SMS usage within our customer community increased significantly with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as airlines have had to guarantee their messages are being received at short notice. Text messages sent from our platform doubled in March 2020 with more than 10 million being sent in just one month.

The chaos caused by mass cancellations and constantly changing requirements has left passengers needing proactive, personalised communication more than ever. And while SMS often works out as the cheapest channel to deliver last-minute information (download our eGuide - The Power of SMS - to find out how), we know that the initial outlay is causing some finance teams to challenge the use of SMS. 

To address this challenge, we have developed the 15below SMS gateway that means our customers can take advantage of a vital channel, whilst keeping their finance and procurement teams happy:

1. The best SMS rates in the industry

Our solution allows you to send all SMS messages from across your business through a single gateway – even those created/rendered in systems outside of 15below. Sending SMS traffic from all departments – whether it be for operations, marketing, loyalty, eCommerce, internal communications or ground staff notifications – via our gateway gives you access to a higher tier pricing faster. Offering you significant savings across all of your SMS traffic – whether it’s generated through us or not.

Plus, with more than 50 travel brands in the 15below community, each of our customers will benefit from the fact that almost three million SMS are sent through our platform every month. Some of the world’s best-known travel brands send SMS through the 15below platform, including Ryanair, British Airways, Virgin Australia, and SWISS. So even if you’re sending lower volumes of SMS messages, you’ll still benefit from the total volumes being sent via the rest of the 15below community.

2. All of the benefits of multiple suppliers without any of the hassle

The 15below SMS Gateway gives you access to the top 10 global SMS providers - including the likes of SAP, Sinch, and Syniverse who we have worked with for more than 12 years. 

Our system will dynamically choose which provider to send the message through to guarantee you the best rate every time. And with our continuous monitoring and negotiation of rates, your finance team can rest assured that they are always getting the most competitive rates for all destinations. With the strength of more than 50 brands behind us, you won’t find a better solution anywhere else.

3. Direct messaging with global reach 

While other gateways may offer what looks like a cheaper delivery price, it’s likely your messages will be sent via an indirect route which results in delays and lost SMS traffic. Though the invoice may seem lower, your messages not getting through in time will cost you far more in increased calls to your contact centre, queues at the airport, and fines.

All messages sent through the 15below SMS Gateway are delivered using the most direct route to the customer, ensuring that time-critical disruption messaging is delivered with no delays. And by allowing 2-way interactions with our passengers, FAQs and re-accommodation processes can be completed quickly and easily without the cost of human interaction.

Download our eGuide for more information on the ROI of SMS vs. interaction with your staff.

Easy to set up

All you need to do is push to our API and switch your existing gateway and we’ll do the rest. There is no set-up fee, and the same SMS rates as per your current agreement will apply. If you’re not a current SMS customer, we’ll set up a new agreement for you based on the primary countries you communicate with.

Then, when you’re all set up, you’ll have peace of mind that we’ll be monitoring the service 24/7 every day of the year, at no additional cost, with our Application Support team on hand to assist you whenever you need.

If you’d like to know more about the 15below SMS Gateway and how it can be used across your business, get in touch today.