Sender ID
Also called: SMS header
A sender ID, called a header on DLT portals, is the short alphanumeric name that appears as the sender of a commercial SMS in place of a phone number, and in India it must be registered and approved before use.
Sender ID in dealership marketing
Headers are six characters and should clearly relate to the business name, so a buyer recognises who the message is from. Operators prepend a short route prefix when the message is delivered, which is why the name a customer sees is slightly longer than the header registered.
Each header is registered under a category, such as promotional or service, and can only be used for messages of that type. A service header used for an offer is a template mismatch and will be blocked.
Related terms
- Messaging & Compliance
DLT registration
DLT registration is the process, mandated by India's telecom regulator TRAI, of registering a business, its SMS sender IDs, and its message templates on a telecom operator's Distributed Ledger Technology platform before any commercial SMS can be delivered.
Read definition - Messaging & Compliance
Message template
A message template is the pre-approved wording of a business message, with placeholders for variable details such as the customer's name or appointment time, that must be registered on DLT for SMS or approved by Meta for WhatsApp before it can be sent.
Read definition - Messaging & Compliance
DND registry
The DND registry is India's national list of mobile numbers whose owners have opted out of promotional calls and messages, and telecom operators block promotional SMS to any number on it regardless of who is sending.
Read definition
Where it applies
AutoSutra services where sender id comes into play.
Further reading
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