Bulk SMS Discounts

Ah-Watch

Hi I have a quick question, I had a customer in today who wants to send approximately 200 messages in one go instead of sending from her mobile as it only allows you to add 20 numbers to the recipients, I'm looking for people who use this facility online-(not the 02/vodafone/meteor sites) a reliable site and a cheap one. Hope you can all help:)

Cheers
Ah-Watch

quintron

Clickatell works well. Have been on the go for years. Be advised though that people cannot reply to the text number.
http://www.clickatell.com/

Ah-Watch

Thanks for the reply, is there one that I can set the sender as the name of the business? Or is it only the number that it comes from (+44?)

Mylow

Ah-Watch wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, is there one that I can set the sender as the name of the business? Or is it only the number that it comes from (+44?)

Did you actually look at the Clickatell website??????

It's all there in black and white in the FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

ARTICLE SUMMARY
How to set the sender id (from or originator) of a sms message - and the sender limitations
SYMPTOMS
How to set the Sender ID (from or originator) of an SMS message and the sender limitations
RESOLUTION
You are able to set a Sender ID (originator) for your outgoing SMS messages. This will be displayed at the bottom of your SMS as the 'from' field. The Sender ID can be up to 11 characters if it is alphanumeric, and up to 15 digits if it is numeric only.

To set this use the 'from' parameter on the API followed by your Sender ID value. For Messenger Pro, you may set the Sender ID on the Options tab.

However, in order to prevent Sender ID abuse (spoofing) and to satisfy our suppliers, Clickatell requires customers to register the Sender IDs that they wish to use.

Registering a sender id can be achieved, by selecting the appropriate product from the drop down list available under “My account” and logging in at:

http://www.clickatell.com

Once logged in click on the “My settings” tab and select the “Manage sender IDs” link. Now the “Add sender id” link can be used to enter the mobile number.

Mobile numbers can be registered in real-time. Registration is done through the use of an sms activation code. You will be required to re-enter this mobile number on the webpage provided to allow activation.

Please be aware that names and numbers that cannot be registered in the above manner will be done through a manual verification process. This will require the submission of a motivation through the online interface, whereby the result of this submission will be communicated via email as well as through the interface.

While replies to these messages are not guaranteed, it may be possible. If you wish for the recipient to be able to reply, set your sender to your mobile number in the international format, excluding the leading +. For the UK, you will use 'from:447986180263'. The SMS will be delivered to the phone with the sender as:+447986180263 - to which the recipient may be able to reply.

elderlemon

As someone else posted Clickatell does this. You can also register a mobile number with them and have it as a reply to number, or you can set up virtual numbers and the replies come back into Clickatell.

Bear in mind that you won't get much of a discount for 200 texts. We went over 100K texts and then the price dropped.

Ah-Watch wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, is there one that I can set the sender as the name of the business? Or is it only the number that it comes from (+44?)

Ah-Watch

Mylow wrote: »

Did you actually look at the Clickatell website??????

It's all there in black and white in the FAQ's

Sorry I wasn't clear about that, I meant other websites that you can put the business name down-not Clickatell-Sorry for the confusion. I'm just looking for more than one option for the customer.
Cheers

whisht

I use Esendex and yes, I can change the number to appear from whatever I need.
http://www.esendex.com/en/Ireland/

elderlemon

... but they are almost twice as expensive as Clickatell for essentially the same service.

whisht wrote: »

I use Esendex and yes, I can change the number to appear from whatever I need.
http://www.esendex.com/en/Ireland/

Placebo

Hey,
sorry to bump but currently doing some stuff with clickatell and i was under the impression it would allow me to sign up with a FROM number but as far as i can see this is called a 'SHORTCODE' and only applicable to UK AND SA [according to clickatell]

now i have everything setup and told my clients everythings good to go.
eeeeeeeppppppp

elderlemon

Clickatell can give you a virtual number for use in Ireland - it will be an 0044xxxxx number rather than a 00353. Any messages sent to this will be routed back through clickatell and from there to your server. I think they support UK, Denmark and Australia. €100 setup and €25 per month.

http://www.clickatell.com/products/two_way.php

A shortcode is different and would be country specific. I think you can also register your own mobile number but then you would have to put in place a modem with a sim in it and your relpies would all go to this modem, then to your server.

Placebo wrote: »

Hey,
sorry to bump but currently doing some stuff with clickatell and i was under the impression it would allow me to sign up with a FROM number but as far as i can see this is called a 'SHORTCODE' and only applicable to UK AND SA [according to clickatell]

now i have everything setup and told my clients everythings good to go.
eeeeeeeppppppp

scout353

You could also try interactsms.com or webtext.com - think both companies are Irish though not sure about their rates.

Placebo

elderlemon wrote: »

Clickatell can give you a virtual number for use in Ireland - it will be an 0044xxxxx number rather than a 00353. Any messages sent to this will be routed back through clickatell and from there to your server. I think they support UK, Denmark and Australia. €100 setup and €25 per month.

http://www.clickatell.com/products/two_way.php

A shortcode is different and would be country specific. I think you can also register your own mobile number but then you would have to put in place a modem with a sim in it and your relpies would all go to this modem, then to your server.

so were you able to setup 0044xxxxx number?

elderlemon

We never did. We got more customers in the U.S. than here so got a U.S. solution instead. Send an email to clickatell and ask - they are pretty good at getting back to you.

Placebo wrote: »

so were you able to setup 0044xxxxx number?

Placebo

i think its restricted to USA/UK/SA
so contacting esendex

glanman

HI, I was going to start a new thread but this seems the best place. My GAA club sends messages about training, matches meetings etc to members, these could be to 20 or 100 depending on who needs to know what.

The club are spending a fortune on this as the people running it dont really have an idea about how to save money. So i am wondering, will i be able to avail of free message offers with carriers by topping up by €20 a month or will they deem it as excessive use. their could be anywhere up to 1500 text sent a month.

If i cant avail of free texts this way what are the most cost effect ways? I saw a system on the paper a few weeks ago called teamster.ie or teamtext (not the right names), an irish company offering text services to irish sport teams. thanks for the help!!

Kenny Powers

I think anything over 5000 messages they will deem excessive. It depends on what network you choose have a look at the small print. So it could work set up a few groups in your mobile etc and hit send.

Davy

dont forget the free webtexts 250/300 each month depending which network you choose. Apart from tesco and three who choose not to give any free webtexts.

o2 give 15,000 text messages every 30 day period fair usage
Voda 5,000 text messages every 30 day period

elderlemon

for costs on texts (outside of free texts from the operators) you'd expect to pay anything from 5 to 12 cent per text depending on volume.

glanman wrote: »

If i cant avail of free texts this way what are the most cost effect ways? I saw a system on the paper a few weeks ago called teamster.ie or teamtext (not the right names), an irish company offering text services to irish sport teams. thanks for the help!!

Placebo

anyone have any experience with soap, going to have to use this for batch sms'

http://www.esendex.com/en/Developers/APIs/SOAP-XML-SMS-API/

-Freebird-

Davy wrote: »

dont forget the free webtexts 250/300 each month depending which network you choose. Apart from tesco and three who choose not to give any free webtexts.

o2 give 15,000 text messages every 30 day period fair usage
Voda 5,000 text messages every 30 day period

It's 10,000 fair usage policy.

glanman

Davy wrote: »

dont forget the free webtexts 250/300 each month depending which network you choose. Apart from tesco and three who choose not to give any free webtexts.

o2 give 15,000 text messages every 30 day period fair usage
Voda 5,000 text messages every 30 day period

So this sounds like my best option for the GAA club ya? Is it as simple as topping up by x amount each month and getting free text as a result?

Davy

glanman wrote: »

So this sounds like my best option for the GAA club ya? Is it as simple as topping up by x amount each month and getting free text as a result?

Yes €20 every 30 days will give you free texts to any network.

glanman

Davy wrote: »

dont forget the free webtexts 250/300 each month depending which network you choose. Apart from tesco and three who choose not to give any free webtexts.

o2 give 15,000 text messages every 30 day period fair usage
Voda 5,000 text messages every 30 day period

Thanks Davy

elderlemon

check out this http://www.tm4bhelp.com/dev/p-111.php

I've used tm4b in the past and they are good.

Placebo wrote: »

Hey,
sorry to bump but currently doing some stuff with clickatell and i was under the impression it would allow me to sign up with a FROM number but as far as i can see this is called a 'SHORTCODE' and only applicable to UK AND SA [according to clickatell]

now i have everything setup and told my clients everythings good to go.
eeeeeeeppppppp

parsi

Saadian Technologies also offer this service (got a flyer from them at some stage)

DaveMR

glanman wrote: »

Thanks Davy

I have been trying to sort something similiar out for our rugby club
What I've found is..
O2 have the best webtext option to send to groups/multiple recepients. They only have 250 free webtext v Vodafone's 300 webtext. However Vodafone dont allow you to send to groups.
What I've also found to our cost is that the "free text to all networks" options (with O2 anyway) can only be sent from your mobile phone.
Simply : if you try and send a webtext from the number after the 250 free webtexts have been used you are then charged 10c per text (even if you have unlimited free texts to any network on your plan)
To avail of the free texts you have to use a phone, which is difficult if you are trying to send 150 - 200 txts

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread about www.teamer.net
I can recommed this site completely especially if you are only sending txts about match and training times.
It is completely free! I hae sent hundreds of txts from it and not cost a single cent!
The only downside is that it doesnt let you write a text like webtext
It has a number of templates into which you put your details eg match date, time, venue, opposition etc and then sends that info in a predetermined format.
They are sponsored texts which is how they are keeping it free
(as I type this I have just remembered they are sponsored by setanta!! hope that keeps going!!)
I'm still looking for the perfect cost effective (ideally free)system and wil keep trying
One option is to get the 5 free sim cards from 02 and just keep using the 250 free webtexts on 5 diff numbers - in theory 1250 free texts per month but a little messy
Anyway hope this helps someone