Questions and Answers
Most frequently asked
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Which alphabet can be used for writing messages?
Latin alphabet.
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Why SMS?
* There are more than 4bn mobile phone users worldwide (60% of total population, compared to 20% of internet's)
* More than 95% of people in most of the developed and developing countries carry a mobile phone
* SMS is the most widely used data application (2.5 billion active users, over twice the total users of email)
* The world average in 2007 is 2.6 SMS text messages sent per day per subscriber
* SMS is the only always on, available anywhere communication and payment channel
* SMS is the most effective and easy way to collect small payments from users
* Paying by SMS is perfect for impulsive purchases
* SMS-payments can be used by anyone carrying a phone, regardless of their age
* Mobile content and services market is expected to grow 25% annually from 2008 to 2012
* Most popular mobile content: Music, Games, Chatting, Pictures, Video, User-generated Content, Gambling, Adult and Infotainment
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What is Fortumo?
Fortumo is an extremely simple and free web portal for creating mobile services (SMS services) and making money by offering them.
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Which services can I offer via Fortumo?
The list of services currently offered via Fortumo is available here.
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In which countries do Fortumo services function?
Click here to see the list of countries where Fortumo services are available at the moment. SMS services created by Fortumo users function for the customers of all mobile operators of these countries. We are planning to add new countries on a regular basis.
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If the user of the service has not received the service, should they still pay for the message?
Unfortunately yes. This is due to the fact that operators charge for receiving and forwarding messages irrespective of whether the user received the service or not.
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Do I need any technical skills, such as programming skills, to set up Fortumo services?
No, creating "Basic" services is extremely simple and requires no programming skills whatsoever. However, if you do have programming skills, you can also set up an "Advanced" service, which gives you full control over the performance of your service.
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How much do I earn from the revenue of each SMS sent to my service?
Users of your service shall be billed for each message sent to the service. Mobile operators take a revenue share on each transaction for handling billing, collecting money and covering credit risk. The operators then pay the remaining money (usually between 40% and 60% depending on end-user price) to Fortumo. Fortumo pays you the remaining money minus a small commission (which can be only 2-3% of end-user price, depending on country, type of service and volume). Take a look at Fortumo revenue sharing for exact revenue-sharing figures.
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Did not find an answer?
Write to support@fortumo.com and we will answer you as soon as possible.
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How can I get people to use my service?
We advise you to advertise and dispread your service among your friends, acquaintances and everyone else. You should ask them to try out your service! Advertise your service in your website or in any other sites you have access to. If you make your service noticeable, we're sure more people will come and use it!
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Do I need to have a permission to create campaigns, lotteries etc via SMS?
As a rule, for smaller campaigns you don't need a permission but it depends on the target country where do you want to arrange it. To find out, if your campaign has to have a permission, contact appropriate local institution.
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I don't have a website. Can I still use Fortumo's services?
Of course. You can advertise your services also in any other places as well then the website, e.g. radio, television, newspaper, brochures etc.
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How can I create more than 30 services?
If you reach to services limit you have a possibility to raise it by 10 services by sending an SMS. You will get the exact information through the web interface when you'll reach the limit.
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Is it possible to test the service without paying for it?
For that you should click on your service from "My services" page and select the "Test" from the menu bar. You can find further instructions from there.
General
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When can I offer Fortumo services in other countries?
To offer SMS services in other countries, Fortumo must have cooperation agreements with local mobile telecommunication operators or service providers. We are currently working on adding new countries to Fortumo. If you wish to suggest a particular country where you have decided to offer SMS services, please send us an e-mail at support@fortumo.com and we will do our best to consider your request. If you are an active SMS connection provider and might wish to cooperate with Fortumo, please send us an e-mail at partnership@fortumo.com.
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Can a private person create Fortumo services?
Yes, a private person can also offer Fortumo services.
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What happens with no longer active service?
If during 60 days, plus 10 days after reminding letter, no messages are sent to your service the service will be stopped and it will be no longer active. It means that afterwords it is not possible to send a message to this service successfully (an error reply message is sent back) and the keyword is available to use for everyone.
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Can a legal person also create Fortumo services?
Yes, a legal person can also create Fortumo services.
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How much does it cost to create Fortumo services?
Creating Fortumo services is free of charge and will remain so.
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What is the difference for a company and a private person to use Fortumo's services?
Actually, there is no difference. The only difference is that private person has to declare earned revenue as his/her income if it is regulated by the law. And Estonian companies who are VAT-liable the VAT is also added to the payout.
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Can I have my own first keyword?
Fortumo has bought the keywords with what you can create your services in our web interface at the moment. You can have your own first keyword as well but in that case extra fees are asked. If you are interested contact support@fortumo.com and we'll give you further information!
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Do my users have a limit in sending SMS?
To protect the end-users and at the same time avoid services abuse we have set a limit that in 30 days the end-user can send 100 messages from one phone number. Due to the market regulations in Denmark it is 50.
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Why the maximum number of characters in the reply-message is 120 when usually maximum length of a SMS is 160 characters?
We would like to offer equal possibilities in every country and that is why we have validated the number of characters in reply message up to 120.
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I don't want to use Fortumo's services anymore. How can I delete my account?
In Fortumo all inactive accounts are deleted automatically. Just delete all your active services and do not to use your account anymore. After a while Fortumo's system will delete your account itself.
Taxes and payouts
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Where can I see how much I have earned?
All information regarding your services, number of received messages and earned revenue is visible in real time on the "My Services" page.
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How do I get my money?
To get your money, go to Fortumo "My Services" page. Under "Payouts" section you can see whether your payout is configured or not, if not click on configure. You can configure a payout as a private person or as a company, choose which suits you better. Fortumo supports monthly and one-time payouts. You can also tell Fortumo to hold your money for and choose the payment type later.
The payout is made when your account has accumulated at least 50 EUR. The money will be transferred by the 15th day of the month. Please note that the actual transfer to you will depend on country, you can see the length of the payout cycle from here -
I have heard that depending on mobile operator, it can take time for money to reach me. How much time?
Mobile operators pay Fortumo the money earned from your services within several months. Fortumo pays the money to you after the money arrives. Please note that the actual transfer to you will depend on country, you can see the length of the payout cycle from here. Fortumo assures that payments are made by the 15th day of each month.
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Which payout options does Fortumo support?
Fortumo supports money transfers to bank accounts (within the European Union) and payouts through PayPal.
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I don't have past payouts, why?
It means that your account has not accumulated at least 50 EUR and Fortumo has not made any payouts to you. As soon as your account has accumulated at least 50 EUR Fortumo will transfer you the money according to the payout cycle. After the first payout is made you are able to see your past payouts.
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I don't have past payouts, how can i see how much have my services earned?
In "My Services" page you are also able to see the revenues each service has generated. It is pointed out under "Profit" section after every service. You can also see the revenue every service type has earned, it is presented under TOTAL.
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I seem to be getting less money than I should. Why?
All the end-user prices include VAT (value added tax) of the particular country (usually between 17..25 per cent). It is collected by the local tax authorities and is not paid out to you. Thus, the actual amount shared is the end-user price minus VAT of the user's country. This is already calculated into your account as the messages arrive.
Also you may have some unbilled messages. Sometimes operators fail to bill some messages. This happens when end-user refuses to pay the bill or someone has used your service with pre-paid calling card that doesn't have enough credit. These unbilled messages are withheld from your account according to points 17,18,19 in terms of services. When end-user pays the phone bill later the money will be transferred back to your account.
However, if it's not about VAT or unbilled messages and you still seem to be getting less, please contact our customer support. -
Is Fortumo withholding any taxes from the payments?
Fortumo isn't withholding any taxes from your revenue, but you might be required to pay income tax of your own country if you are a private person.
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What is BIC / SWIFT?
To transfer money to your bank account, we need to know your IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and BIC (Bank Identification Code). The latter is also known as SWIFT address of the bank. BIC / SWIFT is 8-letter code that identifies the bank, and it looks like DABADKKK or HABALV22. You can find your bank's BIC / SWIFT from their homepage or your online banking account, or you can ask it from the bank's customer hotline.
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Where can I change the payout settings?
You can change, add and configure your payout settings when clicking on your user-name on the upper right corner of your Fortumo's interface. From there choose "Payout".
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I noticed that the money in my "Payable in the future" has decreased. Why?
The money may decrease when some messages with status "pending" turn to "failed". It happens when a person who sent the message doesn't pay for the message, but this happens really rarely.
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What is bad debt?
When some end-users do not pay it's phone bill to operators, it is summed and withheld from your revenue as bad debt.
Services
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How many services am I allowed to have at one time?
At the moment, one user can create up to 30 services. If you need to create more than 30 services, please look the answer of the question "How can I create more than 30 services?".
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How long are my services valid?
If you use your services actively, there is no validation time. An active service should be used at least once in every 60 days. If during the 60 days no messages are sent to the service, a letter reminding you that will be sent to your e-mail. After that letter you have 10 days to keep your service - you either send a message to the service yourself or advertise it so that others will send messages. If no messages are sent to the service within those 10 days, the service will be stopped and it will be no longer active. It means that afterwords it is not possible to send a message to the service and the keyword is available to use for everyone.
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How can I change the end user price, keyword and other settings of my service?
You determine the end user price and keyword when you create the service, they cannot be changed later. If you wish to change them, create a new service! However, you can change the reply message and the e-mail address where the messages are forwarded (in case of SMS-campaign service) or web address (in case of Premium SMS-connectivity service).
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Is it possible to have a service with higher end-user price per SMS?
Commonly, mobile operators do not agree with higher prices per SMS than we have at the moment, it's much too big risk for them. But please, let us know about your wishes, we'll take them into account!
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What do the "pending", "ok" and "failed" mean behind the message under the billing?
Word "pending" means that we have not yet received the money from the operator for that SMS. "OK" means that the operator has managed to bill the message and we've received the money and "failed" means the opposite of that – operator couldn't bill the message.
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Can I also view the phone numbers of the users of my service?
Yes. To view the phone numbers of the users of your service, click on the service in the "My Services" page and navigate to "Messages" tab.
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What is unbilled message?
Sometimes operators fail to bill some messages. This happens when end-user refuses to pay the bill or someone has used your service with pre-paid calling card that doesn't have enough credit. These unbilled messages are withheld from your account according to points 17,18,19 in terms of services. When end-user pays the phone bill later the money will be transferred back to your account.
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Can I delete the SMS services that I have created?
Of course. You can delete services when clicking on the service and choosing "End" from the menu bar. History of all deleted services is preserved, so you can always analyse the results of your services and view history.
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Can a person from foreign country use my services?
Only people who have a prepaid card or contract with the particular countries' operator can send the messages to your services. It is so since operators are collecting the money from users and there aren't any money transactions between operators from different countries. But you can always open services in foreign countries.
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Why do the status of a message is "pending" for so long?
Usually, the pending status is changed right before your payout. So, it can take some time before it changes "ok" or "failed".
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Can my clients send messages while being in foreign country?
Yes, if they have activated roaming service there shouldn't be any problems.
Technical
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How to create scripts for Premium SMS-connectivity?
Please see the technical description of Premium SMS-connectivity. If you have questions regarding PHP programming in general, please consult PHP developer forums or mailing lists, to get quick help from thousands of developers wordwide.
- In Finnish:
- keskustelu.suomi24.fi
mbnet.fi - In Swedish:
- htmlsidan.se
scriptdev.se - In Norwegian:
- diskusjon.no
forumet.no - In Danish:
- phpuniverset.dk
dk.edb.internet.webdesign.serverside.php - In Estonian:
- php.ee
php.center.ee - In Latvian:
- php.lv
- In Lithuanian:
- php.lt
forum.hostas.lt - In English:
- webmasterworld.com
comp.lang.php - In Chinese:
- phpchina.com
phpx.com
discuz.net
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Can I also create subscription-based services (so-called clubs) via Fortumo?
Subscription-based services with periodic taxation will be available in Fortumo in the next few months. Check back soon!
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The users of my service claim that they have not received a reply message. What should I do?
First, check if the user has sent the message to the right short code and started the message with the right keyword. If yes, then check your service settings - is the service still active? If you are sure that everything is okay with your settings, contact our customer service (support@fortumo.com), and send us the phone number of the customer who placed the order. We will react as soon as possible, but definitely within 24 hours.
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Can I also create MMS-based services through Fortumo?
At the moment, creating MMS services through Fortumo is not possible due to technical reasons. In the future – who knows.
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Users of my Premium SMS-connectivity service get an error message. What to do?
They receive error message if we can't connect with your script in a reasonable time. There might be several reasons:
1. the server where your script is located is facing problems and is not responding
2. your script is not found on the place you specified
3. your script had an error when we tried to execute it
The correct response from your script should be HTTP error code 200 (Success) with non-empty reply message. Please take another look at the service specification, check the script and try again. If the error persists please contact our Customer Support. -
What means "I want to receive billing reports"?
This feature gives you a possibility to receive billing reports immediately in MT billing countries (the message is billed with reply message). If you click the box and complement your script you can receive billing reports from operators right away and so, only those users with "ok" messages can receive the service you are offering. MT billing is available in Latvia, Lithuania, China, Malaysia, Serbia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland (with few exeptions).
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Do you have sample scripts for services? Could you please help me to create my own script?
We do not have service specific scripts, but we do have the sample script that helps you to understand how the system works, you can see it from here . If you don't know exactly how to write a script for your service and none of your friends can help you, I advise you to ask help from php- or ASP forums or some local ones. There are many specialists who definitely can help you. Many Fortumo users have asked for help from such forums and always have got answers to their questions.
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What are MO- and MT- billing?
MO- and MT- billing are the two methods how carriers charge users. With MO-billing (Mobile Originating Billing), operators charge for the sent message. That is, users are billed at the moment when they sent out SMS. With MT-billing (Mobile Terminating Billing), operators charge for the reply-message sent back to the user. That is, users are billed only when they receive the reply-message (also known as reverse billing). Different countries offer different billing systems, check your targeted country for exact info: here
Affiliate
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Can I use my own text or banner to promote Fortumo?
Yes. Feel free to use any text or banner that you think would persuade your users to join Fortumo and start making SMS-services. (We do, however, reserve a right to disapprove texts we feel stray too far from our image).
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How can I delete my affiliate code?
If you want to delete your affiliate code, then just don't use it any more. No statistic is counted later on.
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I didn't get my 5€ for using a promotion code when signing up to Fortumo. Why?
Did you set up your payout settings? If yes and you still don't have the 5€, please contact us.
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How can I change my affiliate code?
Changing the affiliate code from web-interface is not possible because after editing the code, the statistics you had, will be no longer available. The statistics will be counted from zero all over again.
