Geographical limitations of each of the different ways of sending or receiving SMS
SMS is both a simple marketing tool and an internal communication one. It’s also effective and economical. Its biggest advantage? It facilitates communications between companies and their customers or between managers and employees. Currently, brands have the choice between 3 types of numbers to interact with their audience or employees: short code, long code and toll-free. We will take a look at the geographical boundaries of each of them.
The geographical limits of the short code number
Composed of 4 to 6 digits, a short code number is generally used for votes, polls and two-way SMS. It especially has the advantage of being easy to memorize and grasp. However, its use is limited to a single country. In other words, a short code can only send SMS to phone numbers that have the same prefix or area code. This means that a brand that targets an international clientele must use a short code specific to each country it covers.
The geographical limits of the long code number
As a reminder, a long code number is the form of phone number as we use it in everyday life. It consists of 10 digits and contains an area code that, as its name suggests, makes it possible to recognize the country of residence of its owner. This is the preferred option for sending SMS internationally from a single number. It should be noted, however, that rates for foreign calls are generally higher, and the conditions of use vary between telephone operators.
The geographical limits of the toll-free number
A toll-free number is a telephone number with which the public can communicate free of charge, by call or SMS, its owner having agreed to pay all fees. It is often used for brand and service phone support. The use of this type of phone number is usually limited to a specific region such as North America. Of course, it is sometimes possible to call it from abroad, but fees may be applied by the operator.
Conclusion
The scope of your SMS campaign as well as the reach of your business must therefore be taken into account when choosing the type of your phone number. If you are targeting a local clientele and if all your offices are in the same region, short code and toll-free are interesting options. If your customers or employees are scattered around the world, lean for long code instead.
At Cocoapp, we offer an SMS communication management tool adapted to your business, whatever its size. This connector gives you the opportunity to interact more easily with your customers, prospects and employees by enabling two-way SMS messaging, without having to change phone operators or phone numbers. In addition, you can keep and consult the history of your exchanges at any time. Do not hesitate to contact us for additional information on this tool.
