About sender IDs
A sender ID is the name a text message appears to come from: your organisation’s name instead of a phone number. People see straight away who the message is from, which makes them more likely to read it and less likely to mistake it for a scam.
Sender ID or reply number?
| Sender ID | Reply number | |
|---|---|---|
| Shows as | Your name, e.g. YOURORG | A phone number |
| People can reply | No | Yes, and replies come back to your account |
| Registration in Ireland | Must be registered with ComReg | Not needed |
| Best for | Notices, alerts and reminders that don’t need an answer | Confirmations, surveys and conversations |
You can use both on the same account and choose for each message.
Choosing a sender ID
- 3 to 11 characters, capital letters A to Z only. No spaces, digits or symbols.
- It should clearly identify your organisation. Generic names such as
SMS,DOCTORorDENTISTcan no longer be registered in Ireland, and messages with misleading sender information aren’t delivered (see section 17.6 of the terms). - Your sender ID must match exactly, letter for letter, wherever you register it.
Getting a sender ID approved
Every sender ID is approved by us before it can be used. Its status is Pending until then, and Approved or Rejected after. Approval usually takes up to 48 hours.
In the Republic of Ireland there’s an extra step first: the sender ID must be registered with ComReg, with DiaryBook (the company behind Iflow) assigned as your third party. Follow Register with ComReg, then let us know once ComReg has approved it.
In the UK and most other countries, there’s no national registration step. A few countries’ networks don’t accept sender IDs at all. If you send there, the message fails with status 9132 and you need a reply number instead.
What to watch for
Irish recipients see “Likely Scam” The sender ID isn’t registered with ComReg, or DiaryBook isn’t assigned as the third party on the registration.
Messages fail with 9104 or 9105 9104 means the sender ID used isn’t valid. 9105 means the account has no approved sender IDs. See Status and error codes.
People reply and nothing arrives Messages from a sender ID can’t be replied to. Send from a reply number when you need answers.