No unfortunately not. Short codes are always region-specific. This means that company A can own short code 55555 in the USA, but Company B can own short code 55555 in Canada. Because anyone can own a short code in a specific region, the short code will only be able to send to the region in which it is purchased and provisioned. Note however that you can apply for the same short code in different countries. Speak to your business development manager for more information.

Short codes require an application process and are not available immediately. Short codes are country-specific and can't be used if you want to receive messages from international customers - you need to apply for separate short codes per country you wish to send messages to.

To apply for a short code, navigate to My Workspace, select the Long Numbers & Short Codes tile, and click 'Get Short Code'. Alternatively, you can navigate to My Workspace --> SMS and click the 'Get Short Code' button under My SMS Numbers. 

Note: you will only be able to request a short code once your billing information is set up. If you have not yet set up your billing information, a pop-up message will direct you there. If the billing information is set up, the easy-to-use setup wizard tool will guide you through the following steps:

• Select a country

• Add company details

• Complete information around the short code program (how the short code will be used)

• Agree to our terms and conditions

• Click 'Submit'

The application status will show as 'Pending' in your numbers table until your application has been approved and payment has been received. Once the number is configured and active on the account, you can link your short code to a two-way SMS integration to start sending two-way messages.

You will be notified in your message center and via email once your short code application has been approved. You will then be required to pay a setup fee before you can start using your short code to send and receive messages.

If you are currently using the old user portal:

Select 2-Way Numbers from the portal and click 'Apply for a Short Code'. You will only be able to request a short code once your billing information is set up. If billing details are already set up, the easy-to-use setup wizard tool will guide you through a number of steps.

The application status will show as 'Pending' in your 2-Way Numbers until your application has been approved and payment has been received. Once the number is configured and active on the account, you can link your short code to a two-way SMS integration to start sending two-way messages.

If you have questions about switching to the new portal, see here or contact our support team.

After you've applied for a short code (find out how to apply here), the provisioning process depends on the short code and country and varies from region to region. An indication of timelines are presented below, although this might be affected by factors such as carrier approval etc.

Namibia - 4 weeks
South Africa - 6-8 weeks
UK - 8 weeks
USA / Canada - 8-12 weeks

You will receive an email and portal notification from us as soon as your short code application has been approved.

Contact our new business development team for an update on your short code application.

A short code is a number that is much shorter than a regular phone number – usually 5/6 digits – but it can vary from country to country. This 5 or 6 digit 'from' number can easily be memorized by your customers, suppliers, or employees. These numbers can send text messages to mobile phones and receive messages from mobile phones. They are often used for marketing and promotional messaging.

The advantage of short codes is that they can be easily remembered, making it simple for recipients to reply to your messages. Short codes are registered by a national registry in either random (any numbers) or vanity (specific numbers chosen by you). Short codes are ideal for high volume incoming and outgoing mobile text messages.

Short codes require an application process and are not available immediately. Short codes are also country-specific and can't be used if you want to receive messages from international customers. 

Visit our short codes page for more information or, if sign up for a free Clickatell Platform account to apply for your short code.

Long numbers are primarily used in person-to-person environments, while short codes are used in the business-to-consumer environment. Short codes have the ability to send large numbers of messages at a consistent rate with much higher throughput than long numbers. In addition, in the US, you can send an unlimited number of short code messages each month, while long numbers have limitations in place.