Short code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:14, 27 February 2025

Revision as of 18:48, 9 March 2025

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Short codes are designed{{cn|date=December 2023}} to be easier to read and remember than telephone numbers.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Short Code - What Is It, How Should You Use It? |url=https://www.cm.com/en-za/glossary/short-code/ |website=cm.com |language=en-ZA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129185414/https://www.cm.com/en-za/glossary/short-code/ |archive-date=2022-11-29 |access-date=2023-03-08 }}</ref> Short codes are unique to each operator at the technological level. Even so, providers generally have agreements to avoid overlaps. In some countries, such as the United States, some classes of numbers are inter-operator (used by multiple providers or carriers). U.S. inter-operator numbers are called '''common short codes''').<ref name="youra">{{cite web |url=http://www.youra.com/stats/mobileuse.pdf |title=Common Short Codes: Cracking The Mobile Marketing Code |last=Neufeld |first=Evan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114064327/http://www.youra.com/stats/mobileuse.pdf |archive-date=2014-01-14 |access-date=2022-12-27 }}</ref>

Organisations may set up short codes to encourage users to engage with services such as [[Mobile donating |charity donations]], mobile services, ordering [[ringtones]], or television-program voting.<ref name=":0" /> Messages sent to a short code can be billed at a higher rate than a standard SMS and may even subscribe a customer to a recurring monthly service that will be added to the customer's mobile-phone bill until the user texts, for example, the word "STOP" to terminate the service.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=2021-05-11 |title=What is a Short Code? |url=https://community.sinch.com/t5/SMS/What-is-a-Short-Code/ta-p/7121 |website=community.sinch.com |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020155245/https://community.sinch.com/t5/SMS/What-is-a-Short-Code/ta-p/7121 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |access-date=2025-02-25 }}</ref><ref name="cm-short" >{{cite web |title=Short Code - What Is It, How Should You Use It? |url=https://www.cm.com/en-in/glossary/what-is-short-code/ |website=cm.com |language=en-IN |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129173803/https://www.cm.com/en-in/glossary/what-is-short-code/ |archive-date=2022-11-29 |access-date=2025-02-25 }}</ref>

== Short codes and service identifiers (prefix) ==

Short codes are often associated with automated services. An automated program can handle the response and typically requires the sender to start the message with a command word or prefix. The service then responds to the command appropriately.<ref name=":1" />

In ads or in other printed material where a provider has to provide both a prefix and the short code number, the advertisement will typically follow this format:<ref name=":1" />

*Example 1 - Long version: Text Football to 72404 for latest football news.

*Example 2 - Short version: football@72404