SendComms
Dashboard
SMS API

Sender IDs

A sender ID is the name recipients see in place of a phone number — AcmeCorp instead of +233…. Register the ones you want to use, then pass an approved name as from when you send.

Approval is done by the mobile carriers, not by us

Registration is reviewed manually and typically takes a few weeks. In Ghana, carriers block unregistered sender IDs rather than replacing them with a number, so a message sent from an unregistered name may not arrive at all. Until yours is approved, omit from and your messages go out under the default sender.

POST/api/v1/sms/sender-ids
REQUEST
curl -X POST https://api.sendcomms.com/api/v1/sms/sender-ids \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "sender_id": "AcmeCorp",
    "purpose": "Order notifications for our online store",
    "destination": "233"
  }'

Body Parameters

FieldTypeDescription
sender_idrequiredstring3–11 characters. Letters, numbers, spaces, dots, dashes or underscores. This is what recipients see instead of a number.
purposerequiredstringWhat the sender ID will be used for. Carriers require this and reject vague answers — e.g. "Order notifications for our online store".
destinationrequiredstringWhere you will send from this name: a country dialing code such as "233" (Ghana), or "international" for everywhere else. Each carrier keeps its own approved list, so this decides who we register it with.
RESPONSE201 Created
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "3f2a…",
    "sender_id": "AcmeCorp",
    "status": "pending",
    "purpose": "Order notifications for our online store",
    "destination_code": "233",
    "destination_label": "Ghana",
    "provider": "bms",
    "created_at": "2026-08-24T09:12:04Z",
    "approved_at": null
  },
  "submitted_to_carrier": true,
  "message": "Sender ID submitted for approval. Carriers review these manually and it can take a few weeks."
}

If submitted_to_carrier is false, we saved your request but could not reach the carrier — use the refresh endpoint below to retry.

Managing sender IDs

GET/api/v1/sms/sender-ids- List yours and their status
POST/api/v1/sms/sender-ids/:id/refresh- Re-check approval with the carrier
DELETE/api/v1/sms/sender-ids/:id- Remove it from your account

There is no push notification when a sender ID is approved — poll the refresh endpoint, or check the Sender IDs tab in your dashboard.

Status Values

StatusMeaning
pendingSubmitted and awaiting carrier review. Messages keep sending from your default sender in the meantime.
approvedLive. Pass it as the "from" field when you send.
rejectedThe carrier declined it. Register a different name, or contact support for the reason.

A sender ID belongs to one market

Sender IDs are not global. Each carrier keeps its own approved list, so a name approved for Ghana is unknown to the carrier that handles the rest of the world. That is why destination is required — it tells us which carrier to lodge the request with.

  • Ghana (233) — submitted to the Ghanaian carrier and starts as pending until approved.
  • Anywhere else — recorded against your account and usable immediately; that route has no carrier pre-approval step. Delivery of alphanumeric senders still varies by country.

Need the same name in two markets? Register it once per destination.

One owner per sender ID

A sender ID can be held by only one SendComms account. Registering a name another account already holds returns 409, and sending from it returns 403 SENDER_ID_NOT_YOURS. If you own the brand and someone else has registered it, contact support@sendcomms.com.

Names nobody has registered are still accepted on routes whose carriers allow ad-hoc sender IDs — but they are not guaranteed to be delivered, and are blocked outright in Ghana.

Content rules (Ghana)

  • Promotional SMS may not be sent on Sundays.
  • Political, religious, gambling and unsolicited promotional content is not permitted.
  • Sender IDs are capped at 11 characters by the carriers, not by us.
← Send SMSPricing →