The Sinch Canadian Short Code Onboarding guide describes the process for onboarding Canadian short codes.
Note: Steps for MMS provisioning have been added below.
The process can be summarized in 3 easy steps:
STEP 1 - Apply for the code by completing the CTA Common Short Code Application Form. Or, download the PDF and submit it to ca.programs@sinch.com.
STEP 2 - Client provides payment via credit card or invoice to CTA to secure your application in time for the carrier deadlines.
STEP 3 - CA Service Implementation team will ensure deadlines are met, and program is ready for submission.
Timeline: 3-7 weeks end to end.
Resources:
|
Note: The deadline to submit application forms to the CTA is every Thursday at 1:00PM (ET). The carriers review Application Forms the following Tuesday and decide if they wish to participate in the Short Code program.
The Canadian Carrier Brownout is an annual carrier provisioning freeze during which new Short Codes, or changes requiring network updates to existing Short Codes, such as aggregator migrations or price point changes, do not occur.
Please make note of the following timeline changes to the Canadian Short Code provisioning process for the 2025-2026 brownout period:
In order to meet the last provisioning date of 2025 and to have a Short Code provisioned or migrated by ALL CARRIERS, applications must be submitted to the Association by: Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 1:00pm ET Applications submitted by this deadline will be provisioned by the participating carriers between Nov. 11 – Nov. 17, 2025. **Applications submitted after this deadline will be scheduled for provisioning in January 2026.** |
As always, application review will continue as usual through November and December to review applications for provisioning starting January 5, 2026, with Bell, Freedom, Rogers, and TELUS to follow with provisioning on January 13, 2026.
Programs will continue to be considered on a first come, first served basis; provisioning dates are dependent on the volume of applications submitted.
STEP 1 - Complete a Common Short Code Application Form and ensure to complete the following sections for MMS:
**NOTE** If you are looking to add MMS to a live Canadian SMS SC, please add the above details to the approved application form. If you do not have a copy of the approved application form, reach out to CA.Programs@sinch.com for assistance.
STEP 2 - Once the application is submitted to CA.Programs@sinch.com, it will be submitted to the carriers for review.
STEP 3 - If approved, the Short Code will be provisioned in alignment with the 2025 Short Code Provisioning and Migration Schedule.
Learn how to get started with SMS by watching this step-by-step tutorial. The video explains the basics of SMS and shows you how easy it is to send your first message with Sinch:
Sign up to the Sinch Build Dashboard and get started today or take a look at the Sinch SMS Product page to learn more about our SMS products.