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.  

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.

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. If you are on one of our paid packages, the Clickatell team will assist you in this application. Contact our Sales Team to find out more.

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.