SMS Sender IDs Explained: Alphanumeric, Numeric and Registration

A sender ID is the name or number your SMS appears to come from. Getting it right improves trust and delivery.

Alphanumeric vs numeric

An alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 characters, like your brand name) is best for one-way transactional and marketing SMS. A numeric or short code is used where two-way replies are needed.

Why registration matters

Many African operators require you to pre-register an alphanumeric sender ID. Unregistered IDs may be blocked or replaced, so OTP and alerts can fail silently. Registration rules and lead times differ by country and network.

Let us handle it

eSMS Africa registers sender IDs with the operators in each market and tells you exactly what each requires, so your critical messages are never dropped for an unregistered ID.

Get started

Register a branded sender ID: get started.