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Understanding Sender ID Approval Status

Why sender IDs need approval, and what each status means while you wait.

Why approval is required

Every church sends SMS using an approved Sender ID (like GRACECH or FAITHWC), rather than each church registering directly with the SMS provider, Sermfy submits and manages this registration on your behalf.

The three statuses

  • Pending - submitted, awaiting provider approval
  • Approved - ready to use in broadcasts
  • Rejected - not approved, typically due to naming that doesn't meet the provider's requirements

Choose a sender ID that's short, recognizable, and clearly tied to your church's actual name, generic or ambiguous names are more likely to be rejected or confused with another organization's sender ID.

Best practice

Request your sender ID as early as possible, ideally as one of the first things you do when setting up Communication, approval isn't instant, and you won't be able to send any broadcast until it's approved.