- Dedicated Short Code
- Toll-Free Number
- 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC)
Types of Numbers
Short Codes
Short codes are 5 or 6-digit numbers ideal for brands with large subscriber lists needing fast and reliable delivery speeds. They are memorable and they help with brand recognition. With a shortcode, you get optimal delivery rates, as they can handle a high volume of messages per second. Due to their unique nature, shortcodes incur a leasing cost of $500 to $1000 per month. OneText does not add any additional fees on top of the leasing amount. However, provisioning can take 3 to 6 weeks due to a thorough review process with carriers.Toll-Free Numbers
Toll-Free Numbers are commonly used in SMS marketing. These 8XX numbers enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of your communications. At OneText, we prefer to provision 833 numbers for the best delivery performance across all carriers.Why is OneText prioritizing 833 numbers?
Why is OneText prioritizing 833 numbers?
5 out of 6 Toll-Free numbers don’t thread properly on iOS + Verizon. Messages will randomly appear in different threads. This makes it hard for your shoppers to find you, confuses people, breaking conversational texting. This is a deep-cut telephony issue. The good news is, there’s a fix. Not all toll-free numbers are created equal.The iOS messages app displays some toll messages correctly: +1 (8XX) YYY-ZZZZ; but others show up incorrectly: +18XXYYYZZZZ. Verizon uses the two display formats interchangeably, which consistently causes problems. This thread shows an example. Two different text threads for the same number (because Verizone displays them in two different formats).To fix: use a toll free number that starts with +1 (833). It’s that simple. iOS always displays those messages correctly. We only use toll free numbers that start with +1 (833) because we believe details like this matter, especially when sending high-converting text to buy messages.
10-Digit Long Code (10DLC)
A 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) resembles a personal phone number and uses to a specific local code. It’s perfect for small businesses with steadily growing lists and it offers a good throughtput. The delivery limits and throughtput are determined by the carrier evaluations based on the brand’s online presence and reputation.Choosing the Best Number for Your Brand
During the sales and pre-onboarding process, our team will guide you in selecting the best number type for your brand. Generally, we recommend a Toll-Free Number for brands with fewer than 100,000 subscribers and Short Codes for brands with more than 100,000 subscribers.| Feature | Short Code | Toll-Free Number | 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 5 or 6-digits | 10-digit starting with 833 | 10-digit starting with a specific local code (e.g., 650-111-1111) |
| Approval | 3-6 weeks | 2-3 business days | 3-7 business days |
| Throughput | Built for high-volume sending | Built for fast deliverability | Economical deliverability and throughput |
| Cost | $500 to $1000/month, depending on the number | Free to OneText brands | Free to OneText brands |
| Recommended to… | Large and Growing Brands with more than 100,000 subscribers | Medium and Small Business Brands looking for good brand positioning | Small Businesses and Brands looking for a local presence |