Short codes enable businesses to send and receive text messages at scale. Plivo offers short code rentals in four countries:
- United States
- Canada
- Brazil
- New Zealand
What is a short code?
A short code is a special phone number designed for high-volume messaging. In the US, short codes are typically five or six digits long, making them easy to remember. Businesses commonly use short codes for SMS marketing, two-factor authentication (2FA), customer surveys, and other use cases. Short codes can handle massive messaging traffic, making them an excellent choice for businesses with large customer bases.
Getting started with Plivo short codes
To get started with Plivo short codes, first sign up for a Plivo account, then follow the registration process for your desired country via the table below.
| Country | Cost | Procurement Time | Registration Process |
| United States |
Setup: $1,500 Monthly: $500 (random) $1,000 (vanity) |
6-8 weeks | See this page |
| Canada |
Setup: $4,000 Monthly: $700 |
6-8 weeks | See this page |
| Brazil |
Setup: $0 Monthly: $500 |
4 weeks | See this page |
| New Zealand |
Setup: $156 Monthly: $156 |
3-4 weeks | See this page |
Short code rental charges are deducted in advance and on a quarterly basis. For example, in the event that a short code is acquired on March 1, a sum of $1500 will be debited from the Plivo account on that date. $1500 will be debited for the next quarter on the next billing date, June 1.
Should the code be unrented or removed at any point during the active lease period, it is important to note that no refunds for the remaining period will be provided.
Once you’ve obtained a short code, you can use it for both outbound and inbound messaging. For instance, you can use it with Plivo’s SMS API to launch messaging campaigns, or configure it with a Plivo application to receive incoming messages to process with an auto-responder.