Short Code Services
Question & Answer
Common Short Code Questions & Answers
Understanding how short code work can be challenging. The easiest way to describe a short code is how comparing it to a long code. A long code in the US is a 10-digit phone number. A short code is very similar except its only 5-6 digits. This allows a user to only have to recall a shorted destination that enables quick texting to a shorter number.
Therefore, companies must use short code to power their service. Get a short code and get mobile.
What is Short Code?
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. The QWASI 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. See Mobile Platform
Companies who plan to run and operate Mobile Messaging services need a short code.
The two options are:
- 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.
- 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?
With Standard Short Codes, users won't be charged for sending messages (MO: Mobile Originated Messages) or receiving messages (MT: Mobile Terminated Messages). With Premium Short Codes the user is charged on their cell phone bill for the message sent or received. The amount of each message will be defined with carriers, who normally charge a commission to invoice the user.
Short Code Set Up and Provisioning
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. QWASI 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, QWASI has streamlined the complex short code registration process by reducing the average process time to 8-10 weeks.
Ready to get a short code? Click here to get you Get a short code and get mobile.
Short Code Provisioning Services
While clients can registered a short code and not connect it to a carrier, in order to send/receive traffic through the CSC, the code must be provisioned. The provisioning process consists of several complex parts that must be done in order and per current carrier guidelines to achieve approval on each carrier.
Here's the steps QWASI takes to get your short code provisioned:
- Consultation with our experts to advise you of Carrier expectations, regulations and compliancy requirements.
- Short Code provisioning services from application preparation, leasing, carrier approval, monitoring and reporting
- Continuous Carrier Updates - as they become available
- Cross-carrier support for common required interactions including HELP, STOP, END along with "standard message rates apply" according to each carrier's guidelines
- Regular updates and reports from our dedicated Short Code Provisioning team
- No monthly short code hosting & management fee until the code is live with at least three carriers
Once the short code is live, QWASI offers a variety of mobile services and applications to power your services. Get connected to your customers today via interactive messaging - contact us today.
Why does American Idol only work on AT&T?
To start, if you noticed the short codes used by American Idol, you will quickly notice they use a 4-digit short code. These short codes are not considered to be a cross-carrier CSCs. Instead, that code is only available through that carrier - in this case AT&T. Sprint and Verizon often support these type of programs on their networks too using a 4-digit short code.
