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Getting started

SMS is available on all our platform packages.

 

What is SMS?
The SMS channel provided by Clickatell delivers simple, scalable, bulk two-way messaging for businesses to reach their audience in 230+ territories, across 1000+ carrier networks. Available as a full services SMS Gateway or via API with multiple integration options.
 
SMS enables businesses to reliably offer a variety of use cases using services and features like two-way message management, short code and long number messaging, sender ID, message concatenation, data encryption, and UTF-8 encoding. SMS allows your brand to facilitate a one-way or two-way engagement directly.
 
Clickatell offers two SMS connectivity products: SMS APIs and an SMS Gateway*

For more information, see:

 

Which SMS product option is best for me?

The table below compares Clickatell’s SMS Gateway and API products so you can easily select the one that is most suitable to your needs. 

SMS APIs SMS Gateway*
A business sending any number of messages per month

Large enterprise, aggregator, partner, or reseller sending a minimum of 250 000 messages per month

Plan on using other messaging channels in addition to SMS (WhatsApp, etc.)

SMS is the only channel you require

Require an HTTP API or REST-based API (Clickatell’s One API supports other digital channels such as WhatsApp)

Require access to specialized APIs like SMPP (in addition to standard APIs such as HTTP and REST)

Require standard and priority routing as well as standard feature controls

Require custom routing profiles and full feature-level controls

Want access to Clickatell’s Chat Flow, Chat Desk, and Campaign Manager products

Require any type of special services such as conversion APIs, custom monitoring, content registration, locale domicile pricing, etc.

Want a pre-paid or post-paid billing agreement

Want a post-paid billing agreement

NOTE: We are no longer creating new accounts for the SMS Gateway platform, except in very specific circumstances. The de facto API to use is the One API. Please reach out to our Support Team with any questions.

 

What applications are supported?

Once your SMS channel is activated, it will also be available to use with the following Clickatell products:

 

Benefits of Clickatell’s SMS offering
  • Extensive global reach.
  • Business mobile-initiated or customer mobile-initiated SMS offering.
  • Cost-optimized or premium dedicated routing available.
  • Central management of various in-country governance requirements.
  • Sender ID management and registration.
  • Seamless number acquisition and management.
  • Scalable message per second capacity able to cater for large batch volumes as well as priority real-time sending.
  • Access to subject matter experts with global industry experience.

Channels

Find the most up-to-date information about the channels available to communicate with your clients.

SMS

Enable any application, website or system to facilitate local or international one- or two-way SMS communication via an easy one-step integration with our HTTP API.

Documentation
One API

Communicate with your mobile customers via multiple communication channels with a single integration. You can send and receive messages on both WhatsApp and SMS without the overhead of programming individual channels.

Documentation
WhatsApp

As an authorized WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, we assist you in applying for a WhatsApp Business account and number. Integrate with other powerful features available on our platform via our One API.

Documentation

Products

Find the most up-to-date information about the products we offer and how to elevate your engagement with customers.

Chat 2 Pay

Send payment requests to customers via chat for secure, contactless payment experiences.

Documentation
Chat Desk

An easy-to-use web-based application that enables real-time communication with your customers via a single web interface.

Documentation
Chat Flow

A web-based application that allows you to quickly and collaboratively design and deploy conversational experiences across multiple chat applications and connect it to your organization's core functional APIs.

Documentation
Campaign Manager

An online tool that allows you to create a custom SMS campaign within minutes - no coding or developers required.

Documentation

Marketplace

Find the most up-to-date information about Clickatell's Marketplace and how you can utilize it for the distribution and payment acceptance of digital products.

Bank Interfaces API

An explanation of the way Clickatell and banks interact with one another when dealing with purchases. 

Documentation
Transact Result API

Initiates the delivery of the transaction result for a purchase that was made through Clickatell after Clickatell facilitated the dispensing of the product.

Documentation
Reserve and Transact API

Initiates a purchase and fund reservation request to Clickatell.

Documentation
Security Service API

Request authentication tokens to use in all other Clickatell API calls.

Documentation
Transact

A cloud-based platform that allows for the distribution and payment acceptance of multiple digital products.

Documentation
Product Lookup API

Confirm a product's configuration and attributes.

Documentation
In-Flight Transaction Check API

Used prior to a purchase instruction to confirm that no similar transaction is in progress.

Documentation
User Transaction Lookup API

Identify if a new transaction is similar to one of the user's recent transactions so the response details can be used to pre-emptively complete the current transaction details.

Documentation
Customer Account Validation API

Validate a customer's bill payment account number prior to submitting the bill payment purchase request to the vendor.

Documentation
MNO Lookup API

Derive the specific mobile network operator (MNO) for the specified MSISDN.

Documentation
Token Lookup API

Look up tokens/vouchers to present back to the buyer/customer who purchased token-related products via Clickatell's platform.

Documentation
Notifications API

Send notifications to buyer/recipient using different channels.

Documentation
Transaction Lookup API

Used after a purchase to confirm the transaction status.

Documentation
Financial Terms Lookup API

Display the correct fee and settlement amounts as per the contractual agreement for the SKU being purchased.

Documentation
Transact API

Initiates a purchase request to Clickatell.

Documentation

Other Resources

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