Short Codes
Want a short, easy-to-remember number for your people to text?
Need a fast and reliable way to send hundreds or thousands of texts?
A five-digit short code might be the perfect fit for you.
What is a short code?
A short code is a five or six-digit number used for texting. They are distributed by the Short Code Registry, and we're one of their Premier Partners.
Compared to standard 10-digit numbers, short codes are much faster, easier to remember, and experience less filtering with wireless carriers (like Verizon, AT&T, etc.). If you're mass texting at a large scale, a short code is the best option.
What are the benefits of a short code?
Short & Easy to Remember
A five-digit number is easier to remember and text in to than a 10-digit number. Many churches invite people to text a keyword during announcements to fill out a connect card, or get information. With short codes, it's quick and easy!
Fast Message Delivery
Short codes deliver texts significantly faster than a local or toll-free number. Send texts to thousands or tens of thousands almost instantly.
Less Carrier Filtering
With short codes, you don't have to worry about carrier filtering. Short codes go through an extensive vetting process, which results in significantly higher delivery rates and almost zero filtering.
Two-Way Texting
Most short codes don't allow you to receive incoming messages. But with Clearstream, your short code is two-way enabled. People can reply back with questions or prayer requests, and you can easily manage your conversations with our powerful inbox.
Full Texting Functionality
You'll have full access to all of our features, including video and picture texting, live polls, personalized messages, custom reports, dedicated subaccounts for your ministries or campuses, and more. Check out more of our great features here!
Customer Review
Clearstream quickly helped us find a short code that was easy to remember and easy to communicate. They did the heavy lifting and kept us informed during the entire process. Our short code has made an effective and accessible line of communication for our church body.
What does a short code cost?
A short code costs $500 a month. Or if you want a custom number, it's $1,000. This fee is charged by the Short Code Registry, not Clearstream. There is also a one-time $1,100 connection fee paid to wireless carriers.
With Clearstream, there's no hosting fee like with most providers (Twilio charges an extra $500 a month just to "manage" your short code). We don't bill you any additional fees for set up, maintenance, cancellation, or support. With Clearstream, what you see is what you get.
Why choose Clearstream?
We're a Premier Partner with the Short Code Registry and are short code experts. We handle your short code's registration and ensure it's in compliance with laws and regulations.
We connect your short code in 3-4 weeks — opposed to the industry standard of 8-12. 🎉
Once you're set up, our team is still here to help. Our excellent customer support is no extra cost with an average response time of 2-3 minutes. Compare that to Twilio, who charges an extra $1,500 a month just to get a response within three hours. Ouch.
Customer Review
Clearstream could not have been more helpful in assisting with our short-code registration. Their team guided us through the required documents and worked behind the scenes to expedite the process. Our short code has transformed how our church communicates — and we could not have done it without great tech partners like Clearstream.
Why the largest churches trust Clearstream
Our Team
We're a product-focused team that's completely dedicated to building reliable and powerful communication software for the church. And we've been doing this for 12 years.
Cost
There is no other SMS provider in the U.S. that offers better dedicated short code pricing than Clearstream. No "short code management fees" and no carrier surcharges passed on to you.
Carrier Connection
We use a direct Tier 1 aggregator for our carrier connections (we're not built on an SMS API like Twilio). This results in higher throughput, faster troubleshooting directly with carriers, and more insight into message delivery.
Customer Support
We consider support a part of our product. Our team is extremely knowledgeable and insanely fast through live chat, video calls, or pigeon post. Read our customer reviews.
Message Deliverability
We're connected to all carriers in the U.S. (minus a few tiny regional carriers). We even automatically reroute failed messages through a local phone number should a subscriber not receive your short code messages.
No Contract
No contracts, commitments, or termination fees. We give you access to your Short Code Registry account, so if you ever want to move to another provider, you can easily take your short code with you. We won't hold you hostage. 🙂
Customer Review
Clearstream made this effortless on our part. The customer service has been over and above exceptional.
Ready to get started?
Click the button below to connect a new short code for your church. If you have questions, email us at shortcodes@clearstream.io.