Sender IDs

The Sender ID is the number/name that appears on a mobile phone when a message is delivered – i.e. who it is from.

When you send an SMS from fmSMS there are several options for setting the Sender ID depending on which options are supported by your SMS Gateway and region:

Use a real mobile phone number as the Sender ID. Any replies are sent direct to that mobile phone that was used as the Sender ID
Use an Alphanumeric Sender ID (these are usually between 3 and 11 characters, e.g. “Databuzz”). Recipients cannot reply to messages sent using an Alphanumeric Sender ID. They are used for one way announcements/alerts that you don’t expect users to reply to
Use a shared virtual mobile number as the Sender ID (virtual mobile numbers are not tied to an actual mobile phone). Some SMS Gateways allow you to use one of their shared virtual mobile numbers as the Sender ID. You won’t be able to select which shared number to use but you can use a shared number for 2 way messaging as any replies to that number will be received by the SMS Gateway and matched to the original message you sent.
Use a dedicated virtual mobile number that you purchase/rent as the Sender ID. A dedicated virtual mobile number is the ultimate solution for 2 way message as it allows your customers/staff/students etc to send a message at any time to the dedicated virtual number, as well as when replying to messages you send using the virtual mobile number as the Sender ID.

For example when sending messages using the Twilio Gateway messages will appear to be sent from your assigned Twilio number which has been entered into one of the Custom Text fields in the fmSMS Account Details screen. These assigned numbers are typically "long" numbers that can be used to receive replies which can then be stored by the Gateway and downloaded manually or pushed automatically using Webhooks.

You can discuss the available options for Sender IDs with your selected Gateway (these also depend on your geographic region). Check with your Gateway for further details. You can get more information on Sender IDs in our Getting Started guide.