Frequently Asked Questions

sms to pc questions answered


General

What is an SMS?

Short Message Service is one of the most popular forms of communication. Utilised by billions across the world, it is particularly popular among Australian mobile phone users. It allows a sender to send a short text message to another person's mobile phone.

How can Ready to SMS assist me?

Ready to SMS gives you an easy and cheap way to send SMS texts automatically to your customers, colleagues or friends.

How many words can I send in one message?

All Australian carriers allow for up to 160 characters to be sent in one SMS. Ready to SMS allows you to combine up to 6 messages (960 characters in total) into one broadcast.

How many messages can I send in one go?

We allow you to send SMS messages in bulk, and you can theoretically send as many messages as you want. However, we limit the size of the files you upload to 4MB , so it will depend on what other data you have in them. We recommend that if you want to send more than 50000 SMS messages, or if your files are larger than 4MB, contact us for advice.

What is the minimum amount of Text Messages I can send?

If using the pay-as-you-go option, the minimum is 20. If using the ReadyCredits option, there is no minimum.

To which countries can I send SMS messages?

At the moment, our web SMS service allows you to send SMS messages to Australian phones only. Our global service is coming soon, however, so stay tuned.

How long does it take to receive an SMS?

The short answer: not long. We send them ASAP.

The long answer: This depends upon two main factors. The first is the number of SMS messages you are sending. The more you want to send the longer it will take for us to send them all. The second factor - and the one that is out of our control - is when the Telecommunications carriers process the message. As a rule of thumb, if you are sending out 100 messages, you can expect to have them all sent within seconds. Even for large bulk volumes of messages you should expect to have them sent at the rate of 2000 messages per minute. However, the first messages in the list will be delivered almost immediately.

What other services do you provide?

Other services that we can assist you with include location based services, call centre integration, information and content as well as premium rate messages and SMS to 13 and 1300 numbers.

Sending an SMS

How do I send the SMS messages?

Click on the "SEND SMS" button on the top right. From there, we provide two ways to send SMS messages: "quicksend" and "send from file". See below for details.

How does the "quicksend" SMS broadcast work?

This is the simpler of the two methods of sending an SMS. It is quick and easy, and recommended for more straightforwarard SMS broadcasts. To use it, simply:

  • Click "Send SMS" on the top right; login or register if prompted.
  • Make sure that the "quick send" section is highlighted
  • Enter the phone numbers of your recipients in the uppermost white area (press *Enter* after each number)
  • Type your message in the lower white area; immediately below it, counters will tell you how many characters and SMS messages you have used up.
  • Use the controls on the right to select a specific date and time for your broadcast, or just leave it as it is to have your broadcast sent as soon as possible.
  • Choose where replies to your messages will be sent. If you choose "Your Mobile", your messages will be displayed to your recipients as though they came from you, and if they send a replies to them, those replies will go straight to the mobile phone that you used to register. If you choose the "Online Report" option, replies will not go to your phone, but will instead go to our database, where you will be able to access them by going to the "Your Replies" section.
  • Pay, either by Credit Card or using pre-bought ReadyCredits.

How does the "send from file" system work?

This method of sending an SMS is more powerful and flexible than the "quicksend" method, although it requires you to upload a file that contains your numbers and/or messages. The files accepted are text files (.txt), Comma-Separated-Value files (.csv) and Microsoft Excel files (.xls or .xlsx). There are various benefits to using this system:

  • It allows you to have different messages for different recipients
  • It allows you to upload a list of phone numbers and messages that you've created in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel.
  • If you have a group of recipients whom you send SMS messages to regularly, it may save you time to have them listed in file so that you don't have to type them in each time.
Though not as quick as a "Quick send" broadcast, the process of sending a broadcast from a file, is relatively simple:

  • Click "Send SMS" on the top right; login or register if prompted.
  • Click on the "Send from file" section
  • Choose between a "simple" or a "custom" broadcast. A "custom" broadcast will allow you to send different messages to different recipients, whereas a "simple" broadcast will only allow you to send your recipients the same message.
  • Upload your file that contains numbers (and messages, if need be).
  • Our automated error checking system will help you fix any errors in your data.
  • Choose when you want the Text Messages to be sent.
  • Pay, either by Credit Card or using pre-bought ReadyCredits.

During the SMS setup process, help buttons will be there to help you along the way.

Do I get replies to the messages I send?

Yes. However, please note that resplies are only available for "quicksend" SMS broadcasts, not for "send-from-file" broadcasts. You have two replies options:

  • Have replies sent to your mobile

Your recipients will receive your SMS messages as if they came directly from your mobile (ie. they will see your mobile number). If they reply to those messages, those replies will go straight to your phone. We will not keep a record of them.

  • Have replies sent to an online report

Your recipients will not see your number, but will instead see the SMS message as coming from one of our Ready To SMS numbers. If they reply to an SMS, their reply will be stored in a replies database that we create for you. You can access this replies database at any time using the Your replies section.

Pricing

How much does the service cost?

Please visit the pricing page for pricing information.

What are ReadyCredits?

ReadyCredits are SMS credits that you can buy on this site; one ReadyCredit allows you to send one SMS. Please visit the pricing page for more information about Readycredits.

Do you offer discounts or promotions?

Our prices are already discounted but if you are intending to send large bulk volumes of messages over time then please contact us so that we can discuss this with you.

Payments

How secure is your payment system>

Both we and our partner Paycorp use the same level of security as the major banks to make all of our payments.

Technical

Can my SMS messages be sent to all Australian carriers?

Yes, we do extensive work with all major and minor carriers throughout Australia.

Can all mobile phones receive SMS Broadcasts?

As we send standard SMS Messages, any phone that is capable of receiving them can receive ours. This will be most, if not all, mobile phones currently in Australia.

What is the maximum size of the files I can upload in one go?

We limit the size of the files you can upload to 4MB . If you need to upload more than this you can either split your files and submit them one at a time or contact us and we will work something out with you.