Send Business SMS on an Australian SMS Gateway
Send and receive SMS from your app, website, email or browser. We have run from Sydney since 2002, and every message goes on one direct onshore route to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone/TPG.
Trusted by Australian businesses since 2002
An SMS gateway connects your software or website to the mobile carriers so it can send and receive text messages. 160.com.au runs its gateway from Sydney and hands every message to the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone/TPG networks on one direct onshore route. You can reach it through our SMS API, email or the web-based SMS platform, with no monthly fee.
How SMS Gateways Work in Three Steps
Step 1: Open a free account
Register free and get trial credits with no card. Your account profile holds the SMS secret that email and the API use.
Step 2: Pick how you connect
Send from the web platform, from any email client, or from your own software applications through our API. All three draw on the same credits.
Step 3: Send and track
The gateway handles message delivery to Australian carriers. Delivery receipts and replies come back to your webhook, your inbox or your account.
Send SMS Messages From Your Software With Our SMS API
One request per send.Your software sends the number and the message to our REST API over HTTPS. The gateway routes it to the carrier and returns a message ID.
Receipts come back to you.Configure a webhook, and it posts each delivery receipt and each reply to your app. If your endpoint is down, we retry up to 10 times over 6 hours.
Room for volume.Send up to 100 messages per request and 1,600 messages per minute per account by default. We raise the limit on request once we know how much you send.
Keep Every Message on Australian Carriers and Servers
One direct onshore route.Messages leave our Sydney gateway and go straight to the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone/TPG networks and the MVNOs that run on them. We do not pass your texts to an offshore SMS aggregator.
Processed and stored in Sydney.We route and store every message in dual Equinix data centres in Sydney. The two sites fail over to each other automatically, and we back up data daily.
Delivery you can check.Each send has our 100% delivery guarantee. Delivery reports show which texts reached the recipient phone.
Send Under Your Business Name Without the Unverified Tag
Registered for you.Bay Call lodges your alphanumeric Sender ID on the ACMA register on your behalf. Texts from your business name then do not carry the Unverified tag.
Opt-outs built in.Opt-out tools and suppression lists come as standard, in line with the Spam Act 2003 and industry code C661:2022. Subscribers can also opt in or out with a keyword you create.
Name or number.A business name suits one-way alerts and transactional SMS, since people cannot reply to it. Send from a number when you want answers.
Receive SMS Replies in Your Webhook, Inbox or Account
A number of your own.A dedicated Australian virtual SMS number is $20 a month, cancel any time. Incoming calls come with it.
Replies go where you work.The gateway pushes incoming texts to your webhook or inbox. Replies to SMS marketing campaigns can also come back to your email.
Answer from the browser too.Every reply also lands in SMS Received (2-Way Chat). You or a sub-user on your account can answer it there, so two-way SMS works from any browser.
Send Messages Through the Same Gateway by Browser or Email
Web platform.Upload contacts, write the message and click Send SMS. It works in any browser on computers and mobile devices. Add first-name tags, schedule sends and export sent messages to Excel.
Email to SMS.Send to any mobile from Outlook, Gmail or another email client. There is nothing to install and no need to log in.
Overseas when you need it.Australia comes first, and you can also reach 588 networks in 182 countries at country rates.
Send Codes, Reminders and Alerts From Your Systems
Login codes
Send one-time passwords and two-factor codes the moment a user signs in.
SMS reminders
Have your booking software send appointment reminders on its own.
Orders and deliveries
Tell customers when their order is on its way or nearly at their door.
Server and account alerts
Text your team when a server goes down or an account needs attention.
Mobile marketing
Send promotions to an opted-in list, with opt-outs handled for you.
Two-way support
Let customers reply via SMS and have your system read and act on what they say.
Start With 1.9¢ Texts on Your First Package
Choose the credits that suit you. The new customer price applies to your first order, and credits never expire while you send one SMS every 180 days.
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
The gateway and API have no monthly or setup fee, and a dedicated virtual number for replies is $20 a month, cancel any time.
* These are standard text messages of up to 160 characters. A message over 160 characters uses more SMS credits.
* This offer is only valid for new customers and applies to the new customer's first order. We reserve the right at our sole discretion to refuse this offer. It does not apply to existing customers or to new customer accounts related to existing customers.
* Package prices include GST. The per SMS rate is shown excluding GST. SMS credits are not transferable between accounts. The offer is limited to one account per business or person, and accounts opened to claim the offer more than once will have the additional credits removed.
Sending more each month? See standard pricing and coverage.
Answers to Help You Compare the Best SMS Gateway Providers
What does an SMS gateway do?
It sits between you and the mobile networks. You hand it a message from the web platform, email or your own software. It passes the message to the carrier and reports back on delivery. Businesses use it to send codes, reminders, alerts and offers.
Is an SMS gateway safe?
Yes. Our messaging gateway runs on enterprise-level security in dual Equinix data centres in Sydney. It fails over between the two sites on its own and backs up daily. We process, route and store every message in Australia.
Is an SMS gateway free?
Sign-up is free and comes with trial credits. After that you buy prepaid credits for what you send: standard prepaid packs run from 7.95c down to 4.95c per message, depending on the pack, and new accounts get their first pack at 1.9c per message. There is no monthly fee, contract or setup fee. See SMS pricing and coverage.
What is the difference between SMS gateway and MMS gateway?
The difference is what the message can carry. An SMS gateway sends text only. An MMS gateway also sends photos and video. 160.com.au is an SMS gateway.
How do SMS gateway providers work?
We take your message from the web platform, email or the API and hand it straight to the Australian networks from our Sydney gateway. A 100% delivery guarantee backs every send. The system runs across two data centres, so a fault at one site does not stop your sends.
How do I use my SMS gateway address?
Create a free account, add your contacts, write your message and send an SMS from any device. To send by email, address it to the mobile number at 160.com.au, and put your own mobile number and SMS secret in the subject line, like 614XXXXXXXX@yoursecret. Our help guides have the full format.
What is an SMS gateway and how does it work?
An SMS gateway is an online SMS service that lets you send text messages to any mobile phone. It acts as a tunnel between you and the telecom carriers. Your message goes in by web, email or API, and the gateway passes it to the network.
Do I need SMS gateway hardware or a SIM card?
No. 160 is an online SMS gateway, so there is no modem, phone or SIM to set up. You send from the web platform, email or the API.
What is the difference between SMS and MMS?
SMS stands for short message service. It is text only, up to 160 characters per message. Longer texts go in parts, and each part uses one credit. MMS adds images, video or longer content. 160 sends SMS on Australian carrier routes.
What is an SMS API and how does it work?
It lets your software send a text and read replies in code. You send a request with the number and the message, 160 routes it to the carrier, and a webhook returns the delivery receipt. The OpenAPI spec and a Swagger sandbox are on our SMS API page.
Is there a free SMS gateway API for testing?
Sign-up is free and comes with trial credits, so you can send a test SMS through the API before you pay. The OpenAPI spec and the Swagger sandbox are on the same developer page.
Which SMS gateway is best for an Australian business?
The right SMS gateway has direct Australian carrier routes, delivery reports, local support and no lock-in. 160 is an Australian SMS provider that has run from Sydney since 2002, with a REST API and a 100% delivery guarantee.
Can I send bulk SMS messages through the gateway?
Yes. For bulk messaging, upload a contact list and send to all of it from the browser, or send up to 100 messages per API request. Bigger prepaid packs cost less per SMS, so volume discounts come with the price.
How many messages can the API send?
Up to 100 messages per request and 1,600 messages per minute per account by default. We raise the limit on request once we know how much you send.
Can customers reply to messages sent through the gateway?
Yes, when you send from a number. For 2-way SMS, use a dedicated virtual SMS number. It is $20 a month, and the gateway pushes replies to your webhook or inbox. People cannot answer texts sent under a business name.
Can I send to overseas numbers?
Yes. Australia comes first, and the gateway also reaches 588 networks in 182 countries at country rates. Check the country on the pricing and coverage page before you send.
Start Using SMS Through Our Gateway With Free Credits
Open a free account, connect your software or send from the browser, and watch your first message arrive. Free trial credits, no card and no contract.