What is a Sender ID?
The SMS sender ID is the text display name that you see at the top of your phone’s screen and is used to identify who sent the message. This is composed of 6 characters. it is now mandatory to register your relevant senderIDs with the DLT platform before you start using them, as per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Sender ID is also known as Header. By using a Sender ID, your customers will immediately recognize who the SMS text message is from
What is the length of the Sender ID (Header)?
Sender id should be of 6 alphabetic characters for any Service Implicit message. This is only for Alerts Panel (Transactional and OTP SMSs).
When creating a promotional Sender ID from the DLT platform, these will be visible in the "Type" drop-down menu.
The sender ID for Promotional accounts is 6 numeric characters, with the first 2 digits representing the category of the message.
You may choose the characters that make up the Sender ID so that your customers may be able to relate this with your company's name.
Is content template registration mandatory on the DLT platform?
Yes, Content Template Registration is mandatory, and passing an approved Template Id along with the SMS is a mandatory parameter. Also, all kinds of SMS content i.e. OTPs, Transactional, and Promotional have to be registered on your respective DLT platform.
What is a consent template?
The consent template is an essential part of the DLT process set up by the TRAI to curb unsolicited messages being sent out within India. It is mandatory to register the consent template on the DLT platform to acquire consent from new subscribers prior to transmission of commercial communication.
What is the difference between Transactional and Promotional Messaging?
Transactional messages alert you on a recent transaction. For e.g. Withdrawal of cash, card-swiping, etc., Promotional messages are sent to promote an event or a marketing campaign like offers and discounts, promo codes, etc.
| Transactional SMS | Promotional SMS |
| 6 alphabetic characters Sender ID | 6 numeric characters Sender ID |
| Can be delivered 24*7 | Can be delivered only between 9 AM to 9 PM |
| Can be delivered to all the numbers | You can not send promotional SMS to DND (Do not disturb) numbers |
| For e.g. :- Dear user your account balance is low at Rs. 73803. Regards. XYZ Bank. | For e.g. :- Now you can get 7.4% interest on all your fixed deposit. Regards. XYZ Bank. |
What kind of SMSs can be sent through Transactional Channel?
Through the transactional channel, we can send the message only to the subscribed users and the content of the message should be only transactional/informative.
For Eg:- Any transactions made by the user, updates in his/her account, and critical alerts are all sent in Transactional SMS.
What is the format of Variable while applying Content Template on the DLT platform?
On every DLT platform, each Variable should be written as {#var#}. If you use any other format of Variable, it will not be considered as Variable and your SMS delivery will be impacted.
What is the character limit in Variable {#var#} while sending SMS?
The actual value of the variable while sending an SMS will be a maximum of 30 characters, for English and Unicode both.
Any limit on the number of variables allowed in a single Content Template?
4-5 variables are allowed in one Content Template.
How many Headers (Sender Id) can be associated with a Content Template?
Multiple Headers can be mapped against the same Content Template during registration. This might be different on different DLT platforms.
Have confusion while applying content in service implicit and explicit?
If you are confused in deciding the SMS content category as Service Implicit or Explicit while applying on the DLT platform, then it is highly recommended to apply the Content Template twice, once with Implicit and once with Explicit. Later, if your Content Template is approved from both categories, then kindly use the Template Id of Service Implicit only.
Can a Variable be placed at the end of the Content Template?
No, a Variable cannot be the last word of the Content Template.
How much time does it take to get the Content Template's approval from the DLT platform?
Due to a large number of requests you may face some delay in approval, however, a minimum of 2-4 business days wait is expected.
Is adding a Brand Name compulsory for all kinds of content templates?
Yes, Brand Name is compulsory in all kinds of SMS content: Promotional, Transactional, and OTPs.
Getting rejection on a template with an error “wrong content type selected”?
Please note, that your SMS content should be applied under the service implicit (for transactional) or service explicit (for promotional) category only.
Getting rejection on a template with an error “ Brand name not added”
Adding a Brand name in an SMS content template is mandatory and should be explicitly mentioned in the SMS body itself.
For example:
Dear {#var#}
Please register for Webinar by clicking on {#var#} The date for Webinar is {#var#} and the time is {#var#}.
XYZ University
Getting rejection on a template with an error “ No header associated with the brand name”?
This implies, that you do not have a Header/ Sender Id of the brand name, you wish to have a template and hence no- correlation can be built.
Ex: If I want to add a template with the brand name NORTH UNIVERSITY, I should have a header related to NORTH UNIVERSITY in my DLT account first, say, NRTUNV.
Note: You cannot apply for a template with your customer’s brand name in your DLT account, a new entity registration should be carried out for your customers first.
Why are my SMS failing?
SMS might fail due to several reasons, please refer to this link to know more.