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'Short codes', also known as 'short numbers' or 'Common Short Codes' (CSC), are special telephone numbers, significantly shorter than full telephone numbers, which can also be used to address SMS and MMS messages from mobile phones or fixed phones.
They are designed to be shorter to read out and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers. While similar to telephone numbers, they are, at the technological level, unique to each operator, although providers generally have agreements to avoid overlaps.
Short codes are widely used for value-added services such as television voting, ordering ringtones, charity donations and mobile services (such as Google's SMS search service and AQA). Messages sent to short code numbers are generally billed at a higher rate than a standard SMS.

Contents

Regional differences

Australia

Canada

Czech Republic

Denmark

Germany

Greece

India

Indonesia

Italy

Malaysia

New Zealand

Serbia

Sweden

The Netherlands

Norway

United Kingdom

United States of America

Alternatives to short codes for SMS reception

References

External links

Regional differences

Australia

Short codes are six or eight digits in length, starting with the prefix "19" followed by an additional four or six digits. Short codes in Australia are commonly referred to as 'Premium Rate SMS Messages'.

Canada

Canadian Common Short Codes can be five or six digits in length. Common Short Codes beginning with a leading '4' are reserved for private use by wireless carriers. Common Short Codes that are four digits in length are not permitted due to handset incompatibilities.

Czech Republic

Messages sent to/from these short codes are known as Premium Rate SMS. Codes are 7 digits in length for MO and 5 (not billed) or 8 (billed) for MT direction, starting with 9, while two or three (depending on billing type=MO/MT) trailing digits express the price, e.g. SMS sent to 9090930 is billed for 30 CZK. Leading 3 digits are purpose type prefixes (908=micropayments, 909=adult content, 900=all other), digits at position 4 and 5 determinates the service provider registered by a network operator. There are also other 4 digit shortcodes, used by a network operators for service only purposes (operator dependent)

Denmark

Codes are four digits in length.

Germany

Codes are five digits in length.

Greece

Codes are four digits in length.

India

There are many companies in the Indian market who rent keywords, on a monthly basis, whose characters, on a typical mobile phone keypad, represent short codes. Short codes are four digits in length. The four digits can be extended by a further four digits representing an additional 4 characters. Texts sent to these Short Codes are commonly referred to as Premium Rate SMS Messages and cost around 80 paise to 6 Rs. per text.
In late 2006, the regulator asked all operators to switch to 5 digit Short Codes.^[1]

Indonesia

Codes are 4 digits in length with Rp. 2000,- (±$0.20) premium price.

Italy

In Italy short codes have no fixed length, starting from 3 digits up to 5. They all start by the digit "4", which is designated by a local telecommunications law for "network services". Famous short codes are in the 48xxx range, commercial ringtones & mobile stuff download.

Malaysia

Codes are five digits in length with average Rm0.50 to Rm2.00 premium pricing.

New Zealand

Codes are three and four digits in length.

Serbia

Codes are four digits in length.

Sweden

Codes are five digits in length.

The Netherlands

Codes are four digits in length.

Norway

Codes are five digits in length.

United Kingdom

Codes are five digits in length, starting with 6 or 8 (codes starting in 5 and 7 exist, but are reserved for future expansion). Individual network operators may come to an agreement with customers, allowing any number to be used - except for adult content services, which must use codes starting with 69 or 89.
'Stopping SMS shortcodes in the UK'
SMS shortcodes are owned by holding companies who then lease them out to SMS premium service providers. Whilst it should be possible to stop most shortcode services by texting 'STOP' to the shortcode number, some of the more unscrupulous providers will not permit this, and 'bounce back' the STOP message by saying that the message failed to send. They often provide a 'customer service' number which you can call to complain, but these are premium-rate or national-rate (087x) numbers and often start with a long recorded message, for which you are charged, and then refer you to a further number, which in some cases can be unobtainable.

United States of America

As of 2006-05-31, the standard lengths for interoperable short codes are five and six digits. Carriers use short codes with fewer digits for carrier specific programs - e.g., "Text 611 to see how many minutes you have remaining on your plan." Codes starting with 1 are not permitted. Common short codes in the U.S. are administered by the Common Short Code Administration.

Alternatives to short codes for SMS reception

An alternative to inbound SMS is based on "long numbers" (international number format, e.g. +44 7624 805000), which can be used in place of short codes/premium-rated short messages for SMS reception in several applications, such as TV voting, product promotions and campaigns. Long numbers are internationally available, as well as enabling businesses to have their own number, rather than short codes which are usually shared across a lot of brands. Additionally, long numbers are non-premium inbound numbers.

References

1. Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India directive changing length of short codes.

External links

★ Australian short code search (Australian Communications and Media Authority)

★ txt.ca (Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association)

★ Short Code Management Group (U.K.)

★ Common Short Code Administration (U.S.)

★ The Global ShortCode Directory