Short codes and sender IDs for business SMS

A short code is a short phone number, usually five or six digits, made for sending a lot of text messages. It is easy to remember and easy to reply to, which is why businesses use it for large campaigns, alerts and one-time passcodes. Short codes need registration and approval before you can send.

A short code is a short number built for heavy messaging. A long number (long code) is a full phone number, so people can text it or call it back. An alphanumeric sender ID is a brand name, such as MCMSHOP, that appears instead of a number. Which ones you can use depends on the country.

It is a name of letters and numbers that shows as the sender of your message. Much of Western Europe and the Gulf allow or require it, often with registration. The US and Canada use numbers tied to registered campaigns instead, so a brand name is not the usual route there.

Generally yes for application-to-person (A2P) messages sent over standard long codes. US carriers expect businesses to register their brand and campaign before sustained, high-volume sending, and unregistered traffic is typically throttled or filtered. MCM guides you through it.

Often not. In many countries a brand-name sender is one-way, so people cannot reply to it. If you need conversations, a long number or short code is usually the better choice. Ask your MCM account team about the countries you use.

Start with what you send and whether people need to reply, then check what each country allows. Rules differ for sender identity, registration and consent, so a sender that works in one market may be blocked in another. MCM helps you pick and register the right one per market.

Yes. Partners launch MCM under their own logo, domain and apps, and Comms APIs can be part of what customers build on. There is no license fee or setup bill, and MCM earns as you grow.