Text/SMS FAQs
What is Mobile Text/SMS Banking? Mobile Text/SMS Banking enables you to retrieve information and manage your bank accounts from a mobile device through text messaging (sometimes called SMS). If you already bank online, it is another way of accessing your account balances and reviewing your most recent account activity, without being tied to your desk.
What are text messages? Text messages (also known as SMS messages) are ways for users of cellular telephones and other mobile devices to exchange brief messages through cellular (or mobile) networks.
What does SMS stand for? SMS stands for Short Messaging Service. It is also known as text messaging. This is a service available on most mobile devices allowing users to send and receive text-only messages.
What are the limitations to text messages? In the U.S., text messages are limited to 160-characters, must consist of only numbers, letters, and special characters, and cannot contain images, rich text (such as bold, underlined text, etc.), or other content or formats.
What is a shortcode? Shortcodes are special telephone numbers, usually five or six digits long, which are used to send and receive text messages from mobile phones within the U.S. You can think of a shortcode as a web address for your cell phone - using six digits instead of a URL such as www.SBofA.com. They are often used for services such as television voting, ordering ring tones, charity donations and mobile services.
More specifically, please refer to the following graphic that represents the translation of letters to numbers for shortcodes: BANKME or 226563 is Signature Bank of Arkansas shortcode for communicating with you via a text message.
I have a prepaid plan. Can I use Mobile Text/SMS Banking? Mobile Text/SMS Banking will work with most prepaid plans, but we cannot guarantee that your carrier supports the six-digit U.S. shortcode BANKME or 226563 . T-Mobile prepaid does not support shortcodes so you won’t be able to use Mobile Text Banking & Alerts with T-Mobile prepaid.
Who do I contact if I need help with Mobile Text/SMS Banking? Text the word HELP to BANKME or 226563 . We will send you a help message in a minute or so. Or, visit www.sbofa.com to get an in-depth look at how to use the service.
I have disconnected my mobile device or changed carriers or changed numbers. Will my Mobile Text/SMS Banking service continue to work? Carriers do not always immediately report disconnected numbers, so your mobile device may continue to work for a short time after disconnection. As a security precaution, you should sign on to Signature Bank's Mobile Preferences, verify that you’ve disabled your mobile device or activated your new mobile device number.
How do I activate my mobile device for Text/SMS Alerts? To enroll in Mobile Text Alerts, follow the instructions below:
How it works:
• Login to Online Banking and select the PREFERENCE Tab, then MOBILE and choose the TEXT BANKING Tab. • Check “yes”, enable text banking, enter your mobile phone number and read and agree to the terms of the Online Banking Agreement. • Follow the prompts to set-up your Account Nicknames for each enabled account. • You will receive a text message confirming your enrollment. • Now you will be able to send a text message to request information about your accounts or perform a transaction. • Receive a text message response with the information you requested or confirmation of your transaction.
What are Account Nicknames? You are required to create your own unique account nicknames when activating your accounts to protect your private information. Each mobile account nickname must be unique, contain one to four characters, and can include letters or numbers, but not spaces or special characters. Tip: Choose short nicknames that are easy to type on your mobile device, as you will be entering them regularly while using the Mobile Text Alerts service. (eg: CH1, CH2, LOAN, SAV, etc.) Your mobile account nicknames will not replace the account names or nicknames defined in Online Banking.
How do I add another mobile device? For your security, only one device is allowed per Online Banking user. This keeps other phones from accessing your information and allows you not to have to remember a user ID and password.
Where do I send my account inquiries? Send your text message to BANKME or 226563. Note: Add 226563 (BANKME) to your Co ntact List, for easy reference.
How long does it take to get a response message via Mobile Text/SMS Banking? You will usually receive a text message response within a minute. Exact timing will depend on your mobile service provider. If you have not received a message within 5 minutes, please re-try your text command.
Is Mobile Text/SMS Banking case-sensitive? No. Whether you type “BAL” or “bal,” we will send your account balance to you via text message.
Here is a list of shortcuts for Signature Bank's Mobile Text/SMS Banking:
• BAL – Receive Current and Available account balances for all eligible accounts. (Note: Available Balance for deposit accounts is the balance of funds available for withdrawal or transfer excluding any overdraft protection products you may have; certain pending transactions, such as deposits that contain checks, may not be immediately available and wouldn’t be included in the available balance.) • BAL
How should I format text messages I send to Signature Bank of Arkansas? Avoid using a signature: Many phones have the capability of attaching a signature to your outgoing text messages, similar to a signature you may have attached to your outgoing e-mail. In order to receive reliable results, you must remove the signature from messages you send us.
What does it mean when I see “1/2” on my screen? “1/2” means you are reading the first message in a series of two messages. We label this as “1/2” to ensure you will read your text messages in the correct order.
Why are the text messages from Signature Bank of Arkansas out of order when I go to read them? Signature Bank of Arkansas sends messages back to you in the order that they are intended to be read, and we will always clearly indicate which messages they are (“1/2” or “3/3,” for example). Unfortunately, depending on your mobile provider, messages sometimes get mixed up on the way to your phone.
My results were sent as multiple messages. Some messages arrived first. Why did it take so much longer for the others to arrive? Depending on your mobile provider, it may take a while for messages to get delivered. If you receive one message, it means we’ve sent all the messages to you and you should receive them shortly. It may take a few minutes for you to receive them all. If after a few minutes you still haven’t received all your messages, please let us know. If the problem persists, you may want to contact your mobile provider.
Why are my results sent as multiple messages? Each response you receive from Signature Bank of Arkansas may vary in size because all text messages are limited to 160-characters. Sometimes we can’t send all of your account information in one message because it exceeds the 160-character limit. In this case, we will send your account information over multiple messages — no more than five at a time.
Can I see all of the results in a single message? You can narrow down your results by creating nicknames for each account on file. Please use these nicknames to cut down on the length of each resulting message.
What is the maximum number of results I can receive for each inquiry? You can receive up to five results per inquiry.
I set up Mobile Banking, and I have text messaging enabled on my mobile phone. Why can’t I receive text messages from Signature Bank of Arkansas on my mobile phone? You may already have text messages enabled on your mobile phone, but the use of shortcodes may be blocked by your mobile phone service provider, or per your request. You must have shortcodes enabled to use Signature Bank of Arkansas's Mobile Text/SMS Banking. Please contact your mobile phone service provider to ensure they aren’t blocking the use of shortcodes, and that your carrier supports the use of shortcodes. Note: Your mobile phone service provider may need to correct any issues before you can use Signature Bank of Arkansas's Text Message Banking & Alerts. Please confirm your service options with your mobile phone service provider before you contact our Customer Service.