International SMS: Sending Messages to Other Countries
International SMS: Sending Messages to Other Countries
JustCall supports international SMS to 70+ countries. By default, numbers only send domestically. Enable international messaging to reach customers worldwide.
Available on: Team plan and above
Enable International SMS
- Go to Settings → Phone Numbers → [Your Number].
- Under Messaging Permissions, toggle International SMS to On.
- Click Save.
International SMS is enabled per-number. You can keep some numbers domestic-only and enable global messaging on others.
Pricing
International SMS is billed per message segment at country-specific rates. Rates vary significantly:
| Destination | Approximate rate per segment |
|---|---|
| Canada | $0.01–$0.02 |
| United Kingdom | $0.04–$0.06 |
| Australia | $0.05–$0.07 |
| India | $0.03–$0.04 |
| Germany | $0.07–$0.10 |
| Brazil | $0.03–$0.05 |
Check current rates under Settings → Billing → SMS Rates or contact your account manager.
Note: Unicode messages (emojis, non-Latin scripts) cost more because they use fewer characters per segment. A 160-character GSM-7 message becomes 2+ segments in Unicode.
Country-Specific Rules
Different countries have different rules for business SMS:
Sender ID
Some countries display your JustCall number as the sender. Others require or override with an alphanumeric sender ID:
| Country | Sender ID behavior |
|---|---|
| US / Canada | Your JustCall number displays |
| UK | Alphanumeric sender ID supported (up to 11 characters) |
| Australia | Your number or alphanumeric sender ID |
| India | Operator-assigned sender ID; pre-registration required |
| China | No international A2P SMS — messages blocked by carriers |
Pre-registration requirements
Some countries require sender registration before you can send SMS:
- India: DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) registration required. Contact JustCall support for assistance.
- Saudi Arabia: Content must be reviewed by CITC.
- China: International A2P SMS is effectively blocked. Use WeChat or other local messaging platforms.
Two-way messaging
Not all countries support two-way SMS from international numbers. Recipients in some countries cannot reply to your JustCall number. Check country-specific capabilities under Settings → SMS Rates.
Best Practices for International SMS
- Check country support before promising customers international messaging.
- Use local numbers when possible. A UK customer is more likely to trust and respond to a UK number than a US number.
- Be mindful of time zones. Schedule messages for appropriate hours in the recipient's country.
- Test first. Send a test message to verify delivery before launching campaigns to a new country.
- Watch encoding. If your recipient's language uses non-Latin characters, expect Unicode encoding and plan for shorter segments.