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Guide to alpha tags

Updated over a week ago

What are alpha tags

An alpha tag (short for alphanumeric sender ID) is a custom sender ID name, such as your business name. Alpha tags are often used by businesses to promote brand recognition and trust.


When to choose them

Use an alpha tag if:

  • you want your messages to come from a recognizable brand name instead of an anonymous number. This builds credibility and helps customers instantly identify your business.

  • you only need one-way messaging. Alpha tags don’t support replies from your recipients.

  • you send SMS to countries that support alpha tags


Register a global alpha tag

Global alpha tags can be used in all countries which allow alpha tags without additional registration. If you are sending to a country which does not require network registration for alpha tags you can easily register via the API or via the dashboard:

  1. Log into the Dashboard

  2. Navigate to Sender IDs > Manage Senders > Alpha Tags

  3. In the alpha tags section, click on the Add button to register a new alpha tag

  4. Follow the on-screen prompts

Once you've submitted your registration, it will be sent to our team to review and approve. This typically takes around 24 hours. Once your alpha tag has been approved, you can start using it to send via Quick SMS and SMS Campaign.

We will notify you via email if registration was successful or if we need more information before we can proceed.


Register a local alpha tag

A local alpha tag can only be used in the country you registered it. These alpha tags always require additional registration.

If you are sending to a country which requires network registration for alpha tags simply contact us via our 24/7 chat support. We'll guide you through the process.

The information we need varies by country, but some examples include:

  • The alpha tag you'd like to use.

  • Your business details.

  • Your website URL.

  • Examples of the messages you'll send.

  • The type of content you'll be sent.


Banned alpha tags

Unfortunately, smishing and phishing are on the rise. To help keep our customers safe, we have put rules and restrictions in place. We don't allow the registration of alpha tags that are generic or associated with well-known trademarks.

If the alpha tag you wish to use is on the list but you have a legitimate use case please contact support.

Find a list of prohibited generic alpha tags below:

  • 1TimePin

  • 2FA

  • Accept

  • Access

  • Account

  • Accounts

  • Active

  • Admin

  • Advice

  • Alert

  • Allow

  • Allowance

  • App

  • Appointment

  • Approve

  • Approved

  • Auth

  • AuthMsg

  • Authorise

  • Aware

  • Bank

  • Banking

  • Bill

  • Billing

  • Call

  • Card

  • Caution

  • Certify

  • Check

  • CloudOTP

  • Code

  • Collect

  • Collection

  • Confirm

  • Contact

  • Control

  • Courier

  • Delay

  • Deliver

  • Delivery

  • DoNotReply

  • Energy

  • FollowUp

  • Fraud

  • Help

  • Info

  • InfoSMS

  • ISA

  • Key

  • Loan

  • Logistics

  • LogMeln

  • Logon

  • Malware

  • Message

  • Mobile

  • Mortgage

  • MSG

  • MsgAuth

  • Network

  • NoReply

  • Notice

  • Notify

  • OneTimePin

  • Order

  • OTP

  • OTPSMS

  • Overdue

  • Package

  • Parcel

  • Pay

  • Payment

  • PhoneCode

  • Phone Code

  • Pin

  • PinCode

  • Post

  • Protocol

  • Purchase

  • Ratify

  • Rebate

  • Recall

  • Receipt

  • Refund

  • Reminder

  • Repayment

  • Reply

  • Reschedule

  • Response

  • Results

  • Save

  • Saving

  • Scam

  • Schedule

  • Secure

  • Security

  • Service

  • Shipping

  • Sign

  • Signin

  • Signon

  • SMS

  • SMSAuth

  • SMSCode

  • SMSInfo

  • SMSOTP

  • SMSVerify

  • Support

  • System

  • Test

  • Text

  • Trace

  • Track

  • Tracking

  • Trust

  • TXT

  • Update

  • Updates

  • Validate

  • Verify

  • VerifyMe

  • VerifySMS

  • Virus

  • Warn

  • Warning

  • Wholesale

  • Winner

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