What is an alphanumeric sender ID for texts?
An alphanumeric sender ID is a short name, such as a company name, shown as the sender of a text. It appears where a phone number would normally be. Many countries allow it for business texts. In the US and Canada, business texts come from phone numbers instead.
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Alphanumeric sender ID
In plain English, with what it means for alert texts.
How a sender name shows on the phone
Alphanumeric means made of letters and digits. With a sender ID, the phone shows a word like a brand name at the top of the thread. The reader knows who sent it before opening it.
You will see sender names on texts from banks, airlines and delivery firms in many countries. Names are usually capped at 11 characters, and the reader can't reply to them.
Why alert texts in the US and Canada use numbers
Networks in the US and Canada expect business texts to come from phone numbers, not names. Senders there use toll-free numbers or registered local 10DLC numbers, each with its own review.
So a staff member on call in Ohio or Ontario sees digits, not a name, when an alarm arrives.
How staff can tell an alert is from Welco
Every Welco text starts with Welco:, so staff know the alarm came from your systems even without a sender name. Saving the number as a contact adds the name on top.
- Walk-in freezer alarm, from a number saved as Kitchen alarms: Welco: [Walk-in Freezer] Temp 18F, above limit at 11:52 PM. Reply STOP to opt out.
Sender ID vs caller ID vs saved contact
A sender ID is a name the sender sets, shown in place of a number. Caller ID shows the number, and sometimes a name, for a call. A saved contact is a name the reader sets on their own phone.
For US and Canada alerts, the saved contact is the one you control. It works best when alarms always come from one alerts-only company number. For more on readable alerts, see alert text best practices, or browse our glossary of texting terms.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send alert texts with a company name instead of a number in the US?
Welco: start names the sender inside the text.Can someone reply to a text from a sender ID?
Why does every Welco text start with Welco: and end with the STOP line?
Does Welco use sender IDs in other countries?
Give your alarms one number staff can save
Start with Welco and every alert opens with the same clear label.
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