Australia Bulk SMS Service Provider Comparison

How Does ClickSend Bulk Text Message Pricing Compare?

ClickSend provides a very competitive pricing schedule for Australian businesses with the prices of outbound SMS messages shown to the right. All inbound text messages are free with the provider.

There is an additional fee for bulk SMS services associated with a dedicated number. This costs $19 a month with no setup fees. A provider can also choose their own number when available. Getting a dedicated number also only takes minutes with ClickSend.

All prices shown on the table to the right and the ClickSend website excludes GST and are in Australian Dollars.

When the ClickSend prices were compared to the other Australian bulk text message providers, the findings indicate that their offer is one of the lowest costs.

When comparing the pricing schedules for a range of Australian bulk SMS providers, the price variance can be as high as 60%. This variation can be based on the networks (grey vs major providers) and service level agreements offered by the provider. It can also be based on set-up fees, contract duration requirements and other fees charged on-top of usage. It should be noted that Clicksend has no contract or set-up fees. Two-way SMS service, where both an SMS is sent and received, also have no additional charge. This means that it can reduce overall text messaging costs as some providers charge for each text message received for such type of communications.

Overall, ClickSend charges that are advertised are extremely competitive at most usage brackets compared to their competitors. This is also reinforced with large batches of text messages where ClickSend is prepared to discuss possibly of matching against any other bulk SMS providers to win the business. If course, such cheaper pricing is based on comparable volume. ClickSend ensures that their prices are regularly checked against competitors and adjusted so customers always get the best deal. They state they will beat any cheaper quotes.

Is ClickSend Suitable For Premium SMS Requirements?

While ClickSend offers the lowest prices (as proven by their price beat guarantee), they also present the best service level agreement (SLA) of 100% up-time guarantee.

The 100% SLA provides confidence to both Australia companies and the large global companies to become clients of ClickSend including Uber, Siemens and Intel. They also have a high capacity network ensuring that critical time-sensitive text messages are delivered promptly. This network is not only Australia-wide but globally allowing for international SMS delivery leading ClickSend to be one of the leading bulk SMS providers.

ClickSend SMS Gateway And Bulk Text Message Services

When it comes to bulk distribution and the use of reliable gateway service, it can be seen that ClickSend provides a high-speed, premium connection through their direct telecommunication carriers rather than using both direct and hybrid carrier networks. Their gateway routes are through Optus, Vodafone and Telstra.

The SMS Gateway capacity is able to match major SMS firms with over 7 million text messages delivered weekly. ClickSend states that text messages are delivered within a matter of seconds with an SMS gateway uptime of 100%, which is a real asset compared to other similar bulk providers.

Bulk SMS can be distributed in a number of different ways such as:

1) Web SMS

The Web SMS option allows companies to send bulk SMS messages from their PC with no software download requirements. All the core features to send text messages exist with individual or mass text message options available. For mass SMS campaigns a business just needs to upload a contact lists online and a large-scale SMS distribution can commence.

2) SMS API

Businesses that have their own CRM software or messaging infrastructure the SMS API may be the optimal solution. The SMS API integration is relatively easy allowing firms to automate messages using the company’s existing software systems. The SMS API can be accessed using the majority of programming languages with a SDK in PHP available on their website.

3) Email To SMS

The Email to SMS gateway is compatible with Microsoft Office or Apple Mail. Using these e-mail packages SMS marketing campaigns or even SMS reminders can be send which include free deliverable reports. No extra software is required to use this method with users just requiring to forward the message to the number in the subject line.

Customer Support Offered By ClickSend

ClickSend head office is based in Perth, Australia. There is no need to visit the location to setup an account with a 1800 number operating on a 24/7 basis. This is much more superior than other similar type of SMS bulk providers who either offer a 1300 number or available only during business hours from Monday to Friday, unless an additional payment for out of hours service.

It’s worth noting that ClickSend may appear to be a cheap ‘no frills’ provider but they do have all services equivalent of what appears to be more premium providers with a lower per unit text message cost. Their customer service personnel are well trained and will provide all the technical assistance for developers setting up their SMS campaigns or an SMS API.

What Is A Bulk SMS Service?

A bulk SMS service provides business SMS solutions through:

• Web SMS – Go online to upload contacts and send mass text messages to the list
• SMS API – Integrate CRM software to automate SMS campaigns
• E-mail SMS Gateway – Integrate programs such as MS Office to send text messages
• 2-Way SMS – Allow users to respond to messages with customised options

Some bulk SMS service providers offer SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer). This protocol used by the Australian telecommunication providers allows exchanging text messages between Short Message Service Centres and External Short Messaging Entities. This protocol is level 7 TCP/IP and can minimise latency of text messages sent. Version 3.3 SMPP is the most widely used within Australia while version 3.4 has transceiver support allowing 2 way SMS solutions.

Some Australia Bulk Text Message Examples

Australian companies are quickly learning the benefits of using a mass SMS service within their organisation. Bulk text message services are most commonly associated with SMS marketing and communication campaigns, providing special deals to customers who opt-in to receive special deals and alerts.

More recently, governments and councils have discovered the immediacy and cut-through of SMS when used as an information tool. With Australia’s diverse weather conditions, it became apparent that a reliable and scalable alert system was required. SMS provide to be more than just a mobile marketing solution. With the ability to reach hundreds of thousands of mobile phones on multiple networks with seconds, mass SMS has quickly become a trusted and reliable tool used by hundreds of councils and authorities across the country.

Purchasing SMS in bulk is an effective method of keeping the overall per message cost to a minimum. Most mass SMS providers will offer very low rates per SMS when you make a bulk purchase, allowing you to use as many or as few SMS per send without the worry of an expiration date. For this reason, organisations from gyms and social clubs through to online services prefer to purchase their SMS in bulk and keep their customers and consumers happy with regular offers and updates.

Offers available through Bulk SMS Australia providers

1. Free SMS trial

A number of Bulk SMS Australia service offer a trial session where you can see the way the whole text messaging service process transpires from start to finish. There is a range of free trial offers ranging from a time period of 14 days available from Burst SMS to a free trial through a number of SMS, whether it is 5 SMS to 50 SMS. Other bulk SMS providers do charge such as Nexmo with a minimal cost of two euro to international company. MessageBird does not offer a free trial period. By checking Bulk SMS Australia providers’ websites, you will see what free trial they offer.

2. Business SMS Services

Bulk SMS Australia companies provide a range of featured Business SMS platforms for sending text messages to customers, clients or employees in a cost-effective, efficient and secure manner. They can be sending a SMS online, importing contacts and managing lists of customers and staff. Bulk SMS Australia services are able to integrate their SMS gateway with your website or software using SMS API tools and add text messaging to your business workflow. Business SMS services that are also offered by Bulk SMS Australia providers include two-way, online text messaging chat, which is ideal for remote communications and using dedicated SMS numbers to receive inbound SMS and replies to your text messages from customers and employees.

International Bulk SMS Provider

Many Australian companies also require text messages to be sent overseas. Using an international bulk SMS provider not only provides local support but also utilizes local networks. This maximizes text message deliverability and reduces the lag time between when an SMS is send and actually delivered by headsets. Some of the top international text message providers are:

1. Clicksend (Perth HQ)

   • Asia Pacific = 12 Countries
   • Americas = 9 Countries
   • Africa & Europe = 15 Countries

2. MessageMedia (Melbourne HQ)

   • Asia Pacific = 2 Countries
   • Americas = 1 Country
   • Africa & Europe = 1 Country

3. Twilio (San Francisco HQ)

   • Asia Pacific = 2 Countries
   • Americas = 3 Countries
   • Africa & Europe = 6 Countries

4. Nexmo (San Francisco HQ)

   • Asia Pacific = 2 Countries
   • Americas = 1 Country
   • Africa & Europe = 1 Country

5. Clickatell (California HQ)

   • Asia Pacific = 1 Country
   • Americas = 1 Country
   • Africa & Europe = 1 Country

Overall, international bulk text message prices vary by region so don’t expect a universal price for delivery. It’s best to request international SMS prices and compare quote prior to finalizing the provider for your business.

3. SMS Marketing

SMS is very effective as a marketing tool for reaching out to large numbers of present and potential customers through Bulk SMS Australia providers. SMS messages are more likely to be opened when received or within just five minutes of being received. This makes SMS marketing a reliable form of communications particularly for marketing campaigns, promotions, contest, and appointment reminders, as some examples. Through the engagement of Bulk SMS Australia companies, you can evaluate how to improve your campaign or promotion by reviewing detailed reports that will assist you to boost better responses. SMS marketing can assist in organizing campaigns creations, automated personalization and unsubscribed management.