Introduction to Shortcodes
Shortcodes are short phone numbers (three to eight digits long) that are used for a variety of services provided by a range of companies. These services can range from text alerts like football results, the ability for you to text radio stations, call a video chat service, download games to your phone and enter TV promoted competitions.
Some companies provide their services without any charge other than the cost to send a text (10p) while others will charge you for their services if you request them.
Here we explain more about the range of services available to you, the charges you may get, about martketing messages and what to do about it all.
Charges
Shortcode charges will appear on your bill in the section titled “Premium Shortcodes”. You will also get messages sent to your phone. These messages will be from a shortcode (like 63123) and will create these charges to your account. If a text from a shortcode starts with “FreeMsg” or something similar, you won’t be charged for it.
Subscription Services
Subscription services are services where you will sign up to receive the content of the service in exchange for a regular repeating charge. These can be services which allow you make downloads to your mobile several times per week like games clubs or pay per event like football goal alerts . You will pay either a regular charge (usually billed per week) or a charge for each event.
When you join a subscription service, the provider will tell you of any regular charge any other charges such as joining fees. They should also send you a text telling you that you have joined a subscription service and how to stop the service.
Every month you will be sent a text reminding you that you have a subscription service and telling you how to stop it.
If you’ve noticed regular charges on your phone bill or regular messages indicating a charge and wish to stop both the service and being charged for it, send the word STOP to the shortcode number that appears on your bill or phone.
If there is a problem with the service, please use the above shortcode checker to check who is supplying the service and then speak to the company directly. They should be able to help. If they cannot or will not, then speak to us.
Some subscription services provide information updates - such as sports results and news - and will charge you for each message that is sent. This means the charges are irregular. You can stop these services too by texting the word STOP to the shortcode.
Text Chat Services
You can use some services to anonymously text chat with other people - usually strangers. These services are aimed at adults and you will be charged for any text messages that you receive - these charges can be high. You’ll also be charged for a smaller price for any messages that you send.
Please make sure you know how much each message you send and receive will be and how many messages you are likely to receive for each one that you send. If you can’t get this information, then you are advised not to start chatting.
Text chat services will stop once you have stopped sending messages, but to be safe, it is a good idea to send STOP to the shortcode as well.
Pay-per-page Services
There are some services that let you to look at pictures on a phone browser and charge you for each picture that you look at. Often there are three pictures to a page, so make sure you know how much it costs to look at the page before you use the service. Some of these services also have videos that you can download and you may be charged for looking at menu pages as if they were picture pages.
Charges are usually applied once you have finished with the service. A series of messages will be sent to your phone (the messages create the charge).
We’ve noticed that it’s easy to forget about being charged per page until too late and then you may receive a large quantity of charges (messages) to your account. You will stop being charged when you stop accessing the pictures.
We’re moving these services to the Payforit charging facility to help you keep a control on your spending. You will get more information before you are charged. See the below Payforit section for more information.
Receiving marketing messages without charges
If you’ve used a shortcode service and then stopped using it, you may get sent marketing messages from the company that supplied the service. This is fine as long as you did use that company’s services previously, they advised you that you would be marketed to and that you were given a method there and then of opting out of the future marketing. They also must market same or similar services to the ones you used.
If the message comes from a shortcode service, it should start with the word "FreeMsg" so you know that you have not been charged. Also, all marketing messages must tell you how to opt-out of future marketing.
To stop receiving these marketing messages send STOP to the shortcode number the messages are coming from. Or you may need to call a number to that will be included in the message. You’ll need to follow the instructions to stop receiving the marketing messages.