Do I have to pay for messages that are bounced?
Yes, we charge for delivery to the network. Due to the time sensitive nature of SMS we stop attempting to deliver messages after 72hrs.
We encourage our users to keep there lists as clean and up-to-date as possible to eliminate paying for undeliverable messages. Hard bounces can all automatically be deleted from the bounces tab on your reporting page.
My account has been removed, can it be reactivated?
There are a number of reasons that your account can become inactive. If this happens, contact us and we will look at your situation.
Why was I charged more than the advertised SMS price?
Most likely because the message was longer than 160 characters. A standard SMS is 160 characters however we can join them together to make longer messages. Use the character counter when you are creating your message to control message cost. Also sending messages to different countries costs different amounts.
Do I need to pre-format all the numbers in my list before uploading?
No, as long as all your contacts are for the same destination country, our system will format them all correctly with the correct country code. It will also eliminate duplicates and remove invalid numbers.
Ensure you select the destination country from the drop down when you import them.
Does it take a long time to upload a lot of contacts?
No, it takes a few minutes to load 100,000 or more contacts. If your import seems to be stuck, please refresh the screen. If nothing has happened, there is possibly some invalid data in your file.
We encourage you to try exporting as a CSV file and re-importing.
If you are still having issues, contact us and we will be able to assist.
Can I add contacts by re-uploading a new file to the same list?
Yes, when you upload your new file any contacts that already exist on the list and any contacts that are opted-out will automatically be omitted from the import. Any custom data that has been updated in your import will be updated in your list.
What is the best way to format the CSV file for import?
Your CSV file should be formatted as follows:
“Mobile”, “Firstname”, “Lastname”
“61403456789”, “John”, “Smith”
“61409876543”, “Peter”, “Jones”
“61406789123”, “Charles”, “Anderson
Can I delete bounced messages?
Yes, you can delete hard bounces at anytime from your reporting page under the Bounces tab. Soft bounces are not removed as they are potentially not a permanent failure.
I sent a message and the person didn't get it, what happened?
We do our very best to make sure that messages get delivered. However, the complexities of delivering messages to carriers can mean that a small number of messages can get lost on the way. You can check your delivery report to see the status of your message. You will see the following statuses:
| STATUS | DESCRIPTION |
| DELIVERED | Your message has been delivered to the recipients handset. |
| PENDING | We have delivered your message to the carrier and they are attempting to deliver it to the recipients handset. We have not yet received any form of delivery receipt. This could mean that the phone is off or out of range. If the recipient is able to receive the message within 72 hours it will be delivered, if not it will be marked as 'soft bounced'. |
| SOFT BOUNCE | The message timed out after 72 hours. Either the recipient was out of range, their phone was off for longer than 72 hours, or the message was unable to be delivered due to a network outage or other connectivity issue. A contact will be given this status also if its been expired. Message expiry can be set when you send the message. This gives a time limit for the delivery of messages should a handset be unreachable. |
| HARD BOUNCE | The message failed due to the number being invalid or disconnected. |
I am delivering my campaign but all my messages are marked as 'Pending' what is going on?
When sending large campaigns, we prioritise the delivery before processing the reports. While your account is still delivering, you will only see a small number of deliveries and the majority will say 'Pending'. Once the campaign has completed sending, we will then prioritise the report processes and you will see deliveries coming in.
How fast can the messages be sent?
Our gateway can deliver around 5000 messages per minute. A campaign of 100,000 messages would take around 20 to 30 mins to complete.
Can I upload bulk contacts in a text file?
Yes, you can upload a CSV file with all your contacts. A CSV file can easily be exported from Google Sheets, MS Excel or most CRM systems. It may be called a Comma Separated Values file or a Comma Delimited file.
Can I import Apple Address Book contacts?
Yes, Apple address book contacts can be exported as a VCARD archive and then converted to a CSV file for import.
You can use this free tool for the conversion: http://labs.brotherli.ch/vcfconvert/
I have numbers from different countries in my list, will they import and send OK?
What does a message with a bounced status mean?
A bounced message indicates that the mobile handset did not receive the message.
Soft Bounce:
- SIM card is not in the phone
- Out of network range for more than 72 hours
- Have not paid phone bill
- Traveling overseas (connected to another network)
- Message expiry time exceeded
Hard Bounce:
- Invalid number
- Number disconnected
If I use a [firstname] variable in my message how do I count my SMS?
We count every character in a variable. If you have a message that is 152 character in length and the name that is inserted into the variable is 9 characters in length you will be charged for 2 SMS (152 + 9 = 161).
We suggest that you find the longest name in your list and keep enough spare characters in your message to allow for it.
Can I add a hyperlink to text in my message?
SMS are "TEXT ONLY". Hyperlinks cannot be used.
You will need to add the full URL to your message.
We provide a link tracking feature that can be used to shorten long URL's and track clicks
Can users be opted out of my lists?
Yes, a recipient simply needs to reply STOP to a message from a virtual number or click on the unsubrep.ly link in the message.
You can opt them out manually by clicking the Opt-Out link next to a contact in a list.
Once unsubscribed even if you upload them again they will remain opted out.
How can I get replies to my campaigns?
To receive replies back to the reporting panel within your ACTIVITY section of your account, you must use our shared virtual mobile number or your own dedicated virtual mobile number as the Sender ID.
When people reply to your campaign the messages are delivered directly into the responses tab of the reporting panel where they can be analysed and exported as a CSV file.
Responses can also be forwarded to your nominated email address.
How do I remove contacts from the Global Opt-Out list?
If you accidentally opt-out or need to re-add somebody to a list on request, you can force remove contacts one at a time form the Global Opt-out (GOO) list.
Click the list they were removed from or any list other than the GOO list and then click 'Add Contact' it will ask you to force the re-addition of the number.
This adds the person to that list and removes them from the GOO list. This does not add them back to any other list they may have been removed from though.
Please be careful when uploading large numbers of contacts to the GOO list, there is no way to bulk clear the list.
What is my API Secret?
Your API Secret is found in the SETTINGS section of your account under API SETTINGS, it can be anything you like. Think of the API Secret as a password field where you will need to enter an alphanumeric of your choice. Once you enter your chosen API Secret, click on the UPDATE PROFILE button to save your settings.
I got the alert "Pending Review" when I scheduled my first campaign. What do I do?
Nothing is wrong. With new accounts sending their first large campaigns we always check the messages for SPAM compliance and general formatting quality. If your message passes quality control it will be sent within 15mins of queuing. Once you are sending messages compliantly, generally no future verification is required.
Card Declined error when adding credit
The third party software we use for credit card transactions uses machine learning to block transactions that it suspects are fraudulent. An unfortunate side effect is that some new customers will have their first credit top-up blocked.
If you see the error "Paymwents Error - Your card was declined", please get in touch with our support team, or your sales rep.
When I try to sign up, I see a blank page
If this happens, please try using another browser, or turn off all add ons on your browser.
If the issue persists, please get in touch with our team via live chat and they can get you signed up.
When I try to sign up, I get a 101 error
Please take a screenshot of the sign-up page and email it to the support team.
I do not receive emails from Burst
Please be sure to check your spam\junk folder. If you do not see the emails, please get in touch with our support team.
Tracked links do not work
Do your tracked links send you to a "sample landing page"?
That happens when using the Test window on the Send SMS screen.
If you would like to test the tracked link feature, please save the message as a template, create a test contact list with your number and then send the campaign to your test list. Once you are happy, you can then use the template to send the campaign to your customer list.
The site freezes when I upload an xlsx file to a contact list
Xlsx files contain a lot of extra data and formatting which can cause the upload process to take quite a long time. We recommend downloading the file as csv for upload.
You can convert the file to csv by uploading to Google Drive, opening the file and then right-clicking and selecting File > Download > Comma-separated values.