In addition to the wide use of SMS messaging for personal conversations (person-to-person, or P2P messaging), messaging by businesses (application-to-person, or A2P messaging) is exploding as one of the most widely used channels for business communication with customers. Common use cases include marketing, mass alerts, verification's, and notifications.

What is an Alphanumeric Sender ID?

Alphanumeric Sender ID allows you to send Twilio Programmable SMS messages to supported countries from a personalized sender ID (like a business or organization name), instead of your E.164 formatted Twilio Phone number.

The example below shows how an Alphanumeric Sender ID (AUTHMSG) would look in place of the standard number. 

Benefits of messaging with Alphanumeric Sender ID

Higher message deliver ability: In many countries, regulatory bodies are increasingly filtering illegitimate A2P SMS use cases to curb unwanted messaging. For every Alphanumeric Sender ID request, Vasudev Global completes a rigorous due-diligence and registration process with the telecommunication carrier in that country. Once this process is completed, Vasudev Global handles fluctuating telecom logic, regulations, and carrier-specific rules to ensure your A2P messages reach their destination.
  
Improved brand recognition: Because recipients see your name with every SMS sent, using a recognizable Alphanumeric Sender ID reinforces your branding.
  
Increased open rates: As cases of spam and fraud increase, being able to easily identify the sender is a key factor in whether recipients decide whether to open a message. If the sender is an international or unfamiliar number, the chance of the message being opened is next to none. With Alphanumeric Sender IDs, recipients immediately recognize the sender and know the message is legitimate. As a result, they are up to 80% more likely to open the message.
 
Alternative to 10DLC A2P messaging: 

Alphanumeric Sender IDs can help work around the common challenges to A2P messaging as a high throughput and low carrier filtering option. Please note, Alphanumeric Sender ID is not available in the US or Canada.

• In most supported countries, customers can instantly provision an Alphanumeric Sender ID. These Alphanumeric Sender IDs are known as “dynamic.”
• Some countries require pre-registration, which means the customer has to provide information and sometimes additional documents, resulting in additional time before the Alphanumeric Sender ID can be used. These Alphanumeric Sender IDs are known as “pre-registered.”

Which Countries Support Alphanumeric Sender IDs?

You can find out which countries support Alphanumeric Sender IDs on this page. The image below shows the first countries (listed alphabetically) in this list, which shows supported countries and provides access to the pre-registration form for those of the countries for which pre-registration is required.

As you can see, the right column shows whether Alphanumeric Sender IDs are supported and whether pre-registration is required.

Limitations of Alphanumeric Sender IDs

• Alphanumeric Sender IDs are not supported in some countries and some supported countries require pre-registration.  
• Alphanumeric Sender IDs are only available for one-way outbound messages; recipients cannot reply directly to messages. (However, you can provide contact information in your message if you want recipients to respond).  
• Some use cases are generally prohibited (e.g., gambling, dating sites, adult content, spam, phishing, and any content that violates the law or infringes on intellectual property). 
• In some countries, additional use cases are prohibited, which are noted in the SMS Guidelines.