Viber in iSend is a separate channel from SMS, with its own approved Sender ID, its own credits and its own limits: text up to 1,000 characters with lowercase letters, accents and emoji, an optional image and a button that leads to a link. Messages are sent from the platform's Viber menu, to individual numbers or to contact groups, and with scheduling just like SMS campaigns. When the recipient does not have Viber or does not receive the message within its validity period, the fallback sends it automatically as an SMS, so that nobody is left without the update.
What you need before the first send
| Item | What it is |
|---|---|
| Viber Sender ID | Requested from the Sender ID menu with the "Viber" channel, up to 20 Latin characters. It is approved by the Viber provider, not only by us, and the approval takes more days than for SMS. |
| Viber credits | Separate from SMS credits. They come with the monthly Viber package, are valid for the month of the subscription and do not carry over to the next. Additional Viber credits are not available. |
| SMS credits | For the fallback. Every message that goes out as an SMS is charged from the SMS credits, not the Viber ones. |
| Contacts | The same contact groups as for SMS. You do not need to know who has Viber, the platform checks it. |
The trial account does not include Viber. If you are interested, note it in the trial request and we set it up together.
What a Viber message can contain
- Text up to 1,000 characters, as you write it, with lowercase letters, accents and emoji. The 155-character limits and the uppercase conversion of SMS do not apply.
- Button with your own text, up to 30 characters, which opens the link you define: product, booking, form.
- Image in JPEG, PNG or GIF, by upload or by URL, on its own or together with text and a button.
- Personalization tags, such as {FIRST_NAME_VOC}, in the same way as in SMS.
The platform's Viber campaigns additionally support video, files, a carousel with 2 to 6 cards and survey questions. The Viber page shows examples for each format.
Promotional and transactional messages
Viber distinguishes two types of messages, and the platform asks you to choose:
| Type | For what | What it allows |
|---|---|---|
| Promotional | Offers, new products, events | Text, image, button, video, carousel |
| Transactional | Order updates, appointments, codes | Text only, from an approved template |
Transactional messages have no rich content, but they are delivered even to recipients who have opted out of the promotional lists, just like in SMS. One-time codes (OTP) are always sent as SMS.
How you send
- In the Viber menu select Quick send for one or a few numbers, or New campaign for contact groups.
- Select the Viber Sender ID and the message type.
- Write the text. Add an image or a button if the message is promotional.
- Enable the SMS fallback and write the short version of the message that will go out as an SMS, up to 155 characters. There is no image or button in the SMS, so put the link inside the text.
- Schedule or send. The preview shows the message as it will appear in Viber.
How the SMS fallback works
The Viber message has a validity period. If within that period the provider responds that the number does not have Viber, that the account is not active, or that the message expired without being delivered, the platform automatically sends to the same number the SMS version you wrote. The recipient receives one of the two, never both.
Billing follows the channel that delivered: Viber consumes a Viber credit, SMS consumes an SMS credit per part. If the Viber message is not delivered, the Viber credit is refunded. In Reports, every message shows through which channel it was finally delivered.
The statuses in Viber
Viber provides one more status than SMS: Seen, which means that the recipient opened the message. The others are the same: Sent, Delivered, Failed, Expired, Rejected. The article on delivery statuses explains each one. For messages that end in failure, the Viber credits are refunded automatically.
When to prefer Viber and when SMS
Viber wins when the message needs an image or a button, when the text is long, and when your audience is retail customers in Greece, where Viber is widespread. SMS wins when the message must reach everyone without exception, for codes and urgent notifications, and for an audience that does not use messaging apps. The fallback combines the two: you send Viber to those who have it and SMS to the rest, from a single campaign.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same Sender ID as for SMS?
The name is approved separately for each channel, because Viber has its own rules. You submit a request for the Viber channel from the Sender ID menu, with the same name, and after approval the recipient sees the same name on both channels.
Am I charged twice if Viber fails and an SMS goes out?
No. The Viber credit is refunded and only the SMS that was delivered is charged. In Reports you see the channel that was finally used.
Does Viber work with the WooCommerce plugin?
Yes. In the plugin settings you select the "Viber with SMS fallback" channel and the order messages go out as Viber, with automatic SMS fallback. The article on connecting the plugin has the steps.