Shortcodes

Use our shared short code and you can be up and running in hours. Sign up today.

CSCs (Common Short Codes) are five or six digit numbers that can receive Short Messaging Service (SMS) messages. They are called "short codes" due to the length of the number people can use to send or receive information.

A Short Code allows wireless subscribers to access applications on all participating wireless carriers' networks and give content providers access to millions of SMS subscribers. Once a short code is provisioned with the wireless carriers, all traffic to that short code is routed to the owner of that short code. In order to power services to the short code, an application is required. Our technology partners Interactive Mobile Platform powers a variety of mobile marketing applications and services including:

Information on Demand, Keyword Marketing, Voting and Polling, Contests, Surveys, Direct Response, Marketing, Mobile Chat, Games, etc.

Companies who plan to run and operate Mobile Messaging services need a short code.

The two options are:

  1. Shared Short Code - using a shared short code means that the short code is shared by other companies. There are pros and cons to using a shared short code including limitations to the type of applications and services that a comapny can offer. In addition, the short code can also run programs from other companies who promote the same short code in their advertising that causes many companies to choose move toward their own branded dedicated short code.
  2. Dedicated Short Code - this is the exclusive use of the company who leases the code. No conflicts exist in keywords or campaigns since the company who leases the code can operate their own unique services. In addition, a wide range of services can be powered from a dedicated short code.

Contact us to get your short code today.

How does it work?
Each short code requires registration with all national carriers. If you plan to run a national campaign, it must be approved in advance by the carrier. Since messages sent to and from a short code are considered carrier-grade messaging, it avoids the pitfall of being considered spam (unsolicited messaging). In order to stay in compliance to the carriers, random audits are conducted anonymously on the short code. Therefore a CSC is strictly regulated.

In the US, each short code is registered with the CSCA. In Canada the CWTA is responsible for managing Canadian short code. The other group who established best practices within the industry is the Mobile Marketing Association.

What is Dedicated Short Code?
A short code can be registered to one campaign or program. This program is approved in advance for that short code and supports only those programs. GOOGLE SMS Search is a great example of a dedicated CSC. Using Google SMS Search, the user can text to GOOGLE (466453) the name of a local restaurant followed by the zip code or city, state and the appropriate results are returned to the user through that short code.

What are Premium and Standard Short Codes?
Companies who have established their connections with carriers are called aggregators. They send a request to carriers' gateway and carriers push back an MO upon arrival. Our technology partner is connected to all carriers in North America and hundreds of carriers globally. This allows clients to reach even the most remote countries through various international carriers. However, these international connections do not support US CSCs.

Over the last five years, Our technology partner has streamlined the complex short code registration process by reducing the average process time to 8-10 weeks.