MessageBird is the recommended International SMS Gateway Provider
From a review of the major SMS players MessageBird was viewed as the best value international player based on their:
Pricing schedule starting from $0.049 per SMS
A high reliability with a 99.95% up-time service level guarantee
Provide global telecommunication carriers allowing text messages to be delivery both international and nationally
Strong reputation globally
ClickSend is the recommended USA SMS Gateway Service Provider
For those looking for an American based text message gateway provider, ClickSend is recommend based on their:
Low pricing which like MessageBird starts at $0.049 per SMS
Reliability of 100%
Local American based customer service
Strong client portfolio including clients like Uber
MessageBird Text Message Gateway Pricing
Whether it be 100 messages to a large quantity such as 100,000 messages MessageBird has a set price of 4.9c per SMS sent and receiving messages on your virtual number or short code at no additional charge.
If businesses are looking to exceed 100,000 messages they can negotiate directly for lower pricing with the sales team and receive a dedicated account manager.
Additional Charges That May Be Applicable
1) Virtual Mobile Number
MessageBird charge users $40 a month for a virtual mobile number.
A dedicated virtual number is recommended to increase interaction with text messages. Virtual mobile numbers have been shown to improve response rates and can better integrate SMS to CRM or an e-mail account. The minimum subscription is three months for a virtual number with applications taking one business day to process.
2) Lookup / HLR
Lookup allows users to review their database which can be combined with HLR to clean the information to maximise text message gateway accuracy.
MessageBird’s free lookup service validates numbers and formats to minimise non-active numbers. It can ensure number formatting is correct to known standards and exclude those too short or long. The free service also removes non SMS formats such as landlines or VoIP if they can’t receive text messages.
The lookup and HLR service exists due to the provider having direct SS7 network access. This allows for SRI requests to receive the HLR of a numbers network and:
i) What mobile network and country the number belongs to ii) The IMSI of the current location of a number when a users is roaming in another country iii) The status of a number to see it it’s deactivated iv) If the subscriber is roaming and network they are using
How Reliable Is MessageBird’s USA SMS Gateway?
For any American business, reliability comes down to ensuring the message is delivered (known as Up-Time) and the time taken for the text message to reach the mobile phone (Latency). How important reliability depends on the type of text messages that will be sent by the company. While something like an advertising burst may require minimal reliability, an SMS verification service of a bank or an appointment reminder may be critical.
MessageBird offers one of the best SLA’s in the industry with a 99.95% Service Level Guarantee. A service credit is provided if this service level agreement is not met in a calendar month.
MessageBird’s reliable SMS gateway is fast with over 900 direct or one-hop carrier connections that will ensure messages are delivered in a prompt time-frame.
DLR INFORMATION
MessageBird provides real-time updated based on telecommunication providers DLR information. The delivery status information is then passed onto clients so they have up to date information on what messages have been sent to date.
Validity
Customers can control the validity of text messages. If an SMS isn’t delivered within a specified time-frame, it can be discarded at no additional charge. This can be critical for time-sensitive messages such as a ‘flash-sale’.
What Customer Support Is Available With This Text Message Gateway?
Setting up a text message gateway even with the best support guides can be tedious, timely and confusing. This is why MessageBird has a Sydney office which is so critical to provide local support. The only issue is that this support is initially limited to e-mails and their website with no dedicated number provided or Live Chat options. For this reason, the comparable support levels were rated lower than competitors.
Those new to sending text messages or utilising a gateway may want to use an American provider like Click Send who have a superior support network. It should be noted that this customer support level is based on American businesses looking for local support. It’s acknowledged that MessageBird is a global player, so while American support may be poor, this isn’t the case overseas. This is something worth considering for multi-national companies.
Who Is MessageBird?
MessageBird is one of the global pioneers when it comes to text messaging. Since 2011 they have focuses on powerful SMS APIs that are low cost, easily integrated and high speed. They also have chat and voice messaging platforms. In 2016 they were named the Netherlands Business of the Year and reached 15,000 customers including those listed below.
The Headquarters of MessageBird is in Amsterdam. They also have offices in Miami, London and Hamburg. They are a member of GSMA which focuses on improving the mobile industry and sustainable development goals such as those shown below.
They also have some SMS features but not the level of similar USA text message gateway providers as shown below.
Conclusion about MessageBird as Text Message Gateway Provider
Our MessageBird review for their business reliable SMS Gateway USA solutions found this Provider has key strengths to make it a worthy choice. Their low cost model, global infrastructure and advanced features are their points of differentiation. The only main limitation is their customer service but for those businesses have acumen when it comes setting up a gateway this limitation should not be a real factor to overcome.
What Is An SMS Gateway?
An SMS gateway allows a CRM, computer or e-mail to send and receive text messages through telecommunication network providers. Messages are routed through Short Message Services (SMS) mobile networks such as Telstra, Verizon and Vodafone. Most text message Gateways support various text messaging formats.
Applications of an SMS Gateway include:
Web SMS with contacts uploaded without software
E-mail SMS integrating SMS with e-mail programs
API SMS Services utilising CRM software
Within USA, text message gateways will either directly route to the major providers such as Optus, Telstra, Vodafone or aggregators. This will impact the speed and prices of text messages sent.
It should be noted that short message service (SMS) also known as a “text message” has a limit of 160 characters when send to another device. This means that messages exceeding this character limit will be split into multiple parts which may lead to higher sending charges.
What American Regulation Should I Consider?
When sending any text message campaign within USA, you must meet the commonwealth Spam Act 2003. Within USA the law states that no company can send legally unsolicited electronic messages. This applies to text messages through gateway with any message requiring:
Consent – The receiver must have provided consent to receive text messages or be an existing customer who has an existing business relationship
Identify – All text messages need to identify what business they came from
Unsubscribe – There needs to be functionality to unsubscribe from future business SMS correspondence (2 way SMS). A company needs to ensure any such request is processed within five days.
From a compliance aspect, the SMS provider needs to feature a strong privacy policy, be SPAM compliant, have extensive terms and conditions and clear acceptable use policy. To learn more about direct marketing compliance you can view the information commissioner website direct marketing section.
Tips For Sending Business SMS Messages
Research has shown that short text messages perform the best. While 160 characters can exist within a text message, short and sharp messages that don’t require scrolling receive the optimal open rates and engagement. Try to only provide a single message, whether a greeting, reminder, offer or referral.
A mobile is personal so understand an individual’s personal space. Unexpected bulk SMS messages can be intrusive so ensure they are functional and courteous but not too familiar. Customisation tools can help maximise relevance but there is always a line an advertiser shouldn’t cross. Also, understand when the recipient will receive the text and reliability of the gateway. Nobody wants to receive a text at midnight!
Don’t over-use the bulk SMS gateway marketing channel – Infrequent and brief messaged from businesses will ensure that users don’t unsubscribe from the communication. Use other channels such as e-mails to regularly update e-mails but avoid text messages for such communications.
Make sure you have a legitimate reason to send SMS messages – Ensure every message passes on useful information, acts as a reminder or clarifies an arrangement. As long as it has a legitimate use to an individual they will be happy to receive more text messages in the future.
Using A Premium SMS Provider
If your business send SMS messages to customers, clients, stakeholders or staff, then a premium direct gateway carrier is for you. Your message will be delivered directly to major text message service providers (such as Telstra & Optus). A text message gateway allows a computer to distribute or accept business SMS marketing transmissions to or from a telecommunications network. Most messages are usually routed into the mobile phone networks. ClickSend is one such example of an SMS gateway provider using a direct carrier.
Need for a reliant premium SMS text message gateway provider when:
Time reliant SMS
SMS alerts
SMS where content is highly private
Return messages from your customers are highly important
Marketing and communication campaigns
Reminders for appointments and delivering of a particular service
What is an SMPP Gateway?
An SMPP stands for a Short Message Peer to Peer Protocol. The SMPP gateway protocol is used within the telecommunication industry that exchanges SMS services between Short Messaging Entities (ESME) or Short Message Service Centers (SMSC). As a level-7 TCP/IP protocol is ensures speedy SMS message delivery. The SMPP can receive and send messages from mobiles including CDMA, UTMTS, GMA and UMTS phones.
How Can An American Business Integrate An SMS API?
Utilising an API is common practice by American businesses that have large-scale text message requirements. Developers connect to the SMS gateway through their preferred API from SMPP, Java, .NET, PHP or SOAP. Most providers will support SDKs through sample cost, documents and reusable libraries. Make sure the provider you choose has support levels that match your understanding of an SMS API as you may need a hands-on provider.
When setting up your API, the American SMS provider will provide you with sample code. This will allow you to connect to a SOAP API regardless of SMS API language you prefer. A provider like MessageMedia has samples o Java, GitHub in C3, Bash & Python as well as PHP. Other languages such as C++, Ruby and Powershell can also be utilised. Just talk to their support team when you first join and talk to their specialist SMS API technical support software person.
What Are The Benefits Of An SMS API Integration To A Text Message Platform?
API integration is so popular because:
Two-Way Messaging: The ability to send messages to the major American SMS networks and receive replies from the users.
Message Tagging: A two-way SMS feature that reports on the exact application that an outbound message reply corresponds to.
Delivery Reporting: Track your text messages exact time they are received to handsets providing you a full delivery audit-trail.
Validity Period: Specify just how long a text message should be valid for so after this time, if the SMS has not been delivered it doesn’t get delivered.
API Web Push: Get real-time delivery of inbound text messages to a URL for quick replies of staff, customers unlike polling that can take time to validate
SMS Gateway Frequently Asked Questions
What is API SMS Gateway?
An API allows simply query parameters via URLs that provide SMS gateway instructions to send text messages. This can be enabled through scripting language such as PHP that can be integrated to web forms and other applications.
How Does A SMS Work?
SMS is abbreviated for short message service. It’s a communication method that allows mobile phone to communicate with each other. An SMS gateway also allows computers and e-mail to also send and receive text messages making it suitable for businesses.
How Does An SMS Gateway Work?
A text message gateway acts as a relay. It translates from one protocol to another through SMSCs (SMS centres). These SMS centres includes wireless networks that handle forwarding, routing store and other SMS gateway operations ensuring the messages are delivered to the destination mobile phone.
What Does SMS Integration Mean?
SMS integration is when businesses use their existing database or CRM to target their customers through an SMS Gateway service provider. This can include targeting customers with promotions, news and other information. This integration can use automation to communicate with customers at various forms of the consume life cycle.
What Is the Difference Between SMS and MMS?
SMS means short message service while MMS means Multimedia Messaging Service. This is the next level of a text message allowing video, audio and picture content to be send to a mobile device. Sending an MMS can lead to a premium price depending on the text message gateway used.
What Is A Secure E-mail To SMS Gateway?
E-mail security gateways have gained popularity as they monitor the e-mails that are processed to be send to mobile devices. They can assist in preventing unwanted content from been delivered that can be caused by phishing attacks, SPAM and malware.
Can You Send An Anonymous Text?
This depends on the regulation of the country you operate in and your provider. Most countries require providers to have an opt-out functionality and ways to contact the SMS sender. Ensure you meet these requirements to remain compliant.
Opportunities of a Free Trial to test SMS Gateway USA providers
One of the values of assessing the functionality, reliability and efficiency of the SMS Gateway list of providers is by testing them through the offers of using their free trial period or the provision of a range of SMS that are allocated to test their service. It can vary from free 5 SMS to 25 SMS dependent on the providers offer. In the case of the five selected Gateway providers, Message Bird does not offer such offer and Nexmo will charge two (2) Euro. ClickSend, SMS Global, Burst SMS and SMS Solutions all offer a free trial based either on number of text messages or a period of time.
Integrate SMS by SMS Gateway USA providers
The use of flexible SMS API, Gateway providers can integrate SMS services into their own system and application for better functionality required by the client. New SMS integrations can often added later on. Most of the SMS Gateway list shown have an API that can send more than 100 messages at any one time with the right type of application. For example, one is able to check the balance, delivery status of a single or group SMS without the need to login to the web interface. The official Microsoft ASP.NET Site is available for PHP, Ruby and .NET.There is no concern about shared resources since these providers have dedicated SMS API servers, thus allowing text messages and responses to be distributed efficiently and reliably. A number of these providers have quick integrations, connected with applications such as MailChimp, Infusionsoft, Campaign Monitor and Zapier.
Text Message Gateway USA Services on offer
A US text message gateway is essentially an online platform that provides a client with the means to send mass text messages within seconds of the command to send. It acts as a conduit between the user and the telecommunication network so that a reliable service is provided. There is premier and hybrid telecommunication services, the latter being cheaper overseas providers which can be not as efficient as those within USA. Many of the Gateway USA providers like ClickSend, use national dependable carriers such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone with an up-time of 99.9% or better with many having a 100% money back reliability guarantee. In most cases, American text message Gateway providers have customer care centres in USA to respond quickly to any concerns or information need for distribution of text messages. They provide an SMS service to engage with customers as well as measure and track campaign performance.
About This SMS Gateway List
Our comparison was completed in January 2018. The table above shows the final five USA providers while other SMS providers were considered such as MessageMedia, Nexmo, SMS Central, SMS Broadcast, Wholesale SMS, EZ Texting, Clickatell, and Clicksend. The information was all sourced from the web SMS provider’s websites with correspondence only made at time to verify information published. As this information came from the websites with no automation used it’s recommended that you verify the data shown on this site within the providers website. This can verify your decision when selecting from the SMS Gateway list to find a provider that’s right for you.
USA SMS Gateway List
Compare Text Message Gateway Provides Designed For American Businesses.
ClickSend is the recommended USA SMS Gateway Service Provider
MessageBird Text Message Gateway Pricing
