Frequently Asked Questions

Sign up for a trial account with touchSMS

Sign up for a FREE trial account with touchSMS with no obligation or hidden costs. You will receive 10 trial credits once your account has been verified and you will have 14 days to use them. Once you trial is over to continue sending you can purchase credits. There are no set-up or monthly cost you simply pay for what you intend to use.

To register for a trial account, click here

Be sure to enter a valid mobile number and email address to verify your account.

I am new to this! Can a human assist me?

Of course, you can speak to a team member at any time. Simply click on Livechat, submit a support ticket or call on +612 9518 7455 to get in touch with us.

I didn’t get an SMS verification code – what should I do?

When you sign up to touchSMS, we’ll send an SMS verification code to the mobile number you registered on your account.  If you haven’t received an SMS verification code, please see the steps below to resolve this issue.

I may have entered the incorrect mobile number

If you have accidentally entered the incorrect mobile number, you will need to contact touchSMS support with your username (email) and correct mobile number – click here

I have entered my mobile number correctly

1. Check that your mobile phone is within reception range and switched on.
   The SMS verification code will be sent to the mobile phone number that you provide on sign-up, please try turning it on and off and ensure that it has mobile coverage and is switched on.
2. If you are using an Android handset, ensure the verification code did not go to your Spam messages
   Android has introduced a new feature to their handsets that attempts to identify spam SMS and places it in a spam folder in your messages. Our verification code are sent using the Sender ID “touchSMS” which some handsets may misidentify as spam.
3. Contact the touchSMS Support Team
   If your issue is still not resolved and you are yet to receive your SMS verification code, our friendly support team will be happy to resolve this for you as quickly as possible. When contacting our support team, please provide details such as:

• • • Account username (email used to sign-up)
    • The correct mobile number you wish to have associated with your account.

Why can’t I log into my account?

Here are some suggestions as to why you might be experiencing difficulty logging into your touchSMS account:

• • • Ensure that you’re using the correct username and password, and that the caps lock is turned off.
    • Clear your browser history and cache and try logging in again.
    • Try using a different internet browser.
    • Try resetting your password using the forgotten password link.

Please note – If you haven’t correctly verified your mobile number and email address you cannot access your account until you do so.  If you are unsure you will need to contact our support team to get access to your account.

If submitting a ticket to our support team, please provide details such as:

• • • The touchSMS username you’re trying to log in with.
    • The issue you’re experiencing.

Can we send SMS from our ‘company name’ instead of sending from a number?

Yes, this is called an Alpha Sender ID.
Alpha Sender IDs must be registered and verified by local carriers before they can be approved on your account for sending.
You can register a Sender ID for approval directly from your account when you log in.

Alpha Sender IDs must be specific to your company name or brand. Generic Sender IDs like “Reminder” or “Support” will not be approved by the carrier.

Submission and registration of an Alpha Sender ID is FREE – there are no additional cost associated with registration or use of an Alpha Sender ID on the touchSMS platform.

Head to Settings > Sender IDs to submit an Alpha Sender ID for registration.

This option is available for sending SMS to Australia and some other selected regions. See our Sender ID Options by Country for more information.

NOTE: When sending an SMS using an Alpha Sender ID, recipients cannot reply to your message. This is a one-way SMS.

For more information, read Understanding Sender ID Options

What format do my mobile numbers need to be in?

To ensure successful delivery, your contacts mobile numbers should be written in the correct international format.

To change mobile numbers from the domestic format to the correct international format, simply remove the first ‘0’ or ‘+’ of the mobile number and replace it with the relevant international code (e.g. 61 for Australia and 64 for New Zealand). Incorrect formatting may result in undelivered messages or a message being sent to an incorrect handset. Below are some country specific examples:

Australia
– Country Code: 61
– Number: 9 digits long, excluding the leading ‘0’.
– Example domestic number: 0443123123
– Example International number: 61443123123

New Zealand
– Country Code: 64
– Number: 6-8 digits long, excluding the leading ‘0’.
– Example domestic number: 0222123123
– Example International number: 64222123123

United Kingdom
– Country Code: 44
– Number: 10 digits long, excluding the leading ‘0’.
– Example domestic number: 077812312312
– Example International number: 4477812312312

Does touchSMS support international messaging?

Yes, touchSMS supports international messaging.

For more information on international sending routes – please contact the touchSMS Support Team

Changes to SMS Sending to the Philippines

Local legislation prevents delivery of SMS to Philippine numbers from overseas A2P providers, such as touchSMS.

To send messages to the Philippines via touchSMS, you must purchase a Philippine Virtual Number or register Alpha Sender ID for approved by the local carrier.

Cost of Philippine Virtual Numbers:

Provisioning:                      $AUD 250.00

Monthly Rental:                $AUD 190.00

A Philippine virtual number also attracts a fee for every inbound message of $AUD 0.02c per message

To purchase a Philippine Virtual Number or submit the application for a Philippint Alpha Sender ID, please contact the touchSMS Support Team

SMS Length and Message Parts

How does a touchSMS free trial work?

When you sign up for an account with touchSMS you will not incur any hidden costs or unwanted contracts. You will receive 10 trial credits to use with 14 days once your account has been verified. Following this you simply pay what you intend on using. Our API Integrations, Email to SMS and Web SMS products are free to use, you just pay for your credits as you go.

Set up an account and have a free trial with no commitment, obligation or hidden costs and lots of flexibility.

What pricing & payment options are available?

touchSMS is designed to be a self-service pre-paid platform. After topping up your credit, you are free to use the platform at your leisure. There are no sign-up or monthly account fees.

touchSMS Pricing (AUD)

What are the minimum purchase requirements?

Minimum purchase of SMS Credits on touchSMS is AUD $20.00* = 400 Credits.

All prices exclude GST.
No expiry on credits purchased.

What currency options are available?

All purchases made in touchSMS are in Australian Dollars.

If you are purchasing using an international credit card or PayPal account, the exchange rate will occur at the time of purchase. For more information regarding this, you will need to contact your financial institution or Paypal.

Will my credits expire after a certain period?

Free trial credits applied to your touchSMS account at sign up are valid for 14 days from the registration date.

Purchased touchSMS credits will NOT expire. You can use these over any period.

Will I receive a tax invoice?

Yes, invoices are generated with all purchases in your touchSMS account.

When an automated purchase is made, we will email a copy of your tax invoice to your registered email address and any Billing Contact email addresses.

All invoices are available for download in your touchSMS account. To access these, log in to your account and navigate to;

Purchases > Invoices

Click View Invoice to view your invoice. Using the print icon, you can print or save your invoice to a PDF.

To add billing contacts to your account, head to Purchase > Billing Settings.

How do I delete my account?

To delete your touchSMS account, simply login to your account and navigate to;

Profile and Settings

You can click the delete account button and follow the prompt in the confirmation pop-up to permanently delete your account.

How do I cancel my Virtual Number?

To cancel your Virtual Number, simply login to your account and navigate to;

Virtual Numbers > Click the three dots next to the Virtual Number you wish to cancel > Select Edit.

Click the Cancel Subscription button and follow the prompts to permanently cancel your Virtual Number.

The number will remain active on your account for the remaining paid period, then will drop off to display as status of INACTIVE.

If you wish to re-activate a Virtual Number you have cancelled, email support with the detail at support@touchsms.com.au

I am new to this! Can a human assist me?

Of course, you can speak to a team member at any time. Simply click on Livechat, submit a support ticket or call on +612 9518 7455 to get in touch with us.

Is there any additional cost for two way communication?

NO, touchSMS does not charge you for replies to your SMS (Inbound SMS).

Why are some of my SMS sent or delivered?

Sent vs Delivered

DELIVERED – Your message has been successfully delivered to the recipient’s handset and we have received a confirmation (delivery receipt) from the carrier that it was delivered to the handset.

SENT – A Sent (Sending) status describes a message that has been sent from our system to the carrier but the carrier has not returned a confirmation of delivery. These confirmations are known as delivery receipts.

Please note that in some cases, it may take some time to for a sent status to change to delivered as this is dependent on notification from the carrier. A Sent status does not confirm the message was delivered nor failed, however in most cases this will update over time to Delivered or Failed. There are a number of reasons a status remains as Sent, the most common reason for Sent status are:

• Phone is disconnect or number no longer in use.
• Phone number active but phone switched off or out of range for an extended period of time and the message cannot be delivered.
• Recipient is experiencing Network problems.
• The message has been successfully sent and delivered however the carrier has not sent us a confirmation of this which is more often the case.

When a message is in Sent status, several carrier dependent retry strategies come into operation.

If there is no response by the end of the retry period the message will become expired and will be marked as Failed.

For more information read article Understanding Delivery Status Of An SMS

Why did my SMS fail?

Failed status indicates the mobile handset has not received the messages. If you have entered the mobile number in the correct format the most common reason could be one of the following;

• SIM card is not in the phone
• Out of network range for more than 72 hours
• Have not paid phone bill
• Travelling overseas (connected to another network)
• The number is invalid or disconnected. You can safely delete the number from your list.

For more information read article Understanding Delivery Status Of An SMS