Important note
The majority of the restrictions mentioned in this article came into effect starting September 12th, 2023. Restrictions on brand names and additional banned generic words come into effect from 31st October 2023.
Numeric Sender IDs
Numeric Sender IDs must start with the following digits:
Type | Starting Digits | Additional info |
Long number | 07 or 44. |
|
Shortcode | 6, 7, or 8. | Shortcodes in the UK consist of 5 numbers, so they must always be 5 digits long. |
International Senders | N/A | If you have a compelling reason to send messages to the UK from a non-UK number, such as a +33 French number, please contact us. We may be able to grant an exception to allow this. |
Special characters
Only a limited set of special characters are allowed in Sender IDs:
Character | Description |
. | Full stop |
- | Dash |
(space) | Space |
& | Ampersand |
If your brand has a unique character that is not typically allowed (for example, "LV=" is the brand for Liverpool Victoria insurance), then an exemption may be granted, allowing you to send messages using that specific character, such as "LV=".
Banned generic words
Since September 2023, the words Alert, Info, and Verify have been banned from being used as a Sender ID. From 31st October 2023, the list of banned words expands to include 121 words that can’t be used.
Clarifications for banned words
Taking the banned word Bank as an example:
Variations used like B A N K or B4NK are also banned. There are no known exceptions allowed for this.
Currently, if there is a wildcard, for example AB Bank or Banks — anything other than the specific word Bank, however obfuscated — these are allowed for the moment.
Additional example
The word Pinford indicating a school name is allowable despite including info.
Full list of banned generic sender IDs
1TimePin | Collect | Notify | Security |
2FA | Collection | OneTimePin | Service |
Accept | Confirm | Order | Shipping |
Access | Contact | OTP | Sign |
Account | Control | OTPSMS | Signin |
Active | Courier | Package | Signon |
Admin | Delay | Parcel | SMS |
Advise | Deliver | Pay | SMSAuth |
Alert | Delivery | Payment | SMSCode |
Allow | Discount | Phone Code | SMSInfo |
Allowance | Energy | PhoneCode | SMSOTP |
App | Fraud | Pin | SMSVerify |
Appointment | Help | PinCode | Support |
Approve | Info | Post | System |
Approved | InfoSMS | Protocol | Text |
Auth | ISA | Purchase | Trace |
AuthMsg | Key | Ratify | Track |
Authorise | Loan | Rebate | Tracking |
AuthSMS | Login | Receipt | Trust |
Aware | Logistics | Refund | TXT |
Bank | LogMein | Reminder | Update |
Banking | Logon | Repayment | Updates |
Bill | Malware | Reply | Validate |
Billing | Message | Respond | VeifySMS |
Call | Mobile | Save | Verify |
Card | Mortgage | Saving | VerifyMe |
Caution | MSG | Savings | Virus |
Certify | MsgAuth | Scam | Warn |
Check | Network | Schedule | Warning |
CloudOTP | NoReply | Secure | Winner |
Code |
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⚠️ Make sure that your Sender IDs comply with these restrictions. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in non-compliance and non-delivery.
If you believe you have a good business reason to send SMS from a Sender ID that would not be allowed based on the above, then contact us to discuss this further.
Brands
From October 31st 2023, messaging from brands considered by EE to belong to one of these protected industry sector groups:
Banking/Finance/FinTech
Government and Healthcare
Delivery and Logistics
Mobile Network Operators/ Miscellaneous
will be considered more likely to be fraudulent.
Therefore, SMS traffic sent through Dotdigital that belongs to one of the above groups, and is either:
A household name known brand
OR
A regional brand such as a local council
will be placed on a trusted route. Traffic sent down a standard route from one of these groups is highly likely to be stopped.
If you are concerned that you send, or will need to send, from a known brand in one of the affected groups, contact your Customer Success representative to discuss.
Affected known brands
Banking, Finance and FinTech | Government and Healthcare | Delivery and Logistics | Mobile Network Operators/Misc |
Bank of Ireland | Cabinet Office | ArrowXL | Android |
Barclays | CCS | CitySprint | Apple |
CAF Bank | DEFRA | DHL | BT |
Capital One | Department for Business Energy | DPD | EE |
ClearPay | Department of Health and Social Care | DX Delivery | GiffGaff |
Clydesdale Bank | Department of Transport | Evri | |
Coventry Building Society | Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency | FedEx | ID Mobile |
Curve | DVLA | InPost | Lebara |
Danske Bank | DWP | Panther Logistics | Lyca Mobile |
Hoares Bank | Education and Skills Funding Agency | Parcel2Go | Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram) |
HSBC | Financial Conduct Authority | Parcelforce | Plusnet |
JP Morgan | GDS | Post Office | Sky |
Klarna | HMRC | Royal Mail | Tesco Mobile |
Lloyds Banking Group | Local Councils | TNT | Three |
Metro Bank | Ministry of Defense | UPS | TikTok |
Monzo | Ministy of Justice | UKMail | SMARTY |
Nationwide | National Highways | Yodel | VirginMedia O2 |
NatWest | NCA |
| Vodafone |
PayPal | NHS Trusts |
| VOXI |
Revolut | OFGEM |
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Sainsburys Bank | ONS |
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Santander | Police Force |
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Starling Bank | Prisons and Probation Services |
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Tesco Bank | Student Loans Company |
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Tide | TFL |
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TSB | TV Licensing |
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Vanquis Bank |
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Local councils
Councils are restricted senders. There are a huge number of councils and the ways they may choose to have their name represented in an 11 character Sender ID are too numerous to list here, but if you are a council or are sending on behalf of one, you should contact us.
We require a Letter of Authority from the council on a letterhead, specifying that you — or if direct, we — can use a certain center. For example, the London Borough of Lambeth have registered LBLambeth, so SMS from this Sender ID can be routed down our trusted route.