Shared short codes API
The premium SMS platform provided by aql.com is a flexible way of receiving messages via short codes, identifying the source network provider and sending the appropriate billing messages to gain revenue.
Connection details
The premium SMS platform provided by aql.com is a flexible way of receiving messages via short codes, identifying the source network provider and sending the appropriate billing messages to gain revenue.
https://gw.aql.com/sms/gw-premium.php
Although we do offer the standard HTTP gateway, we do prefer that your application uses the HTTPS gateway as it prevents sensitive details being sniffed across the internet.
Overview of Transactions
The basic process for making a billing request for a user is:
- End user sends a text message to your keyword on the short code.
- Our system records the message details and sends the appropriate response depending on how your keyword is set up. To bill a user this should be set to httppost.
- Your application decides whether to bill the end user, if so, posting back to our gateway with a message to send back, as well as the unique identifier.
- Once the message has been accepted, when we receive a delivery notification we can optionally post back to your application notifying you that the message was accepted / rejected from the phone.
During step three, when your application posts to our gateway it can flag whether to close use of the key again. This prevents further billing to this end user without an addition MO being received through the short code.
Note: Even if the message is accepted at the end users phone, it is still possible that payment will not be taken. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as the end user rejecting the payment / the phone not having sufficient credit at the time the message is received.
Gateway details
When we receive a MO (Mobile Originated) message to a keyword assigned to your account, we will send the details on to you by the method specified on aql.com.
In order to bill your customers this would need to be set to HTTP post, this Post will contain the following details:
Response
| Variable name | Description |
|---|---|
| request_type | This is the type of request, in this case it will be set to new |
| shortcode | The short code number |
| sender | The sender phone number |
| message | The message that was sent |
| timestamp | The timestamp of when the message was received |
| msgkey | A unique key associated with the MO message. This is needed for billing |
Once your application has received these details, it can either ignore the request and not send back response thus not charging the end user or send back a HTTP post back to our server requesting that the end user is charged (at the tariff associated with the short code).
The details that your application would need to post back to our gateway are:
Response
| Variable name | Description |
|---|---|
| username | Your aql.com username |
| password | Your aql.com password |
| shortcode | The short code associated with the request |
| destination | The destination number (Must be exactly the same as the number sent by using previous request) |
| type | Must be set to either text or flash or wap_si |
| msgkey | msgkey sent with the original request |
| status | Final status of request, either open or close |
| report | Request delivery report, either yes or no |
| user_ref | This is an identifier for the request; it can be set to any alphanumeric string, up to 20 characters |
Depending on the type defined, the following fields may be required:
For the types text or flash
| Variable name | Description |
|---|---|
| data | Message data (max 160 characters) |
For the types wap_si
| Variable name | Description |
|---|---|
| wapname | The Name data used in the WAP push |
| wapurl | The URL of the WAP document |
| msg_limit | This is the number of messages the request can span (1, 2 or 3) |
Note that if the status of the request is set to open, it allows further billing requests to be made using the same msgkey and destination number in the future. In this case, the user reference can be changed for each following charge request – this allows your application to identify each request (and associated delivery report). However, if the status is set to close, this will prevent further billing attempts to be made using the msgkey and destination number combination. To allow further billing in this case, a new MO message must be received on the short code, giving a new msgkey.
When using the wap_si type, the msg_limit field is used to limit the number of billing messages sent, as if the combined length of the URL and name exceed 96 characters, the push will have to span two messages. If the message has to span two messages, two billing messages will be sent hence charging the end user twice. The default limit is set at one message, and if the limit is reached, the error GW-MSGLIMIT_REACHED will be given.
If report was set to yes, when we receive a delivery report back from the destination mobile, another request will be made to your application sending the following HTTP Post details:
Response
| Variable name | Description |
|---|---|
| request_type | This is the type of request, this case it will be set to report |
| user_ref | This is the user_ref submitted in the original billing request sent by you |
| msgkey | A unique key associated with the MO message. This will allow you to match the report with the original request |
| status | The status of the message |
HTTP gateway error codes
Below is a table of response codes from the HTTP interface:
Response
| Error code | Description |
|---|---|
| GW-NO_AUTH_DETAILS | No authentication details were provided |
| GW-AUTH_ERROR | There was an error in authenticating based on the details provided |
| GW-KEY_INVALID | The key provided was invalid (must only contain characters a-z, A-Z, 0-9) |
| GW-SHORTCODE_NOTFOUND | The short code was not found associated with your account |
| GW-SHORTCODE_INACTIVE | The short code is inactive – contact support for details |
| GW-SHORTCODE_CLOSEDGW | The key for this transaction has been closed for use |
| GW-SHORTCODE_CLOSEDCLIENT | The key for this transaction has been closed by the client |
| GW-SHORTCODE_FAIL | Details for the short code could not be retrieved |
| GW-OK | Message accepted |
| GW-FAIL | There was an error in queuing the message. Please contact support |
| GW-STATUS_INVALID | The status provided was invalid / missing |
| GW-USER_REF_INVALID | The User reference you provided was invalid / missing |
| GW-MSGLIMIT_INVALID | The value provided was not a valid number (1, 2 or 3) |
| GW-TYPE_INVALID | The message type was invalid (either text, flash or wap_si) |
| GW-DATA_INVALID | The data field was missing |
| GW-WAPNAME_INVALID | The wapname field was missing |
| GW-WAPURL_INVALID | The wapurl field was missing |
| GW-ENCODE_FAIL | The gateway failed to encode the binary message |
| GW-MSGLIMIT_REACHED | The binary message needed to span more messages than the limit set |
| GW-REPORT_INVALID | The report field was invalid (should be yes or no) |
Status descriptions
Possible values of the status variable are:
Response
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| phonesent | The destination phone has accepted the message |
| phonefail | The destination phone has rejected the message |
| smscsent | The destination network has accepted the message on behalf of the destination number |
| smscfail | The destination network has rejected the message on behalf of the destination number |
| fail | The message has failed |
An example flow of requests during a billing transaction
This is the message from the mobile to the short code (this is a dump of the variables posted):
array(7) { ["request_type"]=> string(3) "new" ["shortcode"]=> string(4) "1000" ["sender"]=> string(12) "447789123456" ["message"]=> string(14) "This is a test" ["timestamp"]=> string(19) "2004-01-26 16:07:43" ["msgkey"]=> string(32) "966cf073923aa0793d1ecabbd10ba1bf" }
Your application would then post back details similar to the following
(NB: All fields are required), which would initiate the MT billing request.
array(11) { ["username"]=> string(7) "testaccount" ["password"]=> string(5) "testpwd" ["shortcode"]=> string(4) "1000" ["destination"]=> string(12) "447789123456" ["type"]=> string(4) "text" ["data"]=> string(30) "This is the MT Billing message" ["msgkey"]=> string(32) "966cf073923aa0793d1ecabbd10ba1bf" ["status"]=> string(4) "open" ["report"]=> string(3) "yes" ["user_ref"]=> string(6) "123abc" }
As in the MT billing request a status report was requested, when we receive any form of delivery confirmation, another HTTP Post would made similar to the following:
array(4) { ["request_type"]=> string(6) "report" ["user_ref"]=> string(4) "123abc" ["msgkey"]=> string(32) "966cf073923aa0793d1ecabbd10ba1bf" ["status"]=> string(9) "phonesent" }
At a later date, you may wish to bill the client again (e.g. a subscription service), you would need to send another MT Billing request, i.e.:
array(11) { ["username"]=> string(7) "testaccount" ["password"]=> string(5) "testpwd" ["shortcode"]=> string(4) "1000" ["destination"]=> string(12) "447789123456" ["type"]=> string(4) "text" ["data"]=> string(39) "This is the MT Billing message number 2" ["msgkey"]=> string(32) "966cf073923aa0793d1ecabbd10ba1bf" ["status"]=> string(5) "close" ["report"]=> string(3) "yes" ["user_ref"]=> string(6) "456abc" }
In this case again, a status report was requested, therefore you would receive a similar delivery confirmation as before:
array(4) { ["request_type"]=> string(6) "report" ["user_ref"]=> string(4) "456abc" ["msgkey"]=> string(32) "966cf073923aa0793d1ecabbd10ba1bf" ["status"]=> string(9) "phonesent" }
After this, as the status was set to close, no further billing requests would be possible to this number using the msgkey. A new MO message would have to be received.
Technical support
For technical support and further queries about the Premium SMS platform, please launch a support ticket, by going to the address: http://support.aql.com using your aql username and password to login.
