SMS sender ID: how to send texts under your company name

A salon sends a booking reminder from an unknown number because it hasn't set up an SMS sender ID. The client takes it for spam, deletes it without reading and doesn't show up. The stylist sits idle, and the salon loses revenue. When the SMS is signed with the salon's name, the client immediately understands who is writing and opens the message.

A sender ID, or alpha name, is the name of your company in Latin letters that the client sees in an SMS instead of a number. In the “SMS sender names” section, you apply for a name, mobile operators check it, and you turn the name on for the project. After that, all of the project's SMS go out under your name: from the CRM, on funnel stage changes and from autofunnels.

Registration with the operators takes up to two weeks. SMS with your name cost from $0.0888, depending on the operator — all the prices are below.

Watch the two-minute video, and below you'll find the step-by-step guide.

Why businesses send SMS under their company name

• Clinics, salons, car services: the SMS at the “Booked” stage comes from the clinic's name. The client recognizes the sender, so there are fewer no-shows.
• Online school: a CRM mailing with a webinar reminder comes from the school's brand. Such SMS are opened more often than messages from a number.
• Online store: an order status notification comes with the store's name. Fewer calls asking “who texted me?” and “what's my order status?”.
• Real estate agency or B2B company: after a call, an autofunnel sends the client an address or a link to a presentation — from the company's name, not from an anonymous number.

How an SMS sender ID works

Names are shared across the whole account: one application is visible in all projects. But the current name is chosen for each project separately and is used in all of its SMS:

• bulk SMS from the CRM in the “SMS to leads” window;
• a client notification when a lead moves to a funnel stage — SMS to the client on a stage change;
• the “Send an SMS” block in autofunnels, where you set up automatic SMS to the client;
• a reply to the client from the lead card in the SMS channel.

Until you have your own name, SMS go out under the default system name, which has the “System” status. Each mobile operator registers your own name separately.

Name requirements:

• 2 to 11 characters: Latin letters, digits and the symbols . - _ &. The field doesn't accept non-Latin letters;
• the name matches the name of your company, brand or website, and documents confirm it.

How to register an SMS sender ID

1. 1
   Open the section

   The “Leads” menu → “SMS sender names”, then click “New name”.
2. 2
   Enter the name

   In the “Sender name” field, in Latin letters. The account checks by itself whether it's available: wait for the “Name is available” label.
3. 3
   Fill in the company details

   The “Company” as in its founding documents and the “INN” (taxpayer number): 10 digits for a legal entity or 12 for a sole proprietor. In the “Comment for moderators” field, you can explain what the name means and give a link to your website.
4. 4
   Attach a document

   In the “Supporting documents” block, click “Attach” in the matching row: “Trademark certificate”, “License agreement”, “Company document”, “Domain ownership” or “Guarantee letter”. Scans in JPG, PNG or PDF up to 10 MB will do.
5. 5
   Submit the application

   Click “Submit”. The application gets the “Under review” status.
6. 6
   Turn on the name

   When the status becomes “Approved” or “Partially approved”, click “Use”. Before that, check that the right project is selected in the menu at the top left.

Application statuses and operator moderation

• “Draft” and “Error” — you can fix the application with the pencil icon “Edit and resubmit”.
• “Under review” — the operators are registering the name. Their timelines differ, generally up to two weeks. The status updates by itself.
• “Partially approved” — at least one operator has approved the name. You can already turn it on with the “Use” button. Subscribers of operators that haven't approved the name yet will get SMS under the system name.
• “Approved” — all operators have registered the name.
• “Rejected” — the application can't be fixed; submit a new one.

You can send SMS under a name with the “System”, “Approved” or “Partially approved” status.

Under the status, you see each operator's decision: a green dot means approved, red means rejected or an error, blue means under review. The “Check status” button requests a fresh status right away, without waiting.

One sender ID in several projects

You apply once per account. To use the same name in another project, switch the project in the menu at the top left, and the page reloads. Then click “Use” next to the name you need. You can check which name a mailing will go out under in the CRM: the “SMS to leads” window has a “Sender” line.

How much does an SMS with a sender ID cost

SMS are charged to your balance. The price depends on the recipient's operator and on the name the message goes out under. The cost of each SMS sent is shown in “Balance details” on the “SMS” tab.

Length matters too. Up to 70 characters including spaces is one SMS. If it's longer, the text is split into parts of 67 characters, and each part is paid for separately: 140 characters is already three SMS. The counter in the “SMS to leads” window shows right away how many SMS you'll get.

SMS with your sender name:

SMS with the system name are on the general rate, from $0.0748:

With Beeline and MegaFon, the general-rate price depends on how many SMS were sent to one number in a calendar month.

Beeline charges in packages:

With MegaFon, the price per SMS also depends on the message type:

Read also: How to set up Telegram lead notifications and SMS to clients, CRM pipeline stages: set up your sales funnel and client alerts, CRM for small business: how to never lose a single lead, How to top up your account balance and avoid service pauses, Bulk sms and email campaigns