Will My Short Code Work Internationally?

In the video above, Tatango CEO Derek Johnson answers the question, “Will my short code work internationally?” Prefer to read instead? No problem, please see the post below. You can also find answers to all of your SMS marketing questions in our Q&A video library; click here to browse.

What Is a Short Code?

First things first: a short code is a five- to six-digit phone number that is used by brands to communicate with their customers. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and other major wireless carriers developed short codes as an alternative to regular 10-digit mobile phone numbers. Compared to traditional 10-digit phone numbers, SMS short codes are much easier for consumers to read and recall, as they are about half the length. A typical short code phone number can look something like 12345 or 123456.

Will My Short Code Work Internationally?

If you lease a United States short code, that short code will only be connected to the U.S. wireless carriers, meaning that you can only send and receive SMS or MMS messages with the United States carriers. Unfortunately, there is no cross-functionality with international carriers, so you are only able to communicate to customers on the networks of U.S. wireless carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. If you wanted to send messages via short code in Canada, you need to get a Canadian short code.

Learn More About SMS Marketing

Want to learn more about the ins and outs of SMS marketing? Check out a few of our favorite text message marketing articles below.

• SMS Short Codes – What Every Business Needs to Know
• How Do You Get an SMS Short Code?
• What is a Dedicated Short Code?
• 20 Websites Advertising SMS Marketing Campaigns