An unknown number in the inbox raises suspicion. The customer doesn't know who is writing, so the message is often ignored or taken for a scam attempt. SMS branding solves this: instead of a phone number your customers see a specific company or brand name and know right away who the message is from.
This is how SMS without a number works – with your company name instead of random digits. In SMS-fly you set your own sender name and send messages with it from the panel or via API. To start, you get 10 free test SMS so you can try the service on your own phone.
SMS branding means sending SMS messages in which the sender field shows the company name rather than a phone number. Such a name is called a sender ID (SMS sender name) or sender field. In the GSM standard it is the so-called alphanumeric sender. The inbox shows the sender name instead of a number.
In practice, instead of a message from a random number +48 123 456 789, your customer receives an SMS from “YourCompany” or “ShopXYZ”. In Poland a sender name can replace the phone number in an SMS message. No app installation is required.
It is a core feature of a paid SMS gateway, used among others by online stores, clinics and courier companies. SMS branding works both for bulk SMS sending (marketing campaigns) and for transactional messages such as order confirmations, appointment reminders and verification codes.
A message with a specific name builds trust before anyone reads the first word. SMS branding gives a company five benefits:
SMS branding is a great tool for companies that send SMS regularly: the more often a customer sees the same signature, the faster they recognise it.
Registering a sender name in SMS-fly is free. You pay for the messages you send, and the price of one SMS depends on your monthly volume. It ranges from PLN 0.069 (up to 10,000 SMS a month) to PLN 0.054 (from 500,001 to 1,000,000 SMS). For larger volumes we set an individual rate.
You can test the service for free, because after registration you get 10 free test SMS. Send a message to your own number and see how your company name appears in the inbox.
Full rates are in the price list below and on the SMS pricing page.
Setting up the sender field takes a few minutes, and our team handles the verification. To set a sender name in SMS-fly:
Every sender field must meet GSM standard requirements and operator rules. If it doesn't, it will not pass verification, so it is worth reviewing the rules below before you apply.
An SMS sender field can have at most 11 characters and at least 3. You can use:
The name must contain at least one letter and cannot have 3 digits in a row, because such a sequence could look like a phone number.
| Example | Will it pass verification? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| SklepXYZ | yes | 8 characters, letters only |
| Salon-Ewa | yes | 9 characters, letters and a hyphen |
| Pizza24 | yes | letters and only 2 digits in a row |
| Księgarnia | no | Polish letter “ę” |
| SklepInternetowy | no | 16 characters, the limit is 11 |
| Auto123 | no | 3 digits in a row |
| 5551234 | no | no letters, looks like a number |
The application must concern your own company or brand. You cannot register another company's name, someone else's trademark or a designation suggesting a government office, bank or public institution.
Since September 2023 the Polish act on combating abuse in electronic communications has been in force. Under it, NASK keeps a register of public institutions' sender IDs, and operators block SMS with names that could impersonate them. Verification makes it harder for fraudsters to impersonate well-known brands, so branded messages inspire more trust.
We explain how to recognise suspicious messages in our guide to blocking unwanted SMS.
No. An SMS with a sender name is one-way communication, because there is no number to reply to. If you need replies (e.g. confirming an appointment with the word “YES”), choose an Individual Access Number (NDI). Messages are then sent from a dedicated number and customers can reply to them. We describe the differences in the article on types of SMS sending.
It depends on the country. Due to local regulations some foreign operators replace the name with a number or require separate registration. If you plan to send SMS outside Poland, SMS-fly supports international SMS sending. Sender name availability depends on the country and the operator; some countries may require separate registration.
This is what a message with a company name can look like in different industries:
| Industry | Sender field | Sample text |
|---|---|---|
| Medical facility | MediKlinika | A reminder of your appointment with Dr Nowak on 14.10 at 9:00. To reschedule: 22 123 45 67. |
| Online store | ModaSklep | Order no. 4821 has been shipped. Track your parcel: link.pl/abc |
| Restaurant | PizzaRoma | Your order will arrive in about 30 minutes. Enjoy your meal! |
| Beauty salon | SalonBella | Your manicure is booked for tomorrow at 15:00. See you! |
| Hotel | HotelMorze | Thank you for your booking 12–14.11. Check-in from 14:00. |
| Language school | LinguaPlus | Thursday's class moved to 18:30, room 4. |
In each of these cases the customer knows who is writing before opening the message. Solutions for specific industries are in the SMS for business section.
Once set, your sender ID works in every SMS-fly sending channel:
The platform can send up to 1000 SMS per second. The actual delivery time depends, among other things, on mobile operators.
The price of sending SMS with a sender name depends on the number of messages per month.
| SMS per month | Price per SMS (net) |
|---|---|
| 1–10,000 | PLN 0.069 |
| 10,001–50,000 | PLN 0.064 |
| 50,001–100,000 | PLN 0.062 |
| 100,001–500,000 | PLN 0.059 |
| 500,001–1,000,000 | PLN 0.054 |
| over 1,000,000 | individual rate |
Registering a sender name in SMS-fly is free. You pay for the SMS you send (from PLN 0.054 per message), and your first 10 messages are free.
From 3 to 11 characters. You can use letters without Polish characters, digits, spaces and selected symbols. At least one letter is required.
We usually verify applications within 1 hour. Outside business hours and at weekends verification may take up to 24 hours. Once the sender ID is approved, you can use it right away in the panel and via API.
No, you cannot reply to an SMS with a sender ID. For two-way communication use NDI, i.e. sending from a dedicated number.
Yes. In Polish mobile networks the company name appears on every phone, including older models without internet access.