What to know about 6-digit phone numbers

You’ve likely received text messages from 6-digit phone numbers before. By now, you may have figured out that these phone numbers are used by organizations to communicate with their audiences all at once. Case closed, right? 

There’s a little more to it than that.

While these numbers may look odd next to your 10-digit phone number, they’re actually quite powerful–and popular. Every day, these shortened phone numbers enable Amazon to send verification codes to confirm new accounts, FedEx to share delivery notifications, and Southwest to promote its flash sales.

So, what’s special about a 6-digit phone number, and how can you put this type of number to use in your business?

What is an SMS short code?

A short code is a special 5- or 6-digit phone number that businesses use to send and receive text messages at scale. These numbers were created so organizations can quickly share promotional offers or critical alerts, and they must follow text marketing rules. If you want to learn more about them, you’ve come to the right place.

A six-digit phone number is referred to as a short code (there are also some instances of 5-digit short codes). These short code numbers were created by the major wireless carriers in 2003 to allow marketers to easily communicate things like promotional offers or important alerts to consumers.

If you want to know more about these numbers, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll cover the following FAQs in this article:

• How do SMS short codes work?
• How is a 10-digit phone number different from an SMS short code?
• How do you get an SMS short code?

How do SMS short codes work?

SMS short codes let companies send messages to large audiences—from marketing campaigns and delivery notifications to two-factor authentication codes. Businesses lease these numbers, then follow specific rules to stay compliant. Before messaging your audience, always get explicit permission. One of the simplest ways to gain subscribers is by inviting them to text a keyword to your short code.

6-digit phone numbers are used by companies of all sizes to send marketing blasts, conduct two-factor authentication, and send out notifications and alerts. They also support sending high volumes of messages in a short period of time, which makes them ideal for large campaigns.

Six-digit phone numbers are leased from the Common Short Code Administration, and once this happens, organizations can send and receive SMS and MMS messages. It’s not a free-for-all, though, and there are several rules businesses must follow to be TCPA compliant.

The most important thing to remember here is that customers must give you explicit permission to send them text messages. We put strong emphasis on making sure you can avoid looking spammy to your customers.

Getting subscribers with an SMS short code

One of the most common ways for customers to provide this permission is by texting in a keyword. For example, a burger chain might use the keyword “BURGER.” A customer would send a text to the SMS short code with the keyword “BURGER” to subscribe. The chain can then send this customer text messages. 

Keywords are arguably the most popular opt-in method to ensure customers are providing their explicit permission. If you want to learn more about keywords and compliance, we recommend checking out the following resources:

• The complete guide to SMS compliance
• Setting up a keyword
• 10 places to advertise your keyword

What’s the difference between a regular 10-digit phone number and an SMS short code?

The biggest difference lies in their length, speed, and functionality. A 10-digit number can make and receive voice calls in addition to texts, whereas a short code—often just 5 or 6 digits—can’t handle calls but allows for faster text delivery. This makes short codes perfect for high-volume messaging campaigns and promotional alerts.

10-digit phone numbers also allow you to send out mass text messages if they are text-enabled. If you’d like to learn more, we’ve written about how to pick the right number for SMS marketing and a guide to short codes vs. long codes.

“If you’re considering SimpleTexting, I highly recommend it. As a marketer, and someone who consults with multiple different types of businesses, the support that you get is wonderful. And I find the design of the platform allows you to move and experiment very quickly.”

Who uses SMS short codes?

SMS short codes are used by many organizations—retail brands, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and more—to send out promotional messages, alerts, and appointment reminders at scale. They offer quick engagement and are highly effective for campaigns requiring immediate audience response.

How do you get an SMS short code?

You’ll lease your SMS short code for $1,000–$1,500 a month, depending on whether it’s a random or vanity code. Vanity short codes (such as numbers that spell out a word) can be more memorable, though pricier. To lease a code, work with a messaging provider and fill out an approval form explaining your text messaging plans. Once your application is approved, you can use your short code for marketing campaigns, notifications, and more.

In addition to these monthly costs, there’s usually a one-time or quarterly setup fee and per-message charges associated with using a short code.

If you have the budget and want to learn more about setting up a dedicated short code, then we recommend you check out our dedicated short code texting services. 

The first step involves deciding between a dedicated vanity short code (a code that spells a word, as in Kmart’s SMS short code 56278 that spells out “Kmart”) or a random short code. 

Vanity short codes can make your 6-digit number even more memorable and, therefore, more trusted by your customers. However, this comes with extra costs, and random 6-digit numbers are more affordable.

Setting up your short code

The process of getting either a vanity short code or a random short code goes like this:

1. Choose whether you’ll lease a random or vanity code based on your desired budget and goals.
2. Work with us to complete a service approval form and provide details on what type of messages you’ll send, how you’ll use your SMS short code, and your organization in general.
3. We’ll get connected with an aggregator and get your help in submitting a joint form. This form will include information on how you’ll stay in compliance. You’ll then get either approval or feedback so we can re-submit.
4. Once you’re approved, you can get started using your number for campaigns.

We get that leasing an SMS short code can be an intimidating process. Never fear. With over a decade of experience with short code texting, we can guide you through the entire process to make it as smooth as possible. 

Get started by visiting our contact page or clicking on the blue chat button at the bottom of your screen to get started.