SMS for ecommerce: costs, 10DLC, short codes and templates

SMS for ecommerce means the texts an online store sends from a registered sender: order and shipping alerts triggered by the store, marketing messages to subscribers who opted in, and short two-way exchanges. It reaches any mobile phone without an app and arrives in seconds, which is why stores keep it for order alerts and time-sensitive offers. The rules around marketing texts, the sender you need and the cost per message all depend on the country you send to.

This guide covers how business SMS works for a store, which sender to choose in the US, what a text costs by country (prices read on October 24, 2026), the consent rules, eight templates, and when WhatsApp does the job better. To send SMS from your Shopify store, see Kanal's SMS marketing platform, which sends texts and WhatsApp messages from the same app.

What is business SMS?

Business SMS is text messaging sent from a registered sender to consumers through a licensed messaging platform (often called an Application-to-Person or A2P provider). It is fundamentally different from personal texting:

• Bulk delivery: send to thousands of recipients in seconds
• Branded sender ID: customers see your brand name (where allowed) or a registered short code
• Scheduling and automation: trigger from Shopify events (order placed, shipped, abandoned)
• Opt-out handling: STOP/UNSUBSCRIBE keywords are processed automatically
• Deliverability analytics: per-carrier delivery reports, click tracking on shortened URLs
• Regulatory compliance: opt-in records, sending-hours limits, do-not-call list sync

If you are choosing between channels, our SMS vs MMS vs RCS vs WhatsApp comparison helps you weigh trade-offs by use case. For RCS in particular, see RCS vs SMS and how RCS business messaging works. Kanal also has a page on RCS marketing for online stores. Apple runs its own business channel on iPhone, covered in our Apple Messages for Business guide, which is separate from iMessage between individuals.

Types of business SMS for e-commerce

Transactional SMS

Triggered automatically by a Shopify event:

• Order confirmation: "Order #1234 confirmed. Total $89."
• Shipment: "Your order shipped. Track: [link]"
• Delivery: "Your package is out for delivery"
• OTP / 2FA: login or payment verification codes

US carriers call these informational messages. The CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices (May 2023, the current version on CTIA's site) say the customer agrees to receive texts for that specific purpose when giving the number, while promotional texts need written agreement. Order and shipping texts also answer the "where is my order?" question before it reaches your support team, as our WISMO guide explains. To send the same updates on WhatsApp, see Kanal's order notifications.

Marketing / promotional SMS

Time-sensitive offers and broadcasts:

• Flash sales: "24h only: 30% off, code FLASH30"
• New launches: "New drop just live: [link]"
• Cart recovery: "Your cart is still waiting"
• Loyalty: "Thanks for shopping. Here's 10% off your next order."

For cart recovery specifically, our guide to abandoned cart text messages on Shopify covers consent, timing and five templates, and the abandoned cart recovery strategies guide compares email, SMS and WhatsApp.

Conversational SMS

Two-way exchanges with customers:

• Post-purchase reviews: "How was your order? Reply 1-5"
• Appointment reminders: "Your fitting is tomorrow at 2 PM"
• Customer service follow-ups, part of the wider e-commerce customer service setup

SMS across the order journey

The same store sends different kinds of texts, and each kind sits in a different consent category under the CTIA principles:

CTIA adds that a call to action, such as a coupon code added to an informational text, may move it into the promotional category.

10DLC, toll-free, short codes: choosing your sender type (US focus)

The US carrier ecosystem requires you to register a sender. There are three options.

10DLC (10-Digit Long Code)

A standard phone number registered under the A2P 10DLC framework administered by The Campaign Registry. Twilio's A2P 10DLC documentation says anyone sending SMS or MMS over a 10DLC number from an application to the US must register, and that unregistered traffic pays additional carrier fees.

• Cost: on Twilio, as of October 24, 2026, brand registration is a one-time 4.50 USD (sole proprietor or low-volume standard brand) or 46 USD (standard brand), a campaign costs a 15 USD vetting fee, then 1.50 to 10 USD a month depending on the use case (Twilio's A2P 10DLC fees). Each outbound segment costs 0.0083 USD plus a carrier fee of 0.0035 to 0.005 USD, and the number 1.15 USD a month (Twilio US SMS pricing)
• Throughput: set by your brand type and campaign registration
• Use case: a store texting its customers from an ordinary local number, through an app that registers the brand and campaign for it

Toll-free SMS

A 1-8xx number that supports SMS. Lower setup friction than 10DLC.

• Cost: on Twilio, 2.15 USD a month for the number plus 0.0083 USD per outbound segment and carrier fees (as of October 24, 2026)
• Verification: toll-free numbers go through toll-free verification, outside A2P 10DLC
• Use case: customer support lines, low-volume marketing

Short codes

5 or 6 digit numbers for high-volume texting. The CTIA principles (section 5.5.4) explain that the Common Short Code Administration runs the cross-carrier short code registry in the United States, and cite shipping delivery notifications among typical uses.

• Cost: on Twilio, 1,000 USD a month for a random short code or 1,500 USD a month for a vanity short code, billed quarterly with a one-time setup fee, plus 0.0083 USD per outbound segment and carrier fees (as of October 24, 2026)
• Throughput: built for high-volume, two-way traffic
• Use case: stores that send large volumes, or want a short number customers recognize

Source: Twilio, US SMS pricing page, phone number pricing, read on October 24, 2026. In 1, a long code for 10DLC; in 2, a random short code, billed quarterly with a setup fee.

Whatever the number type, every price above comes on top of the tool you send from. For the registration steps and timelines on a 10-digit number, see our 10DLC registration guide.

Business SMS cost by country

SMS prices depend on the provider, the destination country and the sender type. The table below gives one provider's public list prices as a reference point: Twilio's pay-as-you-go rate per outbound SMS segment, in US dollars, as displayed on each country page on October 24, 2026. Twilio states that prices may change without notice and that additional carrier fees may apply.

Source: Twilio SMS pricing pages for each country, read on October 24, 2026. Messages are charged per segment. Shopify SMS apps and other providers set their own rates: read the pricing page of the tool you use.

For US platform rates and carrier fees side by side, see our SMS marketing pricing guide; for a full breakdown across markets, our WhatsApp vs SMS pricing by country guide.

SMS vs WhatsApp: cost and features

Since October 1, 2026, Meta bills those WhatsApp replies (service messages) after 1,000 free ones per business phone number each month, and its rate card effective that day sets the service rate equal to the utility rate in every market (read on October 24, 2026). Meta's marketing message limits page also says WhatsApp does not currently deliver marketing templates to US phone numbers. Open, click and conversion rates depend on your list and your offer, and vendor benchmarks are not audited: compare them in your own reports once both channels run side by side.

Compliance: the rules you cannot skip

United States: TCPA, 10DLC, and CTIA

Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the FCC bans texts sent to a mobile phone with an autodialer unless the owner gave prior consent, and its consumer guide on robocalls and texts adds that commercial texts require written consent, while consent to informational texts may be oral. The law lets a recipient recover 500 USD per violation, or actual losses if higher, and a court can triple the award when the violation is willful or knowing (47 U.S.C. 227(b)(3)).

Source: FCC, "Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts" consumer guide, Robotexts section, read on October 24, 2026. In 1, autodialed texts need prior consent; in 2, commercial texts need it in writing.

The FCC rule and the carriers' practices add:

1. A2P 10DLC registration through The Campaign Registry for texts sent from a 10-digit number (toll-free numbers and short codes have their own approval processes)
2. Opt-in proof kept on file: the CTIA principles list the timestamp, the medium, the wording shown, the campaign, the IP address, the phone number and who consented
3. Opt-out by plain words: a reply such as STOP, QUIT, END, REVOKE, OPT OUT, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE revokes consent, and requests must be honored within ten business days; one confirmation text with no marketing in it is allowed (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10) and (a)(12))
4. A confirmation text after opt-in for recurring programs, with the program name, customer care contact or HELP instructions, how to opt out, the message frequency and any fees (CTIA)
5. Quiet hours: no telephone solicitation before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at the recipient's location, a rule the FCC applies to texts sent to mobile numbers (47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1) and (e))
6. Content: CTIA asks senders to block unlawful, deceptive or harmful content and to respect age-gating requirements

European Union: GDPR + ePrivacy

The EU requires explicit opt-in under GDPR Article 7 and the ePrivacy Directive:

• Pre-ticked boxes are invalid
• Granular consent (you cannot bundle SMS opt-in with terms of service)
• Records retained for the entire duration of processing
• Withdrawal must be as easy as giving consent

Country-level enforcement varies. In France, the CNIL requires prior consent for marketing texts to consumers, forbids pre-ticked consent boxes, and requires every message to identify the sender and offer a simple way to refuse further messages.

For an e-commerce-specific deep dive on opt-in mechanics, see our WhatsApp opt-in and GDPR guide. The same principles apply to SMS.

UK: PECR and UK GDPR

In the UK, marketing texts fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), alongside the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act. The ICO's guidance on electronic mail marketing says you can only send them to people who have specifically consented. The exception, known as the soft opt-in, covers existing customers who bought or negotiated to buy from you: you can text them about similar products or services if you gave them a simple way to opt out when you collected their details and in every message since. You must not disguise or conceal your identity, and each message needs a valid contact address to opt out. The ICO notes that this guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act.

Build a compliant opt-in: the operating playbook

The cheapest way to stay compliant is to make opt-in clear from day one.

1. Active opt-in checkbox (never pre-ticked) at checkout and signup
2. Granular consent: separate boxes for transactional alerts, marketing SMS, and WhatsApp
3. Plain-English wording: "I agree to receive marketing text messages from Brand X at the number provided. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg & data rates may apply."
4. Double opt-in for marketing (a confirmation SMS reduces invalid numbers and disputes)
5. Consent ledger: store timestamp, IP, form ID, and exact wording shown to the customer
6. STOP handling wired to your platform so unsubscribes are honored across all sender numbers
7. Sync with national opt-out registries (DNC in the US, etc.)

Kanal keeps opt-ins and opt-outs on each customer profile, for SMS and for WhatsApp, and collecting that consent stays on your side. Shopify's checkout has a marketing consent box for SMS that you can turn on, but Kanal does not import the marketing consent from the Shopify checkout, so plan how each customer's opt-in is recorded in Kanal before the first campaign.

High-converting SMS templates for Shopify

Here are eight templates you can adapt to your store. Replace the placeholders and test on a small segment first.

1. Order confirmation

{first_name}, your order #{order_id} is confirmed.
Total: ${total}. Estimated delivery: {date}.
Track: {short_url}
{brand} - Reply STOP to opt out

2. Shipment update

Good news! Order #{order_id} is on its way.
Track: {short_url}
ETA: {delivery_date}.
{brand}

3. Abandoned cart (1h after)

{first_name}, your cart is still waiting at {brand}.
{top_product} is still saved in it.
10% off with code COMEBACK10 until midnight: {short_url}
Reply STOP

4. Flash sale

{first_name}, 4h flash sale: 30% off {category}.
Code FLASH30, ends at 10 PM.
First-come basis: {short_url}
{brand} - Reply STOP

5. Review request

{first_name}, how is your {product}?
Rate in 30 sec: {short_url}
Thanks!
{brand}

6. Back-in-stock alert

{first_name}, {product} is back in stock.
Limited quantities: {short_url}
{brand}

7. Birthday

{first_name}, happy birthday!
Here's 15% off site-wide with BDAY15
Valid 48h: {short_url}
{brand}

8. Win-back (90 days inactive)

{first_name}, it's been a while!
Come back with 20% off: code RETURN20.
Valid 7 days: {short_url}
{brand} - Reply STOP

Templates 7 and 8 work best on a segment rather than the whole list: our win-back campaigns guide shows how to pick who receives them and when.

SMS best practices:

• 160 characters max per segment (153 once a text is split), and 70 (then 67) as soon as the text contains an emoji or a non-GSM character; each extra segment is billed. Our SMS vs MMS explainer shows what changes when you add a picture.
• Avoid emojis and special characters unless you accept the shorter Unicode limit
• Always include sender brand and STOP keyword
• Shorten URLs through a branded domain to maintain trust

SMS marketing best practices for e-commerce

For a campaign worked through end to end (goal, consent, segment, message length, send time, measurement), see our guide on how to do SMS marketing.

A short list to run every program against, with the guide that goes deeper on each point:

1. Collect a recorded opt-in for each channel before the first marketing text, and honor STOP replies everywhere you send from. See our SMS opt-in guide.
2. Register your sender before you scale. In the US, 10-digit numbers go through A2P 10DLC before you text at volume.
3. Write one idea per text, with the store name first, one link on your own domain and the opt-out at the end. Our SMS marketing examples give 20 texts to adapt.
4. Count segments before you send. One emoji drops the limit from 160 to 70 characters, and each extra segment is billed.
5. Pick the channel per message. A product launch with photos may fit RCS or WhatsApp better than a plain text; a sale ending tonight fits SMS.
6. Measure orders, not sends. Compare recovered orders against a holdout group rather than relying on open or click benchmarks.

When WhatsApp beats SMS for e-commerce

SMS keeps the edge for short alerts that must reach every phone, including customers who do not use WhatsApp, and for marketing to US numbers, where WhatsApp marketing templates are not delivered. But for media-rich messaging, or in markets where your customers already chat on WhatsApp, WhatsApp does what SMS cannot: images, buttons, carousels and a real two-way thread.

Concrete use cases to test on WhatsApp first:

• Cart recovery with product image: WhatsApp shows a photo of the abandoned item with a checkout button, which plain SMS cannot. Compare click-through with your SMS reminder, for example with Kanal's WhatsApp abandoned cart recovery.
• Product launches: Meta's media card carousel templates show up to 10 product cards in a single marketing message. Our WhatsApp broadcast guide covers structure and timing.
• Customer service: a WhatsApp chatbot can answer routine questions (order status, sizing, returns) on its own, something plain SMS cannot do.
• Two-way pre-purchase: customers reply to ask sizing or compatibility. SMS technically supports this but the UX is worse than a chat interface.

Source: Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform documentation, media card carousel templates, read on October 24, 2026. In 1, up to 10 product cards per message; in 2, each card carries an image and buttons.

For a deeper look at when to switch, see our WhatsApp Business API guide and the comparative WhatsApp Business API providers comparison.

Combining SMS + WhatsApp: the omnichannel playbook

A common approach is WhatsApp first, SMS as a last touch. An example sequence:

1. Day 0, 1h after cart abandonment: WhatsApp message with product image + "Complete checkout" button
2. Day 1: email follow-up with extended cart and reviews
3. Day 2: WhatsApp reminder with 10% off
4. Day 3: SMS short text as last touch for customers who never replied on WhatsApp

This pattern works because WhatsApp carries the rich, conversational touches, and SMS reaches the customers who never replied on WhatsApp, at low marginal cost. For Klaviyo users, our Klaviyo + WhatsApp integration guide shows how to wire the waterfall.

ROI: a concrete example

Let's run the math for a Shopify store with 10,000 SMS subscribers in the US. The click-through and conversion rates below are assumptions for illustration: replace them with the figures from your own SMS campaigns.

SMS-only campaign:

• 10,000 segments x 0.0083 USD = 83 USD at Twilio's US rate (October 24, 2026)
• Carrier fees on a long code: 10,000 x 0.0035 to 0.005 USD = 35 to 50 USD, depending on the recipient's carrier
• Messaging cost: 118 to 133 USD, before the number, the 10DLC registration and your SMS tool's subscription
• 7% CTR x 4% conversion x 75 USD AOV = 28 orders = 2,100 USD revenue
• ROAS: between 15.8x and 17.8x on messaging cost alone

Same audience via WhatsApp:

• Not possible for this campaign today: WhatsApp does not currently deliver marketing templates to US phone numbers (see WhatsApp marketing in the USA).
• For US customers, WhatsApp still carries utility messages (order and shipping updates), replies inside the 24-hour customer service window, and conversations started from click-to-WhatsApp ads.

In markets where marketing templates deliver, Meta charges each delivered marketing message at the rate of the recipient's country: check yours in our WhatsApp Business pricing guide or in the cost simulator on Kanal's pricing page, then ask whether WhatsApp converts better on your audience. Split one segment between the two channels with the same offer, compare orders per send, and use our ROAS break-even calculator to model your own numbers.

Send SMS from your store with Kanal

Kanal, the messaging app for Shopify stores, sends SMS alongside WhatsApp and RCS, and is used by more than 500 brands. It installs on Shopify in about five minutes and syncs your customers, orders and checkouts. Its SMS pages describe what it does:

• SMS campaigns to store segments, with no file to export, sent now or scheduled, with orders and revenue attributed to each campaign. SMS and WhatsApp campaigns use the same segments and the same report.
• SMS automation: abandoned cart with a second nudge, order confirmation, shipping and delivery, back in stock, post-purchase offer, review request, or a custom flow, personalized with the first name, order number or tracking link.
• Consent on the profile: opt-ins and opt-outs are stored on each customer profile.
• A character counter while you write, so you see how many segments a text uses.
• Price: SMS is included from the Scale plan ($149/month on the Shopify App Store, €149 on Kanal pricing), and each SMS is billed on top, depending on the destination country and the number of segments. Kanal does not send email: it connects to Klaviyo, which keeps your email.

SMS platforms compared for Shopify

Brevo sells texts as prepaid credits on every plan, with the number of credits per text set by the destination country; our Brevo pricing guide lists them for the US and the UK.

For the broader Shopify app landscape, see our comparison of SMS apps for Shopify and the best WhatsApp apps for Shopify. If you are moving off SMSBump, our Kanal vs SMSBump comparison covers the migration.

Conclusion

Business SMS remains a solid backbone for transactional and time-sensitive messaging, especially in markets where WhatsApp adoption is lower. But the channel has hard ceilings: no rich media, no chatbot, no carousel, and tightening carrier rules. The practical setup is to lead with WhatsApp where your customers use it, keep SMS for alerts and for the customers WhatsApp does not reach, and keep opt-in, segmentation and reporting consistent across the two.

Ready to run SMS and WhatsApp from one app? Book a Kanal demo or install Kanal from the Shopify App Store.

Resources

• WhatsApp marketing for e-commerce
• Conversational commerce guide
• WhatsApp link and QR code generator