Alphanumeric#

An Alphanumeric Sender ID is a recognizable business or brand name, such as MyBrand, that appears instead of a phone number in one-way A2P SMS messages. It must contain 2 to 11 characters and may include only letters (a-z and A-Z) and numbers (0-9).

Common uses#

Use an Alphanumeric Sender ID when recipients should recognize the sender and do not need to reply directly. Common uses include:

  • Authentication and security notifications.

  • Account and service alerts.

  • Appointment or delivery updates.

  • Transactional notifications.

  • Marketing messages that meet the applicable requirements.

How messages appear#

Recipients usually see the approved Sender ID instead of a phone number. Its exact appearance may vary by mobile carrier, device, and messaging application. Use a value that clearly matches the business or brand sending the message.

Example message from an Alphanumeric Sender ID with a link for help or opting out.

Fig. 1. Example message from an Alphanumeric Sender ID.#

Messaging and replies#

Recipients cannot reply directly to an Alphanumeric Sender ID because it is not a phone number. If recipients need to contact you or opt out, include a supported contact or opt-out method in the message.

Relationship with DID numbers#

An Alphanumeric Sender ID is not linked to a DID number. You do not need to purchase, port, or assign a DID number to the DIDWW account to use this Sender ID type.

Availability#

Alphanumeric Sender ID availability varies by country.

Check current availability on the DIDWW website or view the available verification options in the DIDWW User Panel.

Verification requirements#

An Alphanumeric Sender ID must be verified before use. The verification links the Sender ID to the business, target countries, and messaging use case submitted for review.

The Sender ID and messages sent with it must match the approved verification details. For required submission fields, see Alphanumeric verification.

To submit a verification, see Create Alphanumeric Sender ID Verification.

Using a verified Sender ID#

After the verification becomes Active, associate it with an outbound SMS trunk. Use that trunk to send messages that match the approved business, destination countries, and messaging use case.

For sending instructions, see Send SMS using verified Sender ID or the HTTP Specification.