What a sender ID is
A sender ID is the name customers see instead of a phone number, such as YOURBRAND. Mobile networks in Kenya require every sender ID to be registered to a verified organisation before it can be used.
Naming rules
- Up to 11 characters, letters and numbers only. Spaces and most symbols are not supported.
- It must clearly relate to your registered business name, trading name or brand.
- You may not register names of other companies, government bodies, banks or well-known brands unless you are authorised to use them.
- Generic words (such as INFO, ALERT or SMS) may be refused by the networks.
Documents we need
- Certificate of incorporation or business registration
- KRA PIN certificate
- A signed authorisation letter on your letterhead
- For brand names you don’t own outright: written permission from the brand owner
- Any extra documents a network asks for, for example for financial services or health
Registration and approval
We submit your request to Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom on your behalf. Approval times are set by each network, and each network may approve or refuse a name independently. We’ll keep you updated until it is live.
Sender IDs are a one-off fee (currently KSh 4,000 per sender ID plus VAT, promotional price). The fee covers our registration work and is not refundable if a network refuses the name, but we’ll help you submit an alternative.
Using your sender ID
- Use your sender ID only for messages from your own organisation.
- Messages must follow our Acceptable Use & Anti-Spam Policy.
- Transactional sender IDs (alerts, OTPs, receipts) should not be used for marketing where a network requires separate IDs.
Suspension and removal
Networks or Beep Africa may suspend a sender ID that is used for spam, fraud, misleading content or anything the networks don’t allow, or if documents turn out to be invalid. We may also remove sender IDs that haven’t been used for a long period, after notifying you.
Contact us
Beep Africa Technologies Limited, 1st Floor, Studio House, Marcus Garvey Road, Kilimani, Nairobi (opposite chaka place).
Phone and WhatsApp: +254 725 333 888 · Contact form