Short Code: 10 Things to Know About Short Codes

By: Tim5 Miller5 Click author's name for more of his/her articles

When phones are mentioned dialing numbers will definitely come to your mind. Telephone service providers usually supply seven digits sequence of numbers used to call from one phone line to another. In mobile phones they supply eleven-digit sequence numbers. These numbers are commonly called phone numbers and they vary from one country to another. As telephone subscribers increase, these numbers continue to extend in digits. Some phone users are having difficulty in dialing long phone number particularly those with poor eyesight, kids and elderly. It is also uncomfortable to dial long numbers when you are in a hurry or under emergency situation. Because of this trouble, the short code was invented. Although they are popularly used, many are still confused and do not have an understanding about them. Below are some things to know about short codes.
1. In the United States, land phone and mobile phone carriers offer short codes for its customers. Short code is a special phone number used to address Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) from mobile phones.
2. Also known as short numbers, they are literally short numbers compared to ordinary full phone numbers.
3. Short code is used in various services particularly value-added services such as mobile phone purchasing, television program voting, supporting charities and organizations, charity donations, online gaming, lottery, and other mobile related services.
4. Use of short code in sending mobile phone messages is relatively expensive compared to ordinary text messages.
5. You can even subscribe to your local mobile phone service provider to avail short code messaging. Subscribed short code messaging are usually paid via monthly bills.
6. Once your mobile phone number subscribed to short code messaging you will continue to avail of this service and pay for it until you unsubscribe to it by informing your local mobile phone service provider. To unsubscribe you usually type in the word “STOP” and send it via text message.
7. Although both land line and mobile phones can use short codes it is the latter that can usually employ this approach to its full potential.
8. United States “911” is a good example of telephone short code.
9. Short codes are sometimes used to advertise products or services. The use of prefix service identifiers is widely used in advertising. Companies sometimes used its name that corresponds to the numbers in the telephone. For example instead of dialing the ordinary long number, what will be dialed are prefixes then the number.
10. The standard number of digits used in United States for short code is either five or six digits. Other companies such as those involved in carrier industry used four digits for short code. It is widely accepted that short codes starting in number one (1) is not allowed or permitted.
Knowing these ten basic things about short codes can guide you as a telephone or mobile phone user to understand its use, how it is made and what their importances are. This article is also intended for you to have a knowledge about the messages that may have popped up in your mobile phone screen as an example of advertising using short code.

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About The Author:

Tim Miller is author of this article on Short Code. Find more information about Short Codes here.