Skip to content 
Sending Bulk SMS to US numbers needs to be done in the right way. This is due to the US legislation changes made this year around sending SMS in the US.
What are the US SMS Features and Restrictions?
T-Mobile and AT&T’s new Code of Conduct prohibit the use of shared originators, therefore, Shared Short Codes will no longer be an acceptable format for A2P messaging.
- M2M Bulk SMS customers using a Shared Short Code must migrate SMS traffic to either a 10 DLC, Toll-Free SMS Number, or Dedicated Short Code.
- M2M Bulk SMS customers using our Shared Short Code API must migrate to either our SMS API or Verify API.
- Customers using Dedicated Short Codes are not affected by these changes within the scope of 10 DLC.
- Alpha senderID is not permitted in the US. If the SMS is transactional (not marketing) you would need to buy a US Toll-free number (TFN) to send SMS to the US.
Please note that the US has very specific messaging restrictions. As a result, a direct connection is necessary in order to ensure message delivery to the numerous networks. M2M Bulk SMS provides an extremely high-quality service, with access to direct connections in order to facilitate the delivery of your SMS to the US.
Sender ID
All SMS sent to the US must originate from either a US pre-approved long number, toll-free, 10 DLC, or short code that is associated with your M2M Bulk SMS account. Alpha Sender IDs are not supported. This then needs to be registered to minimise the chances of traffic getting flagged as spam.
Definitions
Person-to-person traffic may be sent using an M2M Bulk SMS US (or Canadian) long virtual number. If you do not already own one, long virtual number please contact us.
Application-to-person traffic, such as bulk notifications, should be sent to the US via Short Code (*Sprint and T-Mobile are heavily blocking Short Code traffic) or Toll Free Number. (**Vonage M2M Bulk SMS US Short Codes cannot be used to send SMS to Canada or other countries). If none of our pre-approved Short Code use-cases are appropriate, we can assist you in the application process for a dedicated Short Code.
Specific Features and Restrictions for Each Type of Number
- US LVN Long Virtual Number – Local Area Code Numbers
- US 10 DLC 10 Digit Long Code
- US Short Codes 5-6 digit numbers used only for SMS & MMS
- US Toll Free Numbers
US SMS Delivery Options
| US SMS Sending Options | Long Code | Dedicated Short Code | Toll Free SMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | 12013511943 | 12345 | 1-888-555-5555 |
| Daily Send Limit | 250 SMS/Day/Number | N/A | N/A |
| Throughput Limit | 1 SMS/sec./Number | Up to 30 mps | Up to 30 mps |
| Canadian Reach | Yes | No (User must purchase a Canadian Short Code) | Yes |
| 2-Way SMS Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Suggested Use Case | P2P: Non-Marketing, Customer Service, and Chat Applications | Marketing, High Volume School/Flight/ Appt reminders | Non-Marketing, Customer Service, Alert Notifications |
| Price Per Number/Month | See | See | See |
| Price Per Outbound Message | See | See | See |
| Price Per Inbound Message | See | See | See |
| Carrier Delivery Receipts (Tier 1 Carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint) | No – network only | Yes | Yes |
| Unicode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Concatenated | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Regulatory | Immediate code shutdown for marketing messages. Subject to carrier filtering. | CTIA and TCPA Guidelines | CTIA and TCPA Guidelines. Immediate code shutdown for marketing message. |
Sending Bulk SMS with Text Platform
Using our Text Platform is so easy to use and it is supported on all mobile phones regardless of being smartphones or featured phones. As a result, anyone can send and receive text messages as it doesn’t require any specific knowledge or special training.
If you would like to learn more about the M2M Bulk SMS Text Platform for contact us today.
