support Team are always available to help, simply log into your account and submit a support ticket.

When choosing the type of number for your messaging service, it is important to consider the differences between them and how each type match with your needs. In the table below, we have summarized the most important differences between numbers in the US market.

Voice gives your users more reasons to engage with your app and other app users. Enable your users to call mobile and landline phones in 200+ countries, capitalize on growing data plans, and expand your user base.

Voice calling keeps users engaged with your app for longer and enables you to collect call metadata to better understand user behavior within mobile apps. Other use cases include making calls to your customer support team from within the app or the ability to make calls outside of the app for user acquisition.

SIP Trunks are an application layer protocol which facilitate two way conversations or multiple people on a conference call to communicate via audio or video over an IP network.

Performing a Home Location Register (HLR) lookup or check gives you the most up to date information on your subscribers. A HLR check will let you know if a number is still active, if it’s correct, as well as what network the number is assigned to, if the number is roaming and if the number has been ported from another network.

This information results in more accurately targeted messages being sent, reduces costs associated with failed messages and costs passed on to roaming customers who may get additional charges if they receive messages while they are roaming.

HLR data can be used to reduce costs by ensuring that you only send to valid numbers, thus improving delivery rates and response rates. It can also be used to detect network information for routing and billing purposes.

The HLR (Home Location Register) is a set of databases maintained by MNOs that contain all the mobile phone numbers across the world. You can access these databases through one single point of entry using the Sinch HLR product.

A HLR lookup will give you information on the numbers you hold in your database – whether or not the number is correct, if it is active, which network it is on and whether or not the number is roaming. Checking these things on a HLR lookup means that you are only contacting active numbers and so will only be charged for messages that are received, plus you can also take people off the list who are roaming, so that they are not charged for receiving messages whilst abroad, potentially causing annoyance.

You can use the HLR (Home Location Register) to check if a mobile phone number is roaming. A HLR report will tell you which country the phone is in so that you can remove it from your database for a particular mailing if required. HLR brings great benefits when it comes to location / roaming information as if someone will be charged for receiving your message whilst they are in another country, it might be best practice to remove them.

When you perform a HLR (Home Location Register) request you get very specific information on a mobile number – whether or not the number is accurate, if it is active, if it is roaming, which network it is currently subscribed to, where the customer is located and if the number has been ported. This information can be invaluable when planning messaging campaigns, in terms of keeping costs down, targeting accurately – why pay to send messages to numbers that are inactive or incomplete? and keeping customers happy – why should they pay to receive a message from you whilst they are roaming? Having accurate network information also means that numbers can be billed and routed accurately.

The Sinch HLR (Home Location Register) can make a real difference when it comes to sending well targeted, effective messaging campaigns. Cleaning up your database to make sure that it only contains properly formatted numbers means that no budget will be wasted by sending messages out to customers who will never receive them.

If you perform a HLR (Home Location Register) lookup or check before sending out an SMS campaign, you can clean up your database to get rid of incorrect, inactive and incomplete numbers to make sure that you are not wasting money sending messages that will never be received.

HLR can also be used to find out where people are located, and if they are roaming abroad, it’s probably best to remove roaming customers from the distribution list to avoid them receiving unwanted charges.

Performing a HLR (Home Location Register) check will give you valuable information on your database subscribers. A HLR status report will let you know if numbers in your database are accurately formatted (i.e. if there are any numbers missing), if they are active, what network the user is subscribed to and if the number is roaming in another country. This information can prove invaluable when trying to keep campaign costs down – there is no point in sending messages to invalid numbers.

Phone Number Checker or the HLR or MNP products from Sinch offer the ability to look up numbers and check whether or not they are correctly formatted, what network they are assigned to, if the number has been ported and if the user is roaming, they can let you know the phone’s location.

Keeping your database up to date and ensuring that it only contains valid and correctly formatted phone numbers can result in cost savings as you will be charged for sending to numbers, even if they are not valid.

Performing an MNP (Mobile Number Portability) lookup will provide information on which network a mobile number is associated with. It will also let you know if the number has been formatted correctly and if the number has been ported, it will also let you know which network the number was ported from. Having correct network information means that calls can be routed and charged accurately and it enables numbers to be ported effectively between networks.

MNP (Mobile Number Portability) checks allow you to lookup numbers and check which network they are assigned to. MNP lookups can be used to check that numbers are valid and to enable database cleaning, they can also be used for real-time validation for online forms.

Essential information to get you started

Step 1 - Verifying Your Account

Step 2 - From Testing to Sending

Step 3 - Billing

Step 4 - Adding APIs

Step 5 - Support

With the text-to-speech REST API, you can trigger a call to be placed to a fixed or mobile phone number and play a synthesized text message. View the documentation on the Sinch website for information on how to start coding.

Our online tools make sending SMS online easy – simply upload the numbers you’d like to contact, type the message that you’d like to send and then send bulk SMS in seconds.

Sending SMS online is easy using the Sinch Connect web tool.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) works by allowing users to send text, images, video clips and audio clips to each other on MMS compatible mobile phones.

Users can create a Multimedia message by taking a photo with their mobile phone camera and storing it on their phone, or by downloading images, videos etc. from the internet and saving them on their phone to send via apps like WhatsApp, iMessage or Skype. Users can send MMS via SMS channels like a regular text message but they may be charged more for them.

From appointment reminders and sending tickets to customer service and banking, text messages or SMS have a very wide reach of applications in the commercial world. People are familiar with text messages; billions of messages are sent every day and it’s a means of communication that is becoming more and more popular for businesses.

In the battle between SMS and email, SMS is the clear winner when it comes to speed, accuracy of delivery, engagement and open rates. If that’s not enough to convince you, think about how many people worldwide own a mobile phone (billions) and then how many of those phones are always in reach (almost all of them).

Then think about how many emails automatically end up in the trash or spam folder, and how quickly your inbox fills up with emails that just never get seen, then you get a better idea as to why SMS has so much more to offer than emails when it comes to catching your customers attention – basically people see them and read them.

All messages sent via SMS (text messages) are delivered quickly – in seconds and that’s regardless of whether you’re sending one message or thousands of messages.

The benefits of sending SMS are many and varied:

High open rates
Increased engagement
Low cost
Ease of access
Take a look at our SMS Product Page for more details on the benefits that sending SMS can offer your business.

A slow message can cost 42% more

Using SMS (text messages) to become an effective text marketer is simple. Thanks to Sinch’s straightforward online web tool, all you need to do is upload your list of phone numbers, write your message and you’re done. To use SMS effectively, think carefully about what information you include.

One text message is 160 characters long, you can use as many characters as you like in a message, it will be concatenated and sent as one message but if you go over 160 characters you will be charged for 2 messages, so keeping it short and sweet is the key. Short messages are also better to keep customers interested in what you’re saying. Think about using links in your messages, sending people to your social media sites or websites ensures that they can get all the information they need if they are interested.

Including a strong call to action is a good way to get customers to engage – a money off code that they have to show at check-out is a sure way to track how many people have responded to your message. Experiment to see what works with your customer base, feel free to take a few ideas from us in our industry guides and use case pages.

MMS messaging is better than SMS messaging when you want to enjoy increased opportunities to communicate your brand, and send more interactive content to your customers. With the ability to send audio, images and short video clips, MMS can become part of an integrated marketing campaign to help raise awareness of and trust in your brand, ultimately resulting in increased engagement and a higher return on investment.

Sending texts in bulk is easy with the Sinch Connect web tool. Connect allows you to upload CSV files of your phone numbers, type your message and then send to tens or thousands of people as necessary, all in seconds.

The main difference between these two sender types is how they’re intended to be used. Long Codes were designed to support P2P (Person to Person) messages – with a relatively low throughput of messages. Short Codes (SC) were designed to support A2P (Application to Person) bulk, higher throughput messaging – this a preapproved route, which eliminates filtering.

Over time, demand for and use of messaging channels has changed. A2P messages are being sent on Long Codes, and some Short Code based campaigns support P2P like experiences with the application only hosting the consent and communication experience. The carriers have stepped in to get better control of the traffic on their networks in effort to increase security and deliverability.

10DLC is the acronym assigned to the carrier sanctioned long code traffic. It stands for 10 Digit Long Code, often referred to as a Long Number.

Some SMS messages need to be delivered immediately to be of any use, so low latency is particularly important here. Use cases like 2 factor authentication, banking or ticketing applications are good examples of SMS messages where an instant delivery is important to the end user - they may well need to take action as a result of receiving the SMS message, chances are they're probably waiting for it to arrive - so speed is of the essence. If a customer doesn't get their expected SMS within a time frame they feel is acceptable (usually around 11 seconds), they'll most likely request another message which results in a higher cost for your business in the long run.

Low SMS latency results in lower cost and higher customer satisfaction - by connecting directly to the carrier network Sinch bypass needless delays that naturally occur as you transit other networks.

Regular WhatsApp is designed for friends and families to stay in touch, chat, share images, videos and generally be social with each other either on a one to one basis or in a group situation.

WhatsApp business has been designed for businesses to connect with customers in a similar, but more formal and controlled way. While the interface is the same for the end user (businesses can send videos, photos, links etc. too), businesses must first create a WhatsApp business profile, get verified by WhatsApp and obtain opt-in from customers before they can send any messages.

Also, business messages for WhatsApp are template driven - any template used needs specific WhatsApp approval before content can be sent. This strict WhatsApp business account verification process helps builds trust and security in the community, ensuring customers feel safe in the knowledge that they're chatting with a genuine business rather than being spammed or defrauded.

All types of businesses can use WhatsApp business to start conversations with customers, no matter where they are in the world. A few markets already reaping the benefits are:

Travel agents – booking confirmations, updates

Ride hailing – connecting with drivers

Retail – keep track of orders, after sales engagement

Food delivery

Airlines – send timely flight information and documents

Finance – instant updates on transactions in real time

Mobile messaging via WhatsApp business offers many advantages to the businesses that choose to use it. Clearly the most obvious ones being reach and engagement. With 1.5 billion people around the world already using the WhatsApp platform it’s a bit of a no brainer. And when it comes to engagement, the delivery, open and conversion rates are off the chart.

But what else is on offer? Check out this list of benefits that WhatsApp business boasts:

Trusted – Your customers are already using WhatsApp, so you’re not asking them to download a new app, or learn to use a new platform – it’s something they already have in their life and are most likely using on a daily basis to talk to the people that matter to them most, their friends and family.

Secure – The WhatsApp business API has been developed to be secure for everyone – protecting businesses and end users alike. With steps in place to make sure message templates are approved before sending, that messages are encrypted from end to end and that there’s no duplication of phone numbers or accounts to cause confusion – it’s a safe place to be.

Relevant – No one wants information about football when they’re only interested in motorsport, which is why opt-in is a strict requirement for any messages sent on the WhatsApp platform. Getting opt-in means that all messages sent are relevant, it also results in a reduction in spam reports and annoyed customers.

Immediate – When that phone beeps, buzzes or pings you just have to look at it – there’s no escaping the fact that it demands instant attention. And it’s that reaction that can be leveraged when you put WhatsApp business to use. Customers respond to their mobile phone, it’s an extension to who they are and it’s always close at hand.

Rich – Let’s face it, when it comes to a simple notification you’re hard pushed to beat the good old text message, but what happens when that doesn’t cut it? When you want to include a photo or a video in the message, something that really speaks to your customer and starts a conversation - it has to be a rich message, and that’s exactly what WhatsApp business accounts can offer.

Conversational – WhatsApp is built for conversation, so when you’re looking to ‘speak’ to your customers it clearly has the upper hand. Built in indicators (the tick system) mean that you can easily track the status of messages and even see when a reply is being typed, perfect for starting a two way, interactive conversation and keeping it going!

Short codes, short numbers or campaign shortcodes are network specific access codes used for sending and receiving messages (both SMS and MMS) between consumers and companies. Short codes are shorter than a normal mobile phone number and usually consist of four to six digits, depending on the country.

The reason why short codes are popular is because they're memorable and so are easier to enter into a phone. They can also spell out memorable brand names (phone words) (e.g. 1-800-468-5865 for 1-800-GOT-JUNK), so the short number could be something like 485865 (GTJUNK).

Short codes are typically country specific i.e. you need a short code per country and they rarely overlap across countries (Ireland and UK and some countries in Latin America for example are the exception). In some cases, short numbers are specific per operator, which can be difficult to market across the entire country but this is relatively rare.

In some countries using a short code Sender ID is mandatory, e.g the USA, many parts of LATAM, so as to ensure the identity of the message sender is known at all times for compliance reasons.

In some countries before a message can be sent to a subscriber, an Opt-in MO message must be sent first.

Similarly, in order to comply with local regulations in some countries certain keywords must be supported e.g. STOP, INFO, HELP

There are a number of different attributes of a short code you need to be aware of:

Shared vs. Dedicated
A shared short code can be shared with other content providers. Keywords are used to differentiate traffic.

Random vs. Vanity
Premium vs. Non-Premium (or Standard Rate)
Free-to-End User (or FreeText)
Test vs. Production (or Live)
A test short code can be used to prove the application works as it should and supports integration activities with the SMS provider. There are messaging caps to how many messages can be sent via this route.

A few things to remember about short numbers:

They will only work on local domestic phones of the country of the short code, even while roaming abroad, e.g. a UK subscriber, traveling in Sweden will be able to send a text message to a UK short code, but not a Swedish one and vice versa.
In general short numbers are more expensive than long codes and take longer to setup and provision, but due to their short length are popular for interactive mobile campaigns.
A few technical bits

When submitting a short code Sender ID via SMPP (and some others), you need to remember to set the correct Source TON and Source NPI settings.

By using an additional layer of security (a second factor), customers can be protected from fraudulent attempts to access their online accounts. When customers trying to log-in to an account need to provide further proof of ID in addition to a password, things can get a bit more difficult for people trying to access accounts unlawfully. Someone may have figured out your password, but do they have the mobile phone that the PIN number will be texted to, or the ID card to swipe and complete the second factor required to gain access?

That’s how 2FA (two factor authentication) can protect sensitive information – you need to have both factors to get access, knowing or having one is not enough.

Two Factor Authentication (2FA) is used to heighten security by adding an additional layer of security to verify identity and prevent fraud. One of the most popular ways to perform 2FA is to have a single use, time sensitive PIN code sent to a users mobile phone. Having passed the first level of security, when prompted, the user puts the PIN code from their mobile phone into the system they are trying to access, thus proving that it is in fact them attempting to access their account.

When it comes to 2FA, SMS has one main advantage over Google Authenticator – market penetration. Two factor authentication (2FA) via SMS can be received by any SMS enabled handset, but as Google Authenticator requires a smartphone it is not achieving maximum penetration.

No. In order to provide the highest deliverability and verification success rates, Sinch sender IDs are pre-registered for each market. This ensures that your verification SMS will not be confused as marketing or spam with carriers across the globe, and reach your users without fail. You can find additional information on setup in our documentation.

Two Factor authentication is a great way to confirm user ID. There are so many scams and fraudulent attempts to access accounts these days that introducing a second factor to verify identity just makes sense.

2FA pairs something a user knows, with something they have – for example, a password with a mobile phone or a token, key fob or ID card. It’s the second layer of security that ensures the account is not being accessed fraudulently, if someone does not have the mobile phone that receives the PIN code via SMS then they should not be accessing the account and so will be denied.

Two Factor authentication or 2FA is easy to use with SMS (text messages). The theory behind 2FA is that 2 things have to be combined to authenticate someone’s identity. Something the customer knows i.e a password has to be combined with something they have i.e. a phone.

The overwhelming majority of people these days have a mobile phone that is capable of receiving SMS, and bearing in mind that mobile phones are rarely more than an arm’s length away, what better way to reach people in an immediate fashion. Sending a single use, time sensitive text message to confirm a customer’s identity could be the difference between someone’s account being compromised and remaining safe.

The two factors that can be used in Two Factor Authentication (2FA) must be a combination of something you know and something you have. So, for example when accessing your online bank account, you might be prompted to input your password (something you know) and then you might be sent a one-time PIN code to your mobile phone (something you have) to verify your identity and complete log in.

Other things that could be used to verify identity include things like key fobs, ID cards or security tokens.

Telephone number masking increases privacy and security for businesses and customers by anonymizing phone numbers used during calls. Masking phone numbers with a virtual number protects personal information as well as revenue, keeping all calls on platform.

Personalized Messaging offers the ability to deliver dynamic personalized video, audio, text and images directly into the hands of your customers via their mobile phone. Combining messaging and personalization gives you the power to connect with your audience on a 1:1 basis in ways that prioritize relevance and strengthen relationships.

From new product introductions, special offers and coupons, to onboarding experiences, demos, calendar invites, bill payments and more – personalized messaging gives you the opportunity to tailor messages to suit each and every one of your customers individually.

Mobile marketing is marketing delivered on, or to a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, smartphone or tablet. Mobile marketing takes advantage of the native features of the mobile device, such as location services, portability, timeliness and personalization. Mobile marketing can be delivered in several forms to the mobile device including mobile-optimized web ads, SMS, MMS and OTT, which encompasses push notifications and in-app messaging.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is an extension to the Short Message Service (SMS) or text message. SMS limits the amount of text characters you can use per message to 160 characters – you can of course use more than 160 characters in SMS if you wish, but you will be charged for more than one message if you do. MMS messages can include more than 160 characters as well as an image plus video or audio files. Both MMS and SMS enable the sending of messages between mobile devices, smart phones etc.

Text messages, or SMS hold a number of advantages over emails. Firstly, and most importantly, is the difference in open rates – text messages stand at over 90% (source) whilst email open rates are at just 25% (source). Another thing to consider when weighing text messages up against emails is that with text messages, there is no design cost or extended timeframe to consider. Simply write a message and send. No need to brief a designer on artwork or spend hours creating it in-house. In summary, text messages are more cost efficient and enjoy a substantially greater open rate than emails, so we believe they’re a better way to speak to your customers.

Sinch is a global Tier 1 Network. Our reputation for worldwide SMS is largely thanks to having direct connections to most of the top mobile operators worldwide. Advantages of a direct connection are speed, security and reliability.

At the moment, group conversation can include up to 10 users.

Chat history is persisted for 30 days and can be retrieved through your app. Call history can be found in the developer portal.

Sinch is compliant to the PCI DSS which is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard controlled by Visa, MC, Amex, Diners & JCB. Sinch is also are using www.trustwave.com as a Qualified Security Assessor to help us with annual Report On Compliance

All data centres hosting Sinch production have been awarded the ISO27001:2005 standard for security management. In addition to this we are using SpiderLabs for external network penetration tests to help us understand our risk level.

The media stream (the call) is encrypted. Also, when calling, encryption is used during signaling (the call setup) by performing encrypted SSL/HTTPS requests towards our servers.

For Instant Messaging, all communications are encrypted using SSL/HTTPS requests. Thus, the body of each message is encrypted at all times.

The Sinch SDK sends information to Sinch’s servers so we can connect calls and for quality and reporting purposes. The information includes date/time, from/to information, setup time and call duration. Information is uploaded by the client in the background at the end of a call, a call failure or a similar event. While some of this information may be associated with the user ids of the call participants, it’s important to know that as a developer, you do not need to provide meaningful user ids to the SDK (you could provide hashed user ids, for example).

This is a legal issue so be aware that the following is not legal advice: According to U.S. law, all applications that contain encryption and are distributed from US stores (App Store, Google Play, et cetera) require an export license. Our experience is that the registration process usually takes a couple of hours.

Making a payment is easy. To make a payment go to the ‘Billing’ tab in your account portal. Here you can make a payment by PayPal, Credit Card or bank transfer. PayPal and credit card payments are added to your account instantly. Bank transfers are completed by raising an invoice in your account and paying the sum raised directly into the Sinch account (you’ll find details are on the invoice). When we receive your payment, the funds will be credited to your account, the duration of this process will vary depending on your bank, but typically this takes around 24 hours.

The pricing to send a message can be found on our SMS product page. All pricing is subject to local taxes and VAT – these are not included in the pricing shown. Pricing can change from time to time, and if it does we will notify you via email accordingly.

If you think you have been charged incorrectly for any of your messaging we will happily look into it for you. Simply submit a support ticket through your account outlining the details, and we will investigate.

In most cases, this will be caused by your content exceeding 160 characters, the character limit for one SMS. It is possible to send multiple SMS together, formed as a single, longer SMS; this is called a Concatenated SMS. A one-part message will allow you to send up to 160 characters, a two-part messages will allow you to send up to 206 characters and a three-part message will allow you to send up to 459 characters.

To join messages together to ensure they deliver as one, a 7 byte concatenation header is used at the beginning of each SMS. Since this header is within the message, it reduces the total size of each SMS to 153 characters each.

Please also be aware that if you are sending in Unicode, your character count per SMS lowers to 70 characters for a one-part message due to the fact that each UCS2 character requires 2 bytes. The 7 byte header for concatenated messages will also apply sending in excess of one message. As a result, a two-part Unicode message has a limit of 134 characters and a three-part Unicode message has a limit of 201 characters.

Sending thousands of anything can start to get expensive when it comes to marketing and promotional messages, but at approximately £30 per thousand to send (see our SMS product page for more information on specific rates) sending thousands of text messages is certainly believed to be more cost effective, engaging and efficient than direct marketing or email marketing.

For instant messaging, our pricing is based on the number of active users, defined as active connections to Sinch in the foreground and APNS/GCM in the background. For app to app calling, pricing is based on a per minute cost and the use of APNS/GCM in the foreground and background. For phone to phone, app to phone calling, and SMS, the price is based on a per minute or per SMS cost.

Prices for PSTN phone calls are set on a per minute and per country basis. Refer to our Voice product pages for more details

After you have made your first payment in the dashboard, you will have the option to use our auto topup feature via PayPal. With auto topup, you can set a credit value to automatically be charged to your PayPal account as soon as your account goes under $1 in credit. If you do not want to use this feature, just leave it blank and use the manual topup option. Using manual topup, you can add credit at your leisure, as and when needed.

Yes, you will need credit to call regular phone and PSTN numbers. You can add credit to your account in your portal.