Business SMS Blog.

Insights, tips & guides on SMS marketing.

Expert insights on business SMS, marketing automation, and customer communication from the Faretext team.

Articles

Technology 11 Mar 2026

SMS from Space: How Satellite Direct-to-Device Is Eliminating UK Coverage Gaps

O2 has launched Europe's first satellite-to-smartphone service, and VodafoneThree is trialling its own. With Ofcom's new framework in place, satellite connectivity is set to close the UK's remaining coverage gaps — and SMS is at the heart of it.

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8 min read

Ofcom's New Mandatory Anti-Scam Rules: What They Mean and How Faretext Keeps You Compliant

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 11 Mar 2026

Ofcom's New Mandatory Anti-Scam Rules: What They Mean and How Faretext Keeps You Compliant

Ofcom is turning voluntary anti-scam measures into binding law. With mandatory KYC checks, sender ID verification, and traffic monitoring expected from summer 2026, here's what changes for UK businesses — and why working with Faretext means you're already ahead.

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8 min read

2G and 3G Sunsetting: What It Means for SMS and Why Your Messages Are Safe

Technology

Faretext Blog

Technology 26 Feb 2026

2G and 3G Sunsetting: What It Means for SMS and Why Your Messages Are Safe

Mobile operators are switching off 2G and 3G networks across the UK. Here is what this means for SMS delivery, IoT devices, and your business messaging strategy.

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7 min read

The Future of Business Messaging: SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and Beyond

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 10 Feb 2026

The Future of Business Messaging: SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and Beyond

The business messaging landscape in 2026 is multi-channel: SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, and emerging formats all have a role. Here is how the landscape is evolving and how to plan your strategy.

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5 min read

5 Ways to Combine AI and SMS for Better Customer Experience

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 20 Jan 2026

5 Ways to Combine AI and SMS for Better Customer Experience

AI and SMS are a powerful combination. Here are five practical ways to use artificial intelligence to make your text messaging more effective, from audience segmentation to smart escalation.

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5 min read

The Future of SMS: Why Juniper Research Says It Will Still Generate Billions

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 13 Jan 2026

The Future of SMS: Why Juniper Research Says It Will Still Generate Billions

SMS will account for 32% of global mobile messaging revenue by 2029 — down from 45% but still representing billions in value. Here's why SMS remains essential even as the landscape evolves.

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3 min read

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 18 Nov 2025

Why AI Chatbots Still Need SMS

AI-powered chatbots are transforming customer service, but they cannot replace SMS for outbound notifications, two-factor authentication, and critical alerts. Here is why the two technologies are complementary.

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4 min read

Automated SMS in E-Commerce: Why Triggered Messages Generate 26% of All SMS Orders

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 04 Nov 2025

Automated SMS in E-Commerce: Why Triggered Messages Generate 26% of All SMS Orders

Automated SMS messages generate 26% of all SMS orders from just 13% of sends. Abandoned cart texts, order confirmations, and post-purchase follow-ups dramatically outperform broadcast campaigns.

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3 min read

The Rising Cost of A2P SMS: What Ofcom's Market Review Means for UK Businesses

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 16 Sep 2025

The Rising Cost of A2P SMS: What Ofcom's Market Review Means for UK Businesses

A2P SMS wholesale rates have increased significantly since 2021. We look at Ofcom's market review, the voluntary pricing commitments from UK operators, and what this means for your business messaging costs.

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3 min read

Why SMS Is Still the Gold Standard for Two-Factor Authentication

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 09 Sep 2025

Why SMS Is Still the Gold Standard for Two-Factor Authentication

Over 80% of organisations rely on SMS for two-factor authentication. Despite debates about alternatives, SMS 2FA remains the most widely deployed method because of its universal reach and simplicity.

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4 min read

Understanding SMS Message Encoding: GSM, Unicode, and Why It Matters

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 08 Jul 2025

Understanding SMS Message Encoding: GSM, Unicode, and Why It Matters

A single emoji or curly quote can double your SMS costs by switching your message from 160-character GSM encoding to 70-character Unicode. Here's how encoding works and why it matters.

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3 min read

Technology

Faretext Blog

Technology 10 Jun 2025

How AI Is Making Business SMS Smarter

Artificial intelligence is transforming business SMS with smarter send times, predictive campaign analytics, natural language processing for two-way conversations, and automated personalisation at scale.

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4 min read

Ofcom Tackles SMS Scams: What New Regulations Mean for UK Businesses

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 06 May 2025

Ofcom Tackles SMS Scams: What New Regulations Mean for UK Businesses

UK operators block around 30 million suspicious texts per month, but Ofcom is proposing new rules to go further. Here's what the proposed regulations mean for legitimate businesses.

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3 min read

How to Choose an SMS Provider: A Practical Guide for UK Businesses

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 11 Mar 2025

How to Choose an SMS Provider: A Practical Guide for UK Businesses

Not all SMS providers are equal. From carrier connections and pricing transparency to fraud monitoring and support availability, here's what actually matters when choosing a business SMS provider.

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4 min read

SMS Marketing Done Right: Lessons from 1,200 Consumers

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 21 Jan 2025

SMS Marketing Done Right: Lessons from 1,200 Consumers

78% of consumers say brand texts annoy them — yet 50% have bought a product after receiving one. The line between effective marketing and customer irritation is thinner than you think.

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3 min read

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 14 Jan 2025

Faretext Launches SMS Command Centre

We are excited to introduce the SMS Command Centre -- a self-service management and reporting platform that puts real-time analytics, contact management, and campaign scheduling at your fingertips.

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4 min read

WhatsApp Business Pricing Explained: Conversations, Not Messages

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 03 Dec 2024

WhatsApp Business Pricing Explained: Conversations, Not Messages

Meta charges for WhatsApp Business by the conversation, not the message. With four pricing categories and free service conversations, understanding the model is essential before budgeting.

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4 min read

RCS Is Coming: What Apple's iOS 18 Means for Business Messaging

Technology

Faretext Blog

Technology 05 Nov 2024

RCS Is Coming: What Apple's iOS 18 Means for Business Messaging

Apple's iOS 18 has added RCS support, triggering a 500% increase in global RCS traffic. But does this mean the end of SMS? Not quite — here's what businesses need to know.

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3 min read

SMS vs WhatsApp Business: Choosing the Right Channel

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 15 Oct 2024

SMS vs WhatsApp Business: Choosing the Right Channel

SMS reaches every mobile phone without internet. WhatsApp offers rich media and interactive features. Here is a practical comparison to help you decide which channel suits your business needs.

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4 min read

Artificially Inflated Traffic: The $1.16 Billion SMS Fraud You Haven't Heard Of

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 17 Sep 2024

Artificially Inflated Traffic: The $1.16 Billion SMS Fraud You Haven't Heard Of

Artificially Inflated Traffic (AIT) cost businesses $1.16 billion in 2023. This lesser-known form of SMS fraud generates fake message requests to inflate traffic and pocket termination fees.

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3 min read

WhatsApp Business API: What UK Companies Need to Know

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 20 Aug 2024

WhatsApp Business API: What UK Companies Need to Know

Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform offers UK companies a powerful messaging channel with conversation-based pricing and rich media support. Here is what you need to know before getting started.

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4 min read

SMS Pricing Trends: What's Driving Costs in 2024

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 16 Jul 2024

SMS Pricing Trends: What's Driving Costs in 2024

A2P SMS pricing is shaped by market growth, carrier policies, routing quality, and regulatory changes. Understanding these factors helps you evaluate your provider and control costs.

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4 min read

Ireland's New Sender ID Rules: What UK Businesses Need to Know

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 09 Jul 2024

Ireland's New Sender ID Rules: What UK Businesses Need to Know

Ireland has introduced mandatory Sender ID pre-registration for business SMS. If your business sends text messages to customers in the Republic of Ireland, here's what has changed and what you need to do.

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6 min read

SMS in Recruitment: Why Text Beats Email for Candidate Engagement

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 14 May 2024

SMS in Recruitment: Why Text Beats Email for Candidate Engagement

Recruitment agencies using SMS are 4x more likely to get candidate responses within 2 minutes. We look at why text messaging is becoming essential for hiring teams.

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3 min read

The Real Cost of SMS: Why It's the Best Value Channel

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 09 Apr 2024

The Real Cost of SMS: Why It's the Best Value Channel

When you compare cost per conversion across channels, SMS consistently delivers the highest return on investment. Here is the data behind the claim and why SMS remains the best value channel for direct communication.

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4 min read

Introducing SMS Surveys: Interactive Feedback by Text

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 12 Mar 2024

Introducing SMS Surveys: Interactive Feedback by Text

We are introducing SMS Surveys -- a new solution that lets you build multi-question surveys delivered entirely via text message, with real-time response tracking and detailed analytics.

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4 min read

5 Things Every Business Should Know Before Sending Bulk SMS

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 13 Feb 2024

5 Things Every Business Should Know Before Sending Bulk SMS

Whether you're sending your first campaign or scaling up, these five fundamentals will help you get better results from business SMS — and stay on the right side of the regulations.

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3 min read

Two-Factor Authentication by SMS: Still the World's Most Used Security Layer

Technology

Faretext Blog

Technology 05 Dec 2023

Two-Factor Authentication by SMS: Still the World's Most Used Security Layer

Despite debates about alternative methods, SMS remains the most widely deployed two-factor authentication channel. Google's research shows it stops 100% of automated attacks and 96% of bulk phishing.

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3 min read

How GOV.UK Notify Sends Billions of Text Messages to Citizens

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 12 Sep 2023

How GOV.UK Notify Sends Billions of Text Messages to Citizens

The UK government's messaging platform, GOV.UK Notify, has sent over 4.9 billion text messages across 1,500+ public sector organisations. Here's what businesses can learn from how government uses SMS.

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3 min read

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 20 Jun 2023

Smishing: The Rise of SMS Fraud and How to Protect Your Brand

With 147 million smishing texts sent globally every day, SMS fraud is a growing threat to legitimate businesses. We look at the scale of the problem and what you can do about it.

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3 min read

GDPR and SMS: What ICO Enforcement Actions Mean for Your Business

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 07 Mar 2023

GDPR and SMS: What ICO Enforcement Actions Mean for Your Business

The ICO has issued significant fines for unlawful SMS marketing — including £120,000 for sending 4 million texts without consent. We break down what this means and how to stay compliant.

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3 min read

SMS Open Rates: The Metric That Keeps Marketers Coming Back

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 21 Feb 2023

SMS Open Rates: The Metric That Keeps Marketers Coming Back

With a 98% open rate and most messages read within three minutes, SMS remains the only marketing channel that virtually guarantees your message will be seen. Here is why that metric matters.

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4 min read

Faretext Celebrates 10 Years of SMS Innovation

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 17 Jan 2023

Faretext Celebrates 10 Years of SMS Innovation

This month marks ten years since Faretext was founded. From our origins in the taxi industry to serving over 400 customers across 20 industries, here is a look back at the journey so far.

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4 min read

30 Years of Texting: How SMS Changed the Way the World Communicates

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 03 Dec 2022

30 Years of Texting: How SMS Changed the Way the World Communicates

On 3 December 1992, engineer Neil Papworth sent the first ever text message — "Merry Christmas" — from a PC to a Vodafone mobile phone. Thirty years on, SMS remains the most reliable communication channel in the world.

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4 min read

How SMS Reminders Are Saving the NHS Millions

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 13 Sep 2022

How SMS Reminders Are Saving the NHS Millions

Missed NHS appointments cost the health service £1.2 billion every year. Research shows that SMS reminders reduce no-show rates by up to 34% — and the wording of the message makes a measurable difference.

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3 min read

SMS Open Rates vs Email: The Numbers That Matter

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 21 Jun 2022

SMS Open Rates vs Email: The Numbers That Matter

With a 98% open rate compared to email's 20-30%, SMS consistently outperforms every other direct communication channel. We look at the data behind the numbers.

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3 min read

The State of Business SMS in the UK: What Ofcom's Data Tells Us

Industry Insights

Faretext Blog

Industry Insights 15 Mar 2022

The State of Business SMS in the UK: What Ofcom's Data Tells Us

While consumer texting has declined due to WhatsApp and iMessage, business-to-person SMS tells a very different story. We look at what Ofcom's data reveals about the health of A2P messaging in the UK.

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3 min read

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 28 May 2021

Flexible SMS Add Ons

We understand that everyone’s needs are different. And dependent on how you want your solution to work and perform, there are a number of options available that could make your integration work harder and smarter. Most of these 'flexible ad

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4 min read

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 23 Mar 2021

Scan & Subscribe with SMS

Generate new customer lists with SMS via your very own QR code. Simply print onto leaflets, adverts or menus, and let your customer subscribe to your mailing list via their camera phone. The code generates a SMS template with a reply number we provi

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3 min read

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 05 Mar 2021

Get Ready With Business Boost

We’re offering a one-off special discount of orders of up to 10,000 credits to help UK businesses most impacted by the lockdown, to get back on their feet. Further more, no software or expertise will be needed - all these campaigns will be fully m

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3 min read

Tips & Guides

Faretext Blog

Tips & Guides 07 Dec 2020

Contact Free Table Service

The App Free, Contact Free Ordering Solution for Bars and Restaurants In view of the recently updated information for bars and restaurants and how they can operate and safely adhere to the latest guidelines to combat COVID-19, Faretext has create

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5 min read

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 20 Mar 2020

COVID-19 Update

In view of the ever-evolving situation with the COVID-19 outbreak, Faretext wants to assure its customers of the continuity of service during these unprecedented times, and inform them of what we have put in place. You can count on us! Faretex

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2 min read

Oello: Making SMS Accessible to Every Business

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 10 Sep 2019

Oello: Making SMS Accessible to Every Business

Today we are launching Oello, our code-free SMS product designed to make business text messaging accessible to every company, regardless of size or technical expertise.

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4 min read

Superfast South Yorkshire Connection & Innovation Vouchers Scheme

Company News

Faretext Blog

Company News 02 Aug 2018

Superfast South Yorkshire Connection & Innovation Vouchers Scheme

Superfast South Yorkshire Connection and Innovation Vouchers Scheme provide eligible SMEs with funding to improve their broadband connections and/or introduce digital innovations into the business. Faretext's newly developed online portal to allo

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3 min read

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 26 Apr 2018

Faretext's Privacy Policy Update

Your privacy is important to Faretext and we want to be clear about the data we collect, how we use it and your rights to control that information, which is why we’ve made some important updates to our Privacy Policy. We have made these updates

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5 min read

Legal Changes To Direct Marketing When Using SMS

Compliance

Faretext Blog

Compliance 16 Mar 2015

Legal Changes To Direct Marketing When Using SMS

You may or may not be aware of changes happening to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation 2003 (‘PECR’) from 6th April 2015. These changes are very important and affect every business contacting customers and potential customer

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4 min read

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Business SMS Blog.

Insights, tips & guides on SMS marketing.

SMS from Space: How Satellite Direct-to-Device Is Eliminating UK Coverage Gaps

Ofcom's New Mandatory Anti-Scam Rules: What They Mean and How Faretext Keeps You Compliant

2G and 3G Sunsetting: What It Means for SMS and Why Your Messages Are Safe

The Future of Business Messaging: SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and Beyond

5 Ways to Combine AI and SMS for Better Customer Experience

The Future of SMS: Why Juniper Research Says It Will Still Generate Billions

Why AI Chatbots Still Need SMS

Automated SMS in E-Commerce: Why Triggered Messages Generate 26% of All SMS Orders

The Rising Cost of A2P SMS: What Ofcom's Market Review Means for UK Businesses

Why SMS Is Still the Gold Standard for Two-Factor Authentication

Understanding SMS Message Encoding: GSM, Unicode, and Why It Matters

How AI Is Making Business SMS Smarter

Ofcom Tackles SMS Scams: What New Regulations Mean for UK Businesses

How to Choose an SMS Provider: A Practical Guide for UK Businesses

SMS Marketing Done Right: Lessons from 1,200 Consumers

Faretext Launches SMS Command Centre

WhatsApp Business Pricing Explained: Conversations, Not Messages

RCS Is Coming: What Apple's iOS 18 Means for Business Messaging

SMS vs WhatsApp Business: Choosing the Right Channel

Artificially Inflated Traffic: The $1.16 Billion SMS Fraud You Haven't Heard Of

WhatsApp Business API: What UK Companies Need to Know

SMS Pricing Trends: What's Driving Costs in 2024

Ireland's New Sender ID Rules: What UK Businesses Need to Know

SMS in Recruitment: Why Text Beats Email for Candidate Engagement

The Real Cost of SMS: Why It's the Best Value Channel

Introducing SMS Surveys: Interactive Feedback by Text

5 Things Every Business Should Know Before Sending Bulk SMS

Two-Factor Authentication by SMS: Still the World's Most Used Security Layer

How GOV.UK Notify Sends Billions of Text Messages to Citizens

Smishing: The Rise of SMS Fraud and How to Protect Your Brand

GDPR and SMS: What ICO Enforcement Actions Mean for Your Business

SMS Open Rates: The Metric That Keeps Marketers Coming Back

Faretext Celebrates 10 Years of SMS Innovation

30 Years of Texting: How SMS Changed the Way the World Communicates

How SMS Reminders Are Saving the NHS Millions

SMS Open Rates vs Email: The Numbers That Matter

The State of Business SMS in the UK: What Ofcom's Data Tells Us

Flexible SMS Add Ons

Scan & Subscribe with SMS

Get Ready With Business Boost

Contact Free Table Service

COVID-19 Update

Oello: Making SMS Accessible to Every Business

Superfast South Yorkshire Connection & Innovation Vouchers Scheme

Faretext's Privacy Policy Update

Legal Changes To Direct Marketing When Using SMS

Follow us for SMS insights.

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