How to Get an Active Sender Number for SMS

Overview

AfterShip SMS lets merchants send SMS to share updates with their customers. However, you must get an active number first. This tutorial will help you seamlessly obtain one.

Steps to get active numbers

Go to Settings and select SMS
Click Set up SMS and complete 3 easy steps

Step 1: Choose regions

Select the regions you’d like to send SMS to, and we’ll assign a phone number to your account according to your selection. You can change this later in the settings.


Points to keep in mind:

For merchants who need to send SMS to the US, we will generate a US toll-free number for US SMS traffic.
For merchants who need to send SMS to the UK, we will generate a UK domestic long code for UK SMS traffic.
For merchants who need to send SMS to the rest of the world ( excluding certain countries ) , we will generate a US long code for other SMS traffic.

Specific countries excluded from numeric sender numbers

For the following countries/regions, SMS will be sent with an AfterShip branded sender ID (i.e., the recipient will see “AfterShip”) rather than a numeric sender:

Country/region	SMS sender
Saudi Arabia	Branded sender ID, “AfterShip”
Hong Kong	Branded sender ID, “AfterShip”
Singapore	Branded sender ID, “AfterShip”
Thailand	Branded sender ID, “AfterShip”
France	Branded sender ID, “AfterShip”
Mainland China	Dynamic numeric sender

Step 2: Submit business info to get phone numbers

Note: Toll-free verification is a must for the best delivery in the U.S., you won't be able to send messages to U.S.-based numbers until the toll-free number is verified. And starting September 30, 2024, all new and existing UK long codes must have verified information to be able to send SMS. Learn more

Sending an SMS to any region requires company information to be included. Also, SMS won’t be triggered to your US customers if your toll-free number number is not activated.

Step 3: Complete TCPA/GDPR compliance settings

Adhering to rules and regulations is imperative to send SMS through AfterShip SMS. Kindly follow this guide.

FAQs

1. How long does it take to start sending SMS after registering my business info for a phone number?

To send SMS to US or UK recipients, business information verification is required, taking around 1-7 days. SMS sending is enabled only after phone number verification. For non-US recipients, activation can be done instantly by clicking "Activate" in the admin panel.

2. Will I receive a notification regarding the phone number verification result?

Yes, we will send an email to the organization owner of your AfterShip account.

Updated on: 23/04/2025