Sender IDs, short codes and premium-rate SMS compared
Business SMS in Kenya comes in a few forms. They differ in who can reply, who pays and how they are registered. Choosing the right one saves time and money.
The options at a glance
There are three common ways a business sends SMS in Kenya: from an alphanumeric sender ID (your name), from a 5-digit short code, or as a premium-rate service where the customer pays. Bulk SMS, where the sender pays per message and the recipient pays nothing, normally uses a sender ID.
Alphanumeric sender ID
A sender ID shows your name, up to 11 letters or numbers, in place of a phone number. It is registered with each network through a licensed provider. Recipients cannot reply to it.
It suits fee and loan reminders, payment confirmations, appointment alerts, notices and promotions to opted-in customers. On Safaricom, promotional and transactional messages need separate sender IDs.
Our sender ID registration guide covers the rules, documents and approval times.
5-digit short codes
A short code is a number resource assigned by the Communications Authority (CA). Under the CA's guidelines, licensees with a valid compliance certificate get primary assignments, and content service providers get secondary assignments from them. Older 3- and 4-digit codes were moved to 5 digits.
Short codes are two-way: people send a keyword such as "JOIN" to the number and your system replies. They suit competitions, voting, subscriptions, information services and keyword sign-ups. They carry setup and running costs and take longer to set up than a sender ID.
A business can have its own dedicated short code, or rent a keyword on a shared short code that other services also use. A shared code is cheaper and faster; a dedicated code is easier for people to remember and is yours alone.
- Decide what people will text in, which keywords you need and what your system replies.
- Choose a dedicated short code or a keyword on a shared one.
- Apply through a licensed provider that holds short code assignments from the CA.
- If people will pay above the normal SMS rate, prepare the price and unsubscribe wording the CA rules require.
- Test the keywords and replies on each network before you advertise the code.
Ordinary phone numbers (long numbers)
In some countries businesses send two-way SMS from ordinary mobile numbers. International providers report that this is not supported for business SMS in Kenya, where two-way business SMS runs on short codes. Sending bulk messages from a personal SIM also shows a number instead of your name and gives you no delivery reports.
Side-by-side comparison
| Sender ID | Short code | Premium-rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What people see | Your name, e.g. GREENHILL | A 5-digit number | A 5-digit number |
| Replies | No, one-way | Yes, two-way | Yes, two-way |
| Who pays | You, per SMS | You, plus setup and running costs | The subscriber, above normal rates |
| Registration | Each network, through a provider | CA number plan, through a licensee | Through a licensed content provider, under CA rules |
| Best for | Reminders, alerts, notices, offers | Keywords, votes, sign-ups, info services | Paid content and subscriptions |
Which one should you use?
- You send reminders, confirmations, notices or offers: a sender ID.
- You send both service messages and promotions on Safaricom: two sender IDs.
- People need to text a keyword to sign up or vote: a short code.
- You sell paid content by SMS: premium-rate, with the CA rules on pricing and unsubscribing.
- You want customers to ask questions and get answers: WhatsApp.
| Situation | What to use |
|---|---|
| A school reminding parents about fees and closing dates | Transactional sender ID |
| A SACCO confirming payments and reminding members about loans | Transactional sender ID |
| A shop sending weekend offers and order updates | Two sender IDs: promotional and transactional |
| A radio station running a text-in competition | Short code, possibly premium-rate |
| A clinic that wants patients to confirm appointments | Sender ID for reminders, WhatsApp for replies |
| A news service charging for daily updates | Premium-rate short code |
Two-way conversations belong on WhatsApp
If what you need is replies, such as questions, bookings, complaints or orders, WhatsApp is usually simpler than a short code. chat.or.ke gives you the official WhatsApp Business inbox in the same account as bulk SMS. Send the reminder by SMS from your sender ID, include your WhatsApp number, and handle replies in a shared inbox with your team.