Alphanumeric sender IDs overview
An Alphanumeric Sender ID (ASID) is a sender type used for Short Messaging Service (SMS) messaging. Unlike traditional numeric senders, ASIDs allow you to use a customizable string (for example, a brand name) as the sender. ASIDs do not support inbound messaging, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), or media communication.
Format and validation rules
ASIDs must follow strict formatting guidelines to ensure compatibility across carriers and countries.
Behavior and limitations
Messages that are sent to unsupported or unregistered countries are not blocked upfront. These messages may fail at delivery and delivery receipts are generated and available for ASID traffic. For some unregistered countries, messages can be delivered from a long code or from an alphanumeric sender ID. For example, potential scam.
ASIDs are designed specifically for SMS and come with certain functional limitations. They support only SMS text messages. They do not support MMS or image messaging, cannot be used for inbound messaging or replies, and are not selectable in inbound flows.
Provisioning
Administrators can provision ASIDs in countries where registration is not required.
- In SMS Number Inventory, select Add Numbers and then choose Alphanumeric.
- Enter your desired ASID in the Sender ID field. You only need to provision an ASID once, even if you plan to use it across multiple countries.
After provisioning, the ASID appears in the SMS number inventory list with:
- Type: Alphanumeric
- MMS Support: No
- Country: Blank (since it can be used across multiple countries)
For countries that require ASID registration, complete the registration process first. SMS Operations will then manually provision the ASID in your SMS Number Inventory if the name differs from one you have already created. If the registered ASID uses the same name as an existing one, it becomes available for use in that country once registration is complete.
Reusability
The same ASID can be utilized for messaging in multiple countries (where vendor policies allow). They can be used in multiple organizations regardless if it is the same region or in other regions.
Usage across products
ASIDs are supported across key messaging capabilities within the platform.
Billing
ASIDs are currently introduced without additional setup or recurring charges. Billing is usage-based. SMS messages sent using ASIDs are billed the same as outbound Longcode SMS. Charges are applied per country and per message segment. Genesys invoices alphanumeric usage using the same outbound rate classes as long codes, and it appears on the invoice under the corresponding outbound rate class. If you use both long codes and alphanumeric sender IDs, we combine the usage into a single line item on the invoice.
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