Masking / Sender ID Policy

1. At a glance

• A masking Sender ID lets your SMS show your brand name instead of a number. The name must belong to you, or you must be authorized to use it.
• You can request a Sender ID only after your email is verified and your identity verification (KYC) is approved. Every request needs a trade licence, your business or brand name, a use case and a sample message.
• Our staff review every request. Approval is not instant or guaranteed, and timelines vary — partly because SMS providers and mobile operators may have their own requirements.
• Names of banks, mobile financial services, operators, government bodies and other protected identities need proof of authorization and receive extra review.
• Without an approved Sender ID and approved KYC, masking SMS cannot be sent from the dashboard, campaigns or the API.
• We may reject, suspend or revoke a Sender ID for impersonation, misuse, complaints, expired documents or instructions from providers or regulators.

2. About this policy

This Sender ID Policy explains how you can request, use and keep a masking Sender ID on SMSGELY. It forms part of our Terms of Service and should be read together with the Acceptable Use Policy, the Anti-Spam Policy, the Prohibited Content Policy and the KYC Policy.

Mobile network operators, SMS providers and regulators in Bangladesh may set their own rules for sender identities. Where their rules are stricter than this policy, their rules apply.

3. Masking and non-masking

Non-masking SMS does not need Sender ID approval, but every other policy still applies, including the rules on consent, content and spam. You can send non-masking SMS while a masking request is being reviewed.

4. Sender ID format

A masking Sender ID must:

• be between 3 and 11 characters long;
• use only letters, numbers, spaces, dots (.), dashes (-) and the ampersand (&);
• contain at least one letter — a Sender ID made only of numbers is not accepted.

A good Sender ID is short, clearly yours and easy to recognise, such as your trade name or an abbreviation your customers already know. We are unlikely to approve:

• generic words that do not identify a business, such as OFFER, INFO, ALERT or NOTICE;
• names that could mislead recipients about who is sending the message;
• names that resemble another organisation, another brand or a protected identity (see section 8).

SMS providers and operators may apply additional format rules, and the way a Sender ID is displayed can vary between networks and handsets. Where needed, we may ask you to adjust the requested name.

5. Who can request a Sender ID

Masking is not switched on automatically for new accounts. Before you can request a Sender ID:

1. Your account must be verified. Your email address is verified when you sign up, and a mobile number is recorded on your account.
2. Your identity verification (KYC) must be approved. You submit a profile photo and the front and back of your National ID (NID) in the dashboard, and our staff review them manually. The KYC Policy explains this process.

6. How to request a Sender ID

Submit your request from the Sender ID section of your dashboard. Each request must include:

• the Sender ID you want to use;
• your business or brand name;
• your use case — the kind of messages you will send and to whom, for example order updates to your customers;
• a sample message that represents what you will send;
• your trade licence, which is required with every Sender ID request;
• any additional documents we ask for (see section 7).

Authorization confirmation

Before you submit, you must confirm the following statement: "By submitting this request, you confirm that you are authorized to use the requested sender identity." We record your confirmation together with the version of this policy in force at that time.

A false confirmation, or false or altered documents, is a serious violation. It can lead to rejection, suspension of the Sender ID and action on your account.

Withdrawing a request

You can withdraw a request at any time before we make a decision, and submit a new one later.

7. Documents

Trade licence

A trade licence is a business permit issued by a local government authority for carrying on a trade at a particular address. It must be renewed every fiscal year (July to June).

A trade licence shows that a business exists and is permitted to trade. It is not proof that you own a brand name. If the Sender ID you request differs from the business name on your trade licence, you need to provide additional proof that you own the name or are authorized to use it.

Additional documents we may request

• a trademark registration certificate;
• a certificate of incorporation or other registration document from the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC);
• an authorization letter from the brand owner, if you send messages on behalf of another business;
• permission from a regulator or other authority, where your type of business or message requires it;
• any other document reasonably needed to confirm your identity, your business or your right to use the name.

When we need more information, the request moves to "More information requested". You can reply with the documents in the dashboard and resubmit.

Keeping documents valid

Documents must be genuine, complete, readable and valid. Please upload a renewed trade licence or other updated document when the current one expires or when we ask for it. If a document expires or stops being valid, we may suspend the Sender ID until valid documents have been provided and reviewed.

8. Protected and high-risk identities

Some names are often used in fraud and phishing, and their misuse can cause serious harm to recipients. Requests for Sender IDs that match or resemble any of the following are flagged for extra review:

• banks and other financial institutions;
• mobile financial services, such as bKash, Nagad, Rocket and Upay;
• mobile network operators;
• government ministries, departments and agencies, and regulators such as BTRC;
• police and other law enforcement agencies;
• the Election Commission;
• hospitals, ambulance services and other emergency services;
• SMSGELY itself;
• look-alike spellings, abbreviations or variations of any of these — for example swapped letters, added words, or numbers used in place of letters.

To use such a name, you must prove that you are that organisation or that it has authorized you to send messages on its behalf — for example, with a signed authorization letter on its letterhead. We may verify the authorization with the organisation. Even with documents, we may decline a request where the risk of confusion or misuse is too high.

Impersonating any organisation or person is prohibited. Trying to obtain a protected Sender ID without authorization is treated as a serious violation. Phishing and fraud may also be criminal offences under the laws of Bangladesh.

9. Review and decision

Our staff review each request manually. We look at the requested name, your account and KYC status, your documents, your use case and sample message, and whether the name resembles a protected identity or another brand.

Request statuses

Timelines and provider requirements

Review times vary. They depend on how complete your documents are, the name you request, the number of requests we are handling and the requirements of SMS providers and mobile operators. Approval may also depend on the Sender ID being registered with or accepted by SMS providers or operators, which can take additional time and is outside our control.

We do not guarantee that a request will be approved or that a decision will be made within any particular time. Please plan ahead before important campaigns and use non-masking SMS in the meantime.

What approval means

Approval means that SMSGELY has accepted the Sender ID for use from your account on our platform. It is not a certification of your brand, it is not a regulatory approval, and it does not guarantee that messages will be delivered. Approval does not override the law or the requirements of SMS providers, operators or regulators, and it does not authorize any particular message content.

10. Using an approved Sender ID

When you use an approved Sender ID, you must:

• use it only for the business and use case you described, and submit a new request if your use changes significantly;
• send only to recipients who have agreed to receive your messages or who reasonably expect them, and honour opt-outs, as set out in the Anti-Spam Policy;
• make sure every message is accurate and lawful, as set out in the Prohibited Content Policy;
• not let another business use your Sender ID — a Sender ID is linked to your account and cannot be transferred, sold, rented or shared;
• keep your account credentials and API keys secure;
• keep your documents valid (see section 7).

You are responsible for every message sent with your Sender ID from your account, including messages sent through the API.

11. How these rules are enforced

These rules are enforced by our systems, not only by this policy. A masking SMS can be sent only when, at the time of sending:

• the Sender ID is approved for your account; and
• your identity verification (KYC) is approved.

This applies to messages sent from the dashboard, bulk campaigns and the API. Scheduled messages are checked again when they are due to be sent. If the Sender ID or your KYC is no longer approved at that moment, the message is not sent with that Sender ID.

12. Rejection, suspension and revocation

We may reject a request, or suspend or revoke an approved Sender ID, for reasons including:

• the name impersonates, or could be confused with, another organisation, brand, person or protected identity;
• you cannot show that you own the name or are authorized to use it;
• documents are false, altered, incomplete or expired;
• your identity verification is rejected or is no longer valid;
• complaints about messages sent with the Sender ID, or signs of spam, phishing, fraud or other misuse;
• use for a purpose different from the one you described;
• an instruction or requirement from an SMS provider, operator, regulator or other authority;
• restriction, suspension or termination of your account.

Where appropriate, we will tell you the reason and how you can fix the problem. In some cases — for example, where there is a risk of harm to recipients or a legal restriction — we may act first and notify you afterwards, or limit the details we share. Misuse of a Sender ID may also lead to action on your account under the Account Suspension & Termination Policy.

If you believe a decision is wrong, contact Support with your account email and any information that supports your request.

13. Your documents and privacy

Documents you upload for identity verification and Sender ID requests are stored privately. Access is limited to authorised staff who need them for review, compliance or security purposes. They are never published and are not available through the API.

We may share Sender ID details and relevant supporting documents with SMS providers or operators where this is needed to register or verify the Sender ID, and with authorities where the law requires it.

See the KYC Policy and the Privacy Policy for details.

14. Important notice

SMSGELY provides messaging infrastructure and related technology services. You remain responsible for your message content, recipient lists, recipient consent, sender identity and authorization, the legality of your campaigns, applicable marketing, telecom and data-protection obligations, and compliance with all applicable laws.

SMSGELY does not authorize any unlawful use of the platform. SMSGELY operates subject to applicable laws, regulations, telecom-provider requirements and contractual restrictions.

15. Changes and language

We may update this policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in provider requirements. We will publish the updated version on this page with a new effective date and, where changes are significant, we will let you know in advance where reasonably possible.

This policy is available in English and Bangla. If the two versions conflict, the version designated by SMSGELY after legal review applies.

16. Contact

For questions about Sender IDs or your request, contact Support in your dashboard or through our contact page. To report a Sender ID that is being misused or is impersonating your organisation, use our abuse reporting form.