Non-masking SMS
Non-masking SMS: start sending today
The basics
What is non-masking SMS?
Every SMS shows a sender. With masking SMS, that sender is your approved brand name. With non-masking SMS, it is a numeric sender provided by the platform, so there is nothing to register or approve before you send.
That makes non-masking the quickest way to get started, and a natural fit for messages where speed matters more than branding: login codes, transaction alerts and system notifications.
The trade-off is recognition. Because the sender is a number rather than a name, recipients rely on the message text to know who it is from — so always name your business at the start of the message.
Non-masking at a glance
- Sent from a platform-provided sender number
- No sender ID request or approval
- Available as soon as your wallet is funded
- Works in the dashboard, bulk campaigns and the API
- Same delivery reports and billing as masking SMS
Use cases
When non-masking SMS is the right choice
OTP and verification
Login codes, phone verification and payment confirmation that must arrive without delay.Transaction alerts
Payment received, balance updates and account activity notices.Delivery notifications
Rider assigned, out for delivery and delivered messages for logistics and e-commerce.System and staff alerts
Monitoring alerts, stock warnings and internal notifications to your own team.While masking is reviewed
Start sending now and switch customer-facing messages to your brand name once it is approved.Developers and testing
Build and test your integration end-to-end without waiting for a sender ID.
Best practice
Writing effective non-masking messages
A non-masking SMS has to introduce itself. These habits make messages clearer and more trustworthy for recipients:
- Start with your business name. “ABC Shop: Your order #1042 is out for delivery.” tells the customer immediately who is writing.
- Keep OTPs short and specific. “ABC Shop: Your login code is 482913. It expires in 5 minutes. Never share this code.” Short GSM-7 messages fit in one SMS part.
- Give a way to respond. SMSGELY is built for outgoing messages. If you need a reply, include a phone number or website link rather than asking customers to reply by SMS.
- Watch the encoding. A single Bangla character, emoji or curly quote turns the whole message into Unicode, which fits 70 characters in one SMS instead of 160. The composer and API response show the encoding and parts. Our SMS guide explains why.
- Send only to people who expect it. Consent and opt-out rules apply to every sender — see the SMS Policy.
Compare
Non-masking or masking?
You do not have to choose one for everything. A common setup is to use non-masking SMS for OTPs and system alerts, and a masking sender ID for messages where your brand matters, such as order updates and promotions.
| Non-masking | Masking | |
|---|---|---|
| Sender shown | Platform-provided number | Your approved brand name (3–11 characters) |
| Approval | Not needed | Required, subject to operator and regulator rules |
| Best for | OTPs, alerts, internal notices, getting started | Customer updates, notices and promotions |
| Price per part | May differ between the two — see pricing | |
The full comparison on the masking SMS page covers replies, recognition and the sender ID request process in more detail.
Delivery & billing
Same reliability, same transparent billing
Non-masking messages go through exactly the same pipeline as masking messages. Each message is stored before it is sent, processed by a background processor, and tracked in your delivery reports from queued to delivered or failed. If the provider’s response is ever unclear, the message is marked unknown and checked with the provider — it is never resent automatically, which matters a great deal for OTPs: your user will not receive two different codes because of a network hiccup.
Billing is the same too. The cost is the number of SMS parts multiplied by your price per part. It is reserved from your prepaid wallet when the message is queued and charged only when the provider accepts it; messages that fail or are rejected before the network accepts them are not charged. See wallet and billing for details.
Get started
Send your first non-masking SMS
Register
Create your account and verify your email address.Top up
Add funds to your prepaid wallet via bKash or Nagad; staff verify and credit it.Pick the sender
Choose the non-masking sender in Send SMS or a campaign. Over the API, GET /senders lists it with type non_masking.Send and track
Send, then follow the message from queued to delivered in your delivery reports.
Sending from code? The Send SMS API reference shows how to pass the non-masking sender in a POST /sms request.
FAQ
Non-masking SMS questions
What is non-masking SMS?
Non-masking SMS is sent from a numeric sender provided by the platform rather than from your brand name. It needs no sender ID approval, so you can start sending as soon as your account is funded.
Is non-masking SMS good for OTP?
Yes. One-time passwords, verification codes and alerts are common uses, because they need to go out immediately and do not depend on a brand name being approved first.
Will customers know the message is from my business?
Not from the sender alone. Start the message with your business name — for example “ABC Shop: your code is 482913” — so recipients recognise it.
Can I switch to masking SMS later?
Yes. Request a masking sender ID in Dashboard → Sender IDs at any time. Once it is approved, choose it as the sender instead. Many businesses keep using non-masking for OTPs and masking for customer messages.
Is non-masking SMS cheaper?
Prices can differ between masking and non-masking messages and between GSM-7 and Unicode text. Check the Pricing page for the current rates.
Start sending without waiting for approval
Create an account, fund your wallet and send your first non-masking SMS from the dashboard or the API.