Clickatell is one of the few well-established names in the SMS text message service provider business. This Clickatell review will highlight some of the features of Clickatell, as well as potential pros and cons of using Clickatell.
Clickatell is an large, international provider of SMS text messaging services, with several SMS text messaging products available for various business and personal needs. Founded in South Africa in 2000, Clickatell is currently headquartered in California. Clickatell has won numerous mobile industry awards, including the Best Value award from the Mobile Industry Review in 2008 and a 2009 award from the Mobile Marketing Association, of which Clickatell is a member. Clickatell also has numerous well-known clients, including CNN and Christie’s auction house, and has been involved in SMS text message campaigns for US President Barack Obama.
Clickatell is not necessarily the best fit for every business, so it is important to know some of the pros and cons of using Clickatell. Clickatell’s policies and services vary by country. This review focuses on Clickatell’s SMS text message services for companies in the United States.
Clickatell is a Better Business Bureau accredited business, with an A+ rating and very few reported complaints. Many of the complaints that customers have made about Clickatell are about slow customer service or difficulty setting up their accounts.
Clickatell’s SMS text message service is based on credits, and it costs a different number of credits to send text messages depending on where the messages are being sent. It costs one credit, or about 6.1 cents per message, to send SMS text messages within the United States. The cost of credits decreases when they are purchased in bundles. The cost of sending text messages to other countries varies, but in most cases it is the same or cheaper than messages sent within the United States. For instance, it costs 1/3 of a credit, or 2 cents per message, to send bulk SMS text messages to India. It also costs 1/3 of a credit, or 2 cents, to receive incoming SMS text messages.
Clickatell offers three basic bulk SMS text messaging services:
- Clickatell Gateway is a web-based SMS text messaging platform that allows businesses to send bulk SMS text messages. This program is recommended for sending 10,000 or more SMS text messages.
- Communicator 2 is a web-based SMS platform that allows businesses to send and receive SMS text messages. This program is recommended for sending fewer than 10,000 text messages.
- Messenger-PRO is a software program that allows businesses to send SMS text messages from their computer over their Internet connection without opening a browser window or logging on to a web site. The disadvantage of this is that the program is tied to the specific computer on which it is installed. It is recommended for sending 2.500 to 4,500 messages per month.
These programs are all free to set up and come with 5 or 10 free credits. Once those credits are gone, the user must purchase credits to continue sending SMS text messages.
Clickatell also offers services that send automatic messages when a triggering event occurs, such as sending notifications when a system goes down.
Some of Clickatell’s bulk SMS messaging services require users to rent a dedicated short code. Clickatell will help businesses rent their own dedicated short code. They charge a $1700 set up fee, with additional charges for being able to send messages to T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint Nextel and Boost. Once the short code is set up, it costs a company $900 per month to rent their short code, or $1400 for a vanity short code. This is more than a business would pay if it rented a dedicated short code on its own through the Common Short Code Administration, and businesses can also use their own short code with Clickatell’s services. Though renting a short code is a significant investment, it does provide the advantage of having a dedicated short code that belongs solely to the business renting it.
Clickatell sponsors a short message service reseller or white label program, which allows businesses to purchase large numbers of credits and sell them under their own business’s label or brand. The reseller is responsible for customer service, sales, and billing, while Clickatell manages the technical side of providing the SMS text message service. Potential customers may be interested in becoming a reseller, or in doing business with a reseller instead of directly with Clickatell if the reseller can offer them a better deal. Also, if a customer joins Clickatell’s affiliate program they can get a commission from any sales made based on their referrals.