From time to time, carriers will request an active copy of the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) lease. This is to prove that we have a working relationship with you so that we are allowed to send messages on your behalf via your code. Should a carrier request your lease and we do not have it on file, there is a good chance that there may be a service disruption.

The UK SMS market is regarded as mature and recent updates reflect the changing face of the industry.  

Since July 2023, the UK government has mandated that messages sent with generic sender IDs are blocked (see the list on our FAQ page).

Additionally, there is momentum towards registration of sender IDs for certain brands in the following industries: 

• Finance, Banking and Fintech 

• Government and Healthcare 

• Logistics and Parcel Delivery 

• Mobile networks and operators 

Finally, the major carriers increased the cost of SMS messaging in March and April, and Clickatell has increased pricing accordingly.  

What two-way messaging options are available?

Clickatell offers the following dedicated two-way number options in the UK:

• Dedicated long number: You choose a 10-digit long number from a list of available numbers.

• Dedicated random short code: You’ll be assigned a random 5-digit number.

A short code is country-specific and you'll only be able to use it to send and receive messages in the UK.

What are the expected provisioning times?

Clickatell holds stock of long numbers that are usually available immediately after purchase.

Short codes require approval from all supported mobile carriers. We'll procure the short code and coordinate the approval process on your behalf. This process can take around 8-12 weeks.

What are the costs involved?

NOTE: Only applicable to our self-serve clients. If you are on one of our paid packages, please reach out to your account manager or our support team.

Both long numbers and short codes usually have once-off application fees, as well as monthly subscription fees. You pay a per-message fee for all outgoing messages you send from your number, and all incoming messages are free.

To see estimated pricing, go to the Clickatell pricing estimator, select the United Kingdom, select your two-way messaging option of choice, and indicate your expected outbound message volumes.

Which two-way messaging option is best for my business?

Long numbers

A UK long number is a flexible and cost-effective option and can be successfully applied for almost all two-way messaging use cases.

• Appointment reminders – Reduce the number of “no-shows” by sending appointment reminders for medical appointments, vehicle servicing, real estate agents, recruitment agencies, or any other service-related business. For example: "Your dental appointment with Dr. Smith is scheduled for 9 January, 14:00. Reply cancel or confirm."

• Customer alerts and notifications - Improve customer experience with timely and instant notifications. For example: "Hi Adele. Your flight SA34009 is delayed for 2 hours. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please have a free coffee on us at Coffee Café with coupon 38274."

• Opt-out compliance – Use a long number as a way for recipients to opt out of your list with a simple keyword to comply with ICO regulations.

• Booking and payment confirmations – Instant confirmation on purchase or booking sets your customer’s mind at ease. For example: "Thank you for your purchase at ABC.com. We've received your payment for order #82492. To track your order, reply with your order no."

Short codes

Short codes are generally used by larger brands with significant two-way messaging volume requirements. A short code is very recognizable, making it a good option if you want potential customers to reach out to you first. Advertise your short code to ensure your customers know how to reach you.

• Competitions – Text-to-win competitions are a great way to get exposure for your brand. For example: "Text ‘XX BRAND NAME’ plus your name+email address to 60777 to win a trip for four to Disneyland. See yourbrand.com for terms."

• Lead generation – SMS is a cost-effective way to make it easy for potential customers to show interest. For example: "SMS your name to 38264 and we’ll call you back with a quote."

• Opt-in for marketing lists – For example: "SMS your name to 82625 to receive our monthly discount coupons."

Best practices

Here is a short checklist of general best practices for SMS campaigns to keep in mind if you are sending out marketing messages.

We recommend you use a dedicated two-way number in the UK for your brand. A dedicated long number or short code provides better control and visibility for your brand as well as a better customer experience for your customer. Sharing a number with other businesses means that your customers must correctly type a specific keyword pre-registered by your business in the body of the SMS for the message to be routed to you correctly. By using a dedicated number, your customers will start to recognize and trust messages sent from your number as the messages will likely all display in the same thread.

It is also recommended to whitelist URLs that will be included in the message from the brand to customers to ensure successful delivery. Please reach out to your Account Manager or contact our Support team to learn more.

Regulatory information

• In the UK, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), released by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), governs text marketing laws based on the Data Protection Act.

• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation by the European Commission to make data protection stronger for people and organizations in the European Union. Clickatell is dedicated to maintaining GDPR compliance.

• Lastly, make sure that your use of two-way numbers aligns with our terms and conditions.

Applying for a two-way number

Sign up for a Clickatell Platform account here and apply for a two-way number from within your account. Here are step-by-step guides if you need any help along the way:

• How to apply for a long number

• How to apply for a short code

During the festive season, some network carriers in the United Kingdom implement a freeze period on short code processing. The freeze period usually ranges from mid-December to mid-January. It is therefore recommended that short code provisioning and amendments/migrations are done before the freeze period to avoid delays.

What two-way options are available?

Clickatell offers dedicated short codes in South Africa.

A South African short code is five digits long and has four accompanying long numbers, one for each local network. When you send a message using a short code as a source address, the receiving handset will see the relevant long number associated with that short code as the sender ID. For example, when you send a message to a Vodacom handset from your short code, the recipient will receive that message from the Vodacom long number for that short code. The long numbers will be unique to each short code.

In South Africa, a short code is country-specific and can only be used to send and receive messages in South Africa.

What are the expected provisioning times for short codes?

Clickatell will procure the short code and coordinate the approval process with all supported mobile operators on your behalf. The entire process can take up to seven days.

On approval, your dedicated short code is randomly assigned from a pool of available numbers.

What are the costs involved with a short code?

A dedicated Sout-African short code has a once-off application fee as well as a monthly subscription fee. All incoming messages to your short code are free, but you pay for outgoing messages.

To get a complete pricing estimate, go to the Clickatell pricing estimator, select South Africa -> Two-way messages -> Random short code, and indicate your expected outbound message volumes.

Please bear in mind that all outgoing message pricing is estimated as costs are calculated at the time of sending.

Best practices

• Here is a short checklist of general best practices for SMS campaigns that we recommend keeping in mind when sending SMS campaigns.

• In addition to the general best practices, it is best practice in South Africa to offer the recipient a free method to opt-out of your list.

• It is recommended that you identify your company name in the body of your message, since it is not possible to receive a message from a short code in South Africa but only from the associated long numbers as per network regulations.

• For insurance-driven marketing programs, a reverse billed short code is recommended by the Insurance Ombudsman due to the fact that the mobile subscriber needs to have a free opt-out message. Please contact our sales team for more information on a reverse billed short codes.

Regulatory information

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is the official regulator of the South African communications, broadcasting, and postal services sectors.

We’ve created a quick overview of SMS regulations and restrictions in South Africa that may be applicable to your short code.

It is your responsibility to consult with your legal team and to ensure that your opt-in and opt-out processes, message content, and all other aspects of your message sending within South Africa comply with the applicable legislation as well as the Clickatell terms and conditions to avoid your number being blocked or substantial fines being imposed.

Clickatell is also a member of the Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA) and we are bound by their code of conduct.

Apply for a South African short code 

For more information about applying for a South-African short code, see How to apply for a short code.

During the festive season, many network operators in SA implement a freeze period on short code processing. The freeze period usually ranges from mid-December to mid-January. It is therefore recommended that short code provisioning and amendments/migrations are done before the freeze period to avoid delays.

For more information on premium short codes and reverse-billed short codes, please contact our Sales Team.

Many countries allow mobile users to move between networks while keeping their existing mobile numbers.

The following countries currently offer mobile network portability (MNP):

Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Chile
Congo, Democratic Republic
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Pakistan
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Singapore
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
UK

Read more about MNP and other country-specific regulations for each country we support message sending to.