Questions and Answers
Most frequently asked
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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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The rest of FAQs are in English. What can I do if I need help in my own language?
Write to support@fortumo.com and we will answer you as soon as possible.
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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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Users of my Premium SMS-connectivity service get an error message
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. -
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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Did not find an answer?
Write to support@fortumo.com and we will answer you as soon as possible.
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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.
General
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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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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 let us know (support@fortumo.com) and we will find a way how you individually can create additional services.
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Can I delete the SMS services that I have created?
Of course. You can delete services on the service settings edit page. History of all deleted services is preserved, so you can always analyse the results of your services and view history.
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Why SMS?
* There are more than 3.3bn mobile phone users worldwide (50% 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 (2.4 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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Can a private person create Fortumo services?
Yes, a private person can also offer Fortumo services.
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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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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.
Taxes and payouts
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What taxes are withheld from payments to private Estonian residents?
From the payments to Estonian residents, we need to withhold income tax, unemployment insurance and 2nd pillar pension insurance if needed. In addition to that we deduct social tax and corporate unemployment insurance, that we need to pay for all the private Estonian individuals.
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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 by the 15th of next month. 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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Is Fortumo withholding any taxes from the payments?
From the money you receive, you might be required to pay income tax of your own country, but we are not withholding it unless you collect your earnings as a private person residing in Estonia. More information about taxation of private Estonian residents can be read below.
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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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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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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.
Services
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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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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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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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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 onthe service in the "My Services" page and navigate to "Messages" tab.
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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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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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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Which alphabet can be used for writing messages?
Latin alphabet.
