SMS messages: important information

This section gives some important points to note before sending SMS messages.

Configuration

Before you start sending SMS messages, you must request an appropriate phone number, depending on your use case. Each communication to be sent requires approval and must be configured so that it uses the selected phone number. To request the phone number, or to configure the phone number for the communication, contact Support.

Phone Numbers

There are several types of phone number that can be requested and used in EngageOne™ Communicate. Each of the supported types has different capacities in terms of the throughput, the requirements and pricing. The phone number availability may vary depending on the country in which the phone number is based.

Sender ID

The Sender ID is an alphanumeric character sequence of 1 to 11 characters that is displayed instead of the phone number when the message is received by its recipient.

For information on requesting a Sender ID, see:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/sender-id-request.html.

10DLC (US only)

10DLC is a type of Long Code that is registered with carriers to support high volume A2P SMS messaging using the 10-digit phone number format.

A 10DLC number requires your company or brand to be registered. The registration takes around 1-2 business days for US based companies, and up to 3 weeks for international based companies.

The throughput of the 10DLC number can be increased by vetting. When you vet your registration, a third-party organization analyses the company details that you provided and returns a vetting score. A high vetting score can lead to higher throughput rates for your 10DLC company, and the campaigns associated with it. However, vetting is not guaranteed to increase your throughput. Vetting scores are not applied retroactively, so the increased throughput does not apply to existing campaigns belonging to your company.

For information on registering a 10DLC brand, see:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/registrations-10dlc-company.html

For information on registering a 10DLC campaign, see:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/registrations-10dlc-register-campaign.html

Long Code

A Long Code is a regular phone number, limited to sending one message per second in the US and Canada, and to ten messages per second in all other countries. The long codes are typically meant for low-volume, person-to-person communication.

For information on requesting a Long Code, see:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/phone-numbers-request-long-code.html

In addition, the Singapore region requires campaign registration in order to begin sending from the Long Code obtained above.

Short Code

A Short Code contains 3-7 digits, depending on the country in which it is based. It can be used for high volume SMS message sending. The throughput for a dedicated short code depends on the country in which it is registered. For the US and Canada, it supports up to 100 messages per second. The throughput in other countries and regions varies by country. It takes approximately 12 weeks for a US short code to be provisioned after the request is approved. The approval time may vary, and additional information may be needed during the process.

For information on requesting a Short Code, see:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/phone-numbers-request-short-code.html

Toll-Free (US only)

A toll-free number (TFN) begins with 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833. Toll-free numbers can only be used to send transactional messages. The default opt-out and opt-in keywords are STOP and UNSTOP (these cannot be changed). It requires message templates. The registration process may take up to 15 business days after it is approved.

A toll-free number’s throughput is limited to three messages per second. There is also a limit to the number of messages being sent per period. These limits are as follows:

  • Daily limit: 500 messages (resets at 12:00am PT)
  • Weekly limit: 1,000 messages (resets on Sunday at 12:00am PT)
  • Monthly limit: 2,000 messages (resets at the end of calendar month at 12:00am PT)

For information on registering toll-free numbers, see:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sms-voice/latest/userguide/registrations-tfn-register.html

Campaign Types

There are two types of campaign that can be sent in EngageOne™ Communicate. Depending on the use case, the appropriate type must be used. One phone number can only handle one type of the campaign.

Transactional

Transactional messages should be used for sending important messages, such as order confirmations, account alerts, password resets or one-time passwords. This type of messaging cannot contain any promotional or marketing content.

Promotional

The non-critical messages used for promotion, such as special offers or announcements, should be sent using a promotional campaign. Some countries may have quiet time hours, during which you are not allowed to send any promotional messages to the recipients residing in these countries.

When requesting a phone number that will be used for sending promotional campaigns, you must provide templates for the following messages:

• Informational message - a message that is automatically sent after the first message to a given recipient. It should contain instructions on how they can unsubscribe and get help.

• STOP message - a message that is sent after the recipient chooses to opt-out from your campaign. It should clearly indicate that they have been successfully unsubscribed.

• HELP message - a message that is sent after the recipient responds to the message with a HELP keyword. It should provide a way to seek assistance or more information, possibly including contact details.

Opt-Ins

Opt-In workflow should include the following:

  • Program or product description.
  • The identification of the organization that is presented in the initial message sent to the end users.
  • Clear and thorough information about how the end users opt-in to your SMS service and any associated fees or charges.
  • A link to Terms & Conditions (publicly accessible).
  • A link to Privacy Policy (publicly accessible).
  • An explanation if the Opt-In/Call to Action requires a service log-in, is not yet published publicly, is a verbal opt-in, or if it occurs on printed sources such as fliers and paper forms.

The Call to Action/Opt-In location must include the following:

  • Comprehensive terms and conditions, which are presented in full beneath the Call to Action, or that are accessible from a link in proximity to the Call to Action.
  • Program (brand) name.
  • Message frequency disclosure.
  • Product description.
  • Customer care contact information.
  • Opt-Out information.
  • "Message and data rates may apply" disclosure.

Opt-Outs

SMS recipients can use their devices to opt out from receiving further messages from the given origination number by replying with any of the following keywords:

  • ARRET
  • CANCEL
  • END
  • OPT-OUT
  • OPTOUT
  • QUIT
  • REMOVE
  • STOP
  • TD
  • UNSUBSCRIBE

Opt-outs are handled per number, so the unsubscribe is applied to any communication that uses that number for sending.

Recommendations

Some countries or regions have quiet time hours, during which you are not permitted to send promotional messages.

Do not use shortened URLs created from third-party URL shorteners, as these messages are likely to be filtered as spam.

Do not send the same or similar content using multiple numbers, as this will be considered as "snowshoeing" and treated as spam.

Any messages related to the following industries may be considered as restricted and may be filtered:

  • Gambling
  • High-risk financial services
  • Debt forgiveness
  • Get-rich-quick schemes
  • Illegal substances
  • Phishing
  • SHAFT
  • Third party lead generation

The following content is prohibited:

  • Pornographic content
  • Content that is profane or hateful
  • Content that depicts or endorses violence
  • Content that endorses illegal drugs

You must always have agreement to send specific types of messages to your customer. The opt-in lists should not be shared. If users use an online form to sign up for your messages, you should add systems that prevent automated scripts from subscribing without a person’s knowledge. You should also limit the number of times that the user can submit a phone number in a single session. Make sure to maintain the records that include the date, time and source of each opt-in request and confirmation, as this information may be needed during audits.

Do not use an old list of phone numbers for new campaigns, as it is likely that some of the messages will fail because the number is no longer in service, and some recipients may opt out because they do not remember signing up for the messages.