When NomNom texts a guest, the text doesn’t come from a phone number. It comes from a short name, your Sender ID, and that’s what guests see as the sender: Red Lion, say, rather than a string of digits. Every text uses it: confirmations, reminders and the texts you send yourself from a booking.
When you sign up, NomNom makes one from your venue’s name, keeping only letters and numbers and stopping at 11 characters. So The Red Lion Inn becomes TheRedLionI. It works, but it’s worth a minute to choose something tidier.
Change your Sender ID
1. Open SMS Service. In NomNom Web, open Settings and choose SMS Service under EMAIL & SMS. Or click SMS CREDITS at the bottom right of the screen, then Manage SMS. Only Admins can open Settings.
2. Click Sender ID. It’s the first row under SMS ACCOUNT, with your current one beside it.
3. Type the new name. Use 3 to 11 letters, numbers and spaces, spaces included, with at least one letter. The box won’t take a twelfth.
4. Click Save. Your next text goes out under the new name.
In NomNom Web: Settings → SMS Service → Sender ID. In the phone app: menu → Settings → SMS Service → Sender ID.
Choosing a good name
- Make it recognisable. Guests should know who it is at a glance, so Red Lion or RedLionPub works better than initials.
- Leave out punctuation. Apostrophes, &, hyphens and full stops aren’t allowed. If you type one you’ll see A sender ID must be 3 to 11 letters, numbers or spaces, with at least one letter. and nothing is saved. Tom’s Bar & Grill could be Toms Bar.
- Your full name still appears. NomNom’s standard wording for both texts starts with your venue’s full name, so a shortened Sender ID doesn’t leave guests guessing.
Guests can’t reply, so add your number
A text from a name can’t be replied to. A guest who wants to change their booking can’t just text back, so make sure your texts tell them how to reach you.
1. Check your phone number. In Settings → Restaurant Details, make sure Phone is the number you want guests to ring.
2. Open a template. Back in SMS Service, click Instant SMS template (the confirmation text) or Reminder SMS template.
3. Add [PHONE]. Click where you want the number to go, then click Insert Field and choose [PHONE]. When the text is sent, NomNom swaps it for the Phone number from Restaurant Details.
4. Click Save at the top of the editor.
![The Instant SMS Template editor, with the Insert Field list open and [PHONE] picked](data:image/svg+xml;base64,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)
The standard wording already ends To make changes, please call [PHONE], so if you haven’t reworded your texts there’s nothing to add. Just check Phone is filled in: if it’s blank, the text ends please call with no number after it.
Good to know
- It can’t be left blank. No texts go without a Sender ID, so if you clear the box and save, you’ll see Enter a sender ID. Text messages cannot be sent without one. and your old one stays. If yours ever shows Not set, no texts go at all, including the ones you send yourself. See Texts aren’t reaching your guests: what to check.
- Changing it is free, and you can change it as often as you like. It doesn’t use any credits.
- Watch the length. A text of more than 160 characters uses more than one credit, so keep anything you add short.
- One name per venue. If you run more than one venue, each has its own Sender ID.
- For when each text is sent, see When NomNom sends confirmation and reminder texts.