SMS marketing became popular in the early 2000s as a way to quickly reach people with a brief message containing a call to action. With the rise of smartphones text messages often contained a link to a mobile landing page. However, SMS marketing has often been met with resistance in the same way that people do not like telemarketers.
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However, there are very legitimate uses for SMS marketing for local businesses that have an opt-in subscriber base or say a dentist who would like to remind his or her patient about their upcoming appointment.
Of course this could easily be done by manually texting them from a phone, but that is laborious and it would probably be just as easy to call and speak to them (of leave a message).
In my research, I found a number of services that claim for you to be able to simply type in a message and send it from a website. in my test, none of them worked in Canada despite Canadian cell phone carriers being listed.
Some of those included:
- Freetxt.
ca - TxtDrop.com
Another problem with these sites is that they have a lot of ads and you don't really know whether putting in a number will result in the recipient receiving a bunch of telemarketing calls -- not exactly something you want to be signing your customers up for!
The Best Way to Text Message People Through Email
Here is a list for Canadian Carriers (I've outlined American carriers below). In the instructions below I'll explain how to create a list with your client/patient/opt-in subscriber list.
- Bell Canada - 5551234567@txt.bellmobility.ca
- Bell Mobility (Canada) - 5551234567@txt.bell.ca
- Bell Mobility - 5551234567@txt.bellmobility.ca
- Fido - 5551234567@fido.ca
- Microcell - 5551234567@fido.ca
- President's Choice - 5551234567@txt.bell.ca
- Rogers Canada - 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com
- Solo Mobile - 5551234567@txt.bell.ca
- Telus - 5551234567@msg.telus.com
- Virgin Mobile Canada - 5551234567@vmobile.ca
- Koodo - 5551234567@msg.koodomobile.com
- Chatr - 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com
- Sasktel - 5551234567@sms.Sasktel.com
Since you probably don't know the carrier of your recipient you should create a bunch of emails and Bcc. The way to do this is to put them in a Word doc and find and replace 5551234567 with the real phone number (no spaces).
Here is a list of Canadian carrier emails you can copy in:
5551234567@txt.bellmobility.ca, 5551234567@txt.bell.ca, 5551234567@fido.ca, 5551234567@fido.ca, 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com, 5551234567@msg.telus.com, 5551234567@vmobile.ca, 5551234567@msg.koodomobile.com, 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com
Now just find and replace 5551234567 with the real phone number.
That should spit out one of the correct emails that you can just paste into the Bcc field. In my tests, I have not received bounced email from the emails despite being sent to the wrong carrier.
Disclaimer: I searched for Wind, Public, Mobile and Mobilicity but could not find any emails. If you find them please leave them in the comments and I will add them to the lists.
List of American Email to Text Message Email Addresses
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3 River Wireless - 5551234567@sms.3rivers.net
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Alltel - 5551234567@message.alltel.com
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AT&T - 5551234567@txt.att.net
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ACS Wireless - 5551234567@paging.acswireless.com
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Blue Sky Frog - 5551234567@blueskyfrog.com
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Bluegrass Cellular - 5551234567@sms.bluecell.com
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Boost Mobile - 5551234567@myboostmobile.com
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BPL Mobile - 5551234567@bplmobile.com
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Carolina West Wireless - 5551234567@cwwsms.com
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Cellular One - 5551234567@mobile.celloneusa.com
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Cellular South - 5551234567@csouth1.com
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Centennial Wireless - 5551234567@cwemail.com
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CenturyTel - 5551234567@messaging.centurytel.net
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Cingular - 5551234567@txt.att.net
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Clearnet - 5551234567@msg.clearnet.com
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Comcast - 5551234567@comcastpcs.textmsg.com
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Corr Wireless Communications - 5551234567@corrwireless.net
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Dobson - 5551234567@mobile.dobson.net
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Edge Wireless - 5551234567@sms.edgewireless.com
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Golden Telecom - 5551234567@sms.goldentele.com
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Helio - 5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com
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Houston Cellular - 5551234567@text.houstoncellular.net
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Illinois Valley Cellular - 5551234567@ivctext.com
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Inland Cellular Telephone - 5551234567@inlandlink.com
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Idea Cellular - 5551234567@ideacellular.net
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MCI - 5551234567@pagemci.com
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Metrocall - 5551234567@page.metrocall.com
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Metrocall 2-way - 5551234567@my2way.com
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Metro PCS - 5551234567@mymetropcs.com
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Microcell - 5551234567@fido.ca
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Midwest Wireless - 5551234567@clearlydigital.com
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Mobilcomm - 5551234567@mobilecomm.net
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MTS - 5551234567@text.mtsmobility.com
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Nextel - 5551234567@messaging.nextel.com
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OnlineBeep - 5551234567@onlinebeep.net
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Public Service Cellular - 5551234567@sms.pscel.com
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PCS One - 5551234567@pcsone.net
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Qwest - 5551234567@qwestmp.com
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Rogers AT&T Wireless - 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com
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Satellink - 5551234567.pageme@satellink.net
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Southwestern Bell - 5551234567@email.swbw.com
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Sprint - 5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com
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Sumcom - 5551234567@tms.suncom.com
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Surewest Communicaitons - 5551234567@mobile.surewest.com
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Sumcom - 5551234567@tms.suncom.com
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Sprint - 5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com
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Surewest Communicaitons - 5551234567@mobile.surewest.com
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T-Mobile - 5551234567@tmomail.net
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Tracfone - 5551234567@txt.att.net
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Triton - 5551234567@tms.suncom.com
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Unicel - 5551234567@utext.com
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US Cellular - 5551234567@email.uscc.net
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US West - 5551234567@uswestdatamail.com
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Virgin Mobile - 5551234567@vmobl.com
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Virgin Mobile Canada - 5551234567@vmobile.ca
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Verizon - 5551234567@vtext.com
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Western Wireless - 5551234567@cellularonewest.com
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West Central Wireless - 5551234567@sms.wcc.net
Lastly here’s a list you can paste into Word and do a find and replace switch
“5551234567? with the real phone number.
5551234567@sms.3rivers.net, 5551234567@message.alltel.com, 5551234567@txt.att.net,5551234567@paging.acswireless.com, 5551234567@blueskyfrog.com,5551234567@sms.bluecell.com, 5551234567@myboostmobile.com, 5551234567@bplmobile.com,5551234567@cwwsms.com, 5551234567@mobile.celloneusa.com, 5551234567@csouth1.com,5551234567@cwemail.com, 5551234567@messaging.centurytel.net, 5551234567@txt.att.net,5551234567@msg.clearnet.com, 5551234567@comcastpcs.textmsg.com,5551234567@corrwireless.net, 5551234567@mobile.dobson.net,5551234567@sms.edgewireless.com, 5551234567@sms.goldentele.com,5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com, 5551234567@text.houstoncellular.net,5551234567@ivctext.com, 5551234567@inlandlink.com, 5551234567@ideacellular.net,5551234567@pagemci.com, 5551234567@page.metrocall.com, 5551234567@my2way.com,5551234567@mymetropcs.com, 5551234567@fido.ca, 5551234567@clearlydigital.com,5551234567@mobilecomm.net, 5551234567@text.mtsmobility.com,5551234567@messaging.nextel.com, 5551234567@onlinebeep.net, 5551234567@sms.pscel.com,5551234567@pcsone.net, 5551234567@qwestmp.com, 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com,5551234567.pageme@satellink.net, 5551234567@email.swbw.com,5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com, 5551234567@tms.suncom.com,5551234567@mobile.surewest.com, 5551234567@tms.suncom.com,5551234567@messaging.sprintpcs.com, 5551234567@mobile.surewest.com,5551234567@tmomail.net, 5551234567@txt.att.net, 5551234567@tms.suncom.com,5551234567@utext.com, 5551234567@email.uscc.net, 5551234567@uswestdatamail.com,5551234567@vmobl.com, 5551234567@vtext.com, 5551234567@cellularonewest.com,5551234567@sms.wcc.net
I recommend using a Google Drive spreadsheet to keep track of all the email variations. If I’ve missed any carrier emails please leave them in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.
One last note, the subject line and body of your email or “text” will be Merged, so it’s probably best to just use the body.
Thanks to Computer Hope for providing the most of the emails listed in this list. I hope that my instructions on how to use this for customer service and opt-in marketing helps you out!
Please feel free to connect with me on social media @strategyinventr or leave a comment below!
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Thank you for sharing your research on SMS marketing and how local businesses can use it. SMS marketing can indeed be very effective for businesses with an opt-in subscriber base, especially for sending appointment reminders to patients. However, it is important to use SMS marketing ethically and avoid sending unsolicited messages, as it can lead to customer frustration and annoyance.
I appreciate that you have also provided a list of email-to-text message email addresses for both Canadian and American carriers, which can be useful for businesses looking to implement SMS marketing. It is important to note that businesses should still ensure they have obtained the proper consent from their subscribers before sending them text messages.
Overall, your article provides valuable information for businesses considering SMS marketing and highlights the importance of using it in a responsible and ethical manner.
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Bulk SMS service is one of the best service which will never out form the marketing sector. It is one of the best way to connect a company with customers or clients. Thanks for the valuable information on this topic today. Subscribed your blog.
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Wonderful article sir keep updating.
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like you Steve I have been searching for computer to text messaging for awhile. programs I found that will allow texting from a PC and cell phone are; FB messenger, Whats app, Text now, instagram, twitter and skype (white messenger on PC). many of these apps can be added as browser extensions in chrome and opera (firefox is limited and edge is a no)
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Hi, I found your info absolutely helpful, as I am always on my computer but all the youngsters are on their cellulars. However, the list is not complete as I found one is using Cityphone (Simplyconnect) and cannot find it on your list. It is a serviced based in BC using Rogers network. Do you have by any chance their sms/mms connection? Thank you.
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Thank you providing best technique sending free bulk SMS.
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I was seeking for some information regarding this topic and finally found here. Thanks for sharing.
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rogers is a pain. the person you are trying to contact has to subscribe to a service from Rogers in order to receive these email to text messages. the message they receive just asks them if they want to subscribe to the service and won’t give them any details.
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It’s easy (in Canada) to find what carrier a phone number has by doing a reverse phone search on Canada411. Results won’t say who the number belongs to, but will say whether or not it’s a landline or cell phone and if cell, will list the carrier.
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Do you have one of these sms access emails address for:
Original carrier: Frontier Comm Of Florida
Type: Non-Fixed VoIP
Thanks
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I am more than pleasantly impressed, kudos to you Steve and thank you, Nicholas
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Hi. I like your method very much. Very good fixations. I hope you succeed.
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Hi, Thanks for sharing such a great article, I was looking for a way to send free Bulk SMS and Here I got the best option. Your alrticle is very useful for me.
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This is nice information,
Great article on this blog its very helpful with us who’s is like email marketing
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Wind is now Freedom Mobile.
The SMS Address for emails is 5551234567@txt.freedommobile.ca.
Freedom Users have to send SMS 4000 from their phones to activate Email to SMS Conversion by Freedom (1 time only)
Example of use:
I am a software developer. When automatically loading external data, the data loader checks for data validity. All exceptions are sent to my email for corrective action. I have unlimited data on my cell phone, but I don’t want to leave it running so I can conserve the battery. The data loader also sends me a SMS to tell me to check my email. I use the code above to do it. Works every time.
Here’s my complete list that I use for various purposes:
(Unknown means last I checked, these carriers do not allow Email to SMS Conversions. Most you have; did cut and paste)
– Bell > 9999999999@txt.bell.ca
– Chatr > 9999999999@pcs.rogers.com
– Fido > 9999999999@fido.ca
– Koodo > 9999999999@msg.koodomobile.com
– Mobilicity > Unknown
– PC Mobile > 9999999999@mobiletxt.ca
– Public Mobile > Unknown
– Rogers > 9999999999@pcs.rogers.com
– Solo > 9999999999@txt.bell.ca
– Telus > 9999999999@msg.telus.com
– Virgin > 9999999999@vmobile.ca
– Freedom > 9999999999@txt.freedommobile.ca
Freedom Users have to send SMS 4000 from their phones to activate Email to SMS Conversion by Freedom
*** PLS DO NOT ADD ME TO ANY LISTS – JUST TRYING TO HELP OUT ***
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Hi! My follow up question is, when the recipient gets my text from my email are the able to respond such that I can get a reply back by email? …Or is this just a one-way communication?
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Hi Will, this is one-way communication. Kind of like an email blast.
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WIND MMS CARRIERS : mms.windmobile.ca
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Hii Steve, I was looking for a way to send free Bulk SMS and Here I got the best option Thank you so much for sharing this information.
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Thank you Great article! Can you confirm if this method
is free to end user in Bangladeshi?
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This is a great reference for anyone wanting to send a text message from their computer and not incur standard messaging rates. I will remember to use it when I send out marketing texts and forwards to groups of people who are all interested in the same things. It will save on overage fees and keep me in contact with the right people at the right time. Thanks for the research and simple instructions.
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This is great! There are some programs out there to help you mass text, but a lot of them have poor interface and are pretty expensive. I never realized how easily you can text people for free if you just know the set up. Thanks for writing the article!
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Please which email domain are you guess using to send this sms to phone. cos i just try hotmail and its showing failed. can anybody help me please?
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Hi there I am so happy I found your blog, I really found you by accident, while I was searching on Google for something else,
Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a marvelous post and a
all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design),
I don’t have time to go through it all at the minute but I have
saved it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the
great work.
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Videotron please and ty
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Honestly this is one of the most extensive lists of ways to send a text message from a computer, but with the ease of use and mobility of cellphones, why does anyone really send sms to individuals? I think the main benefit I suppose is that text advertising has a much higher CTR, which means more sales and all around a higher rate of sales. It’s a great way to re-engage previous clients too!
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Koszonom szepen (thank you) I text from my SaskTel website all the time (it is one you missed.)
(ten-digit number)@sms.Sasktel.com
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You’re welcome Wilma. I’ll add SaskTel to the list. Also, thanks for being leaving my first Hungarian comment! 🙂
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Hi there, thanks for the info. Just curious about what to do when it’s not working? We use this at our clinic and now it doesn’t seem to be sending the texts to our patients. Any ideas?
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Coolmuster Android Assistant could help you send sms from computer to mobile phone easily, and it also has some other functions.
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I try send sms with my gmail, it’s show failed permanently. Can somebody help me pls
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For Bell Mobility coverage you can refer to Cellcom !
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Good site. But do you know how to send text message to Quebcor/Videotron mobile phone.
Have had no luck.
JH
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@sms.rogers.com works!! Thanks Gary
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@sms.rogers.com for Rogers Canada
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I want to know how to open free sms
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Found this for texting a Wind Mobile cell phone from your e-mail. (Haven’t tried it out yet.): number@txt.windmobile.ca
Suppose I could just try and guess what to use for Videotron (Quebec) cell phone customers and start by trying: number@sms.videotron.com (or .net). Give me a few days and I’ll report back on whether it worked or not.
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Here’s some work-arounds that will also send free web texts for you in Canada:
For Rogers free 2-way text message centre, you register an e-mail account with them first: http://websms.rogers.page.ca/2way/login.php
For Telus, it’s even easier, and way less intrusive: http://mobility.telus.com/en/ON/send_message/index.shtml
For Bell Mobility: http://www.txt.bell.ca/bell/en/
Can’t find a Wind or Videotron free texting web page or what their e-mail address ending (suffix?) would be, in order to direct web text to a cell phone number, though. Still searching around. Please post here if anyone out there does know. Thanks.
Most cell phone users have free unlimited incoming texts. (I’ve e-mailed Virgin Mobile cell phone customers lots of times from my Gmail and know for a fact they have never been charged as they all had unlimited incoming texts on their cell phone plans.)
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@pcs.rogers.com won’t work. Any email sent to this domain will return a “mail failed” error
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Steve, can you do one for UK, particularly O2/Tesco and Virgin?
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In time!
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Do you have one for Pioneer Wireless?
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Sorry Jonathan, I tried to look it up, but could not find it.
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I tried this extension (@pcs.rogers.com) for rogers and I just keep getting an email back telling me about message failure. any thoughts?
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Might not be a rogers number?
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Can recipients text me back? Or is this only for sending out messages?
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Yes they can. It will come from their number. I tried this with Bell and it worked as a regular text message. Hope this helps.
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The rogers eimail (5551234567@pcs.rogers.com) keeps bouncing back to my email?
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That means the person you’re trying to text is not on Rogers.
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What I have found to be the case with Rogers is that they only accept about 50 or so messages at a time and then they start sending back “too many recipients”. I got around this by writing my code to send batches of 50 or less at a time with a 2 or 3 second pause in between. I’ve since found that the pause is probably not necessary and am now sending ALL messages (not just Rogers) in batches of 50 at a time with a pause only after every 5 batches.
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It doesn’t work for a Rogers cell phone. Any advice?
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You have to subscribe first for the Rogers service to be activated
Text “subscribe” to “0000000000”
(10 zeros)
then text “allow EMAIL” where “EMAIL” is the email from which you wish to receive Email as a text
text “help” and you will receive a menu to choose help topics and do further reading etc.
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Thanks !! Your info helped me out !!
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Here is the email for Rogers: 5551234567@pcs.rogers.com
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Has anyone had any experience with sending very large numbers of emails/texts? I manage a school board announcement system using this method and we now has over 9 thousand subscribers. I have started to hear of long delays, sometimes hours, on receipt of messages. These are mostly school closings and early dismissals so it is not acceptable to be more than half an hour late. I’ve confirmed that all of the messages are sent from our system within 15 minutes of initiating the announcement. Any idea where I should be looking for a solution to this problem?
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You might want to look into using mailchimp. Since you’re only using texts, you won’t really be using their rich features, though you may want to.
Here’s their pricing page: http://mailchimp.com/pricing/growing-business/
For 9000 subscribers, you’re looking at about $75/month. You will get a higher send rate + a pretty awesome email marketing platform if you so wish.
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Can you confirm if this method is free to end user in Canada?
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Standard text messaging rates apply to end users in both Canada and the US, but with most people having hundreds of texts per month, it should be a worry unless you’re spamming them.
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Great article!
This is new, well..not so new, but I had actually forgotten about it. I remember sending free texts sometime in 2005-2006 then the site that I used to send texts from just went underground and I have never heard of them until today 🙂 . Great list too, I will share it with friends on tweeter and G+ 🙂
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Texting your customers through email! That is new. Haven’t heard of that before and it really sounds interesting. Well, thank you for sharing and for the added bonus of carriers’ list. Cool!
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This is really a great post! I’ve seen a lot of people buying bulk SMS sending software as they are unaware of how easy it actually is to send their SMS’ using method above. Even though you have posted the email-to-text address’ of a lot of carriers, I still haven’t found the carriers for countries like the United Kingdom and Ireland. If you can please post them too.
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Nice post.
Some people really think SMS are already outdated because there are new technologies and ways to communicate constantly coming. I have to disagree on that because they are still used as a part of most people’s everyday life.
So of course one should consider it as a way to promote his project.