Sender IDs

A sender ID is the name or number displayed as the sender when an SMS is received. Different countries have different rules for sender IDs.

How sender IDs work

• Sender IDs are alphanumeric (e.g. "eSMS", "MyApp") or numeric (e.g. a short code)
• Some countries require pre-registration with the telecom regulator
• If no sender ID is specified, a default is used

Managing sender IDs

Every verified account gets the default eSMS and eSMSAfrica sender IDs. To request your own:

1. Log in to sms.esmsafrica.io
2. Go to Sender IDs and start a new request
3. Enter the name (up to 11 characters), the countries and your use case - the fee for each country is shown before you submit
4. The team registers it with the networks; the fee is charged when it is approved

You can also request one over the API with POST /api/sender-ids.

Per-country rules

Registration requirements and timelines vary by country. Contact support for details.

Sender ID pricing

Sender ID fees are charged from your wallet only when a request is approved - never when you submit it, and nothing is charged if it is rejected. The fee is shown upfront on the request form in the dashboard.

USD 150 one-time - covers all networks

In these countries one flat fee per country registers your sender ID on every network:

A request that covers several of these countries is charged USD 150 for each of them.

Kenya - per network

Kenya Sender ID fees are a one-off setup per network - there is no monthly maintenance.

Uganda - per network

All other countries

Sender ID fees for every other country are confirmed during onboarding - the team confirms the exact fees for the networks you need before anything is charged.

Current fees for all 54 countries are on esmsafrica.io/pricing and from the public GET /api/sender-ids/fees endpoint.