Portal FAQs

I’ve purchased a plan. How do I start using it?
Once you have created a company with valid billing details, you will need to create a new company app to get API keys for your purchased plan. See Company and Billing Details FAQs to see how to create companies.Login with your developer account.

1. Switch to your company profile (in the drop-down menu under your name in the top menu bar).
2. Go to My Apps & Keys
3. Create a new app with your purchased package, specify a name and create your app. You can now use the key and client ID under the new app you created.

I'm an independent developer and just want to try out the APIs. What can I do?
Once you register on the portal for the first time, you’ll be provided a profile with which you can trial some of our APIs. Our free trial currently allows access to the Messaging API (See the Messaging API Documentation to find what the free trial includes: https://dev.telstra.com/content/messaging-api#section/Features/Free-Trial-vs-Paid-Plan-Features).

Where can I find my free trial keys?
Upon registration, we have created your first app with access to the free trial APIs which you can find via My Apps & Keys.

I am getting an error “Quota reached” on my free trial keys, what does this mean?
You’ve exceeded your free trial limit for that API. The limit per user as of August 2020 is 100 messages. If you’d like to continue using the API, you will need to purchase a plan by creating a company profile and entering your billing details.

How do I get new keys for my existing apps?
We recommend that if you would like new keys immediately, create a new app with the same APIs.

Note: Do NOT delete the Free Trial app if you are using Messaging API, as you will not be able to create another mobile subscription due to limits of one subscription per free trial developer.

How do I use the APIs?
One of the quickest ways to get started is to use the Telstra provided Postman collections.  To find Postman collections for an API, find the Postman button in the Getting Started section of each API.  After you download the collection, you will need to add your API keys.

We have published several tutorials on our blog for you to try: https://dev.telstra.com/blog/tutorials

Are there any SDKs, or sample code, I can use to quickly create my app?
Yes, our APIs have SDKs for popular languages, and we have sample code for our APIs as well in the API Documentation. Check out our open source Github repo at https://github.com/telstra/.

I am getting an error that I don’t understand, where should I go for help?
Check out the API documentation which includes common error messages. Also check the forums, as your question may have already been answered. If you can’t find an explanation, post your questions on our developer forums and a Telstra team member or fellow developer will respond shortly.

How can I add billing details to my developer account?
Billing details are associated to a ‘company’ in TelstraDev. To create a company, log into the TelstraDev portal and go to Create and Manage Companies under your profile name in the top menu bar. At this step, you will be asked for your billing details. All purchases made on the portal under this new ‘company’ will be charged to your preferred billing method.

What payment methods do you accept on TelstraDev?
You can choose to pay by Telstra Bill. Check the Pricing and Plans page for details.

I want to purchase a plan on a Telstra billing account but I don’t have one - can one be created for me?
Yes. Send an email to telstradev@team.telstra.com requesting new account creation. If you have any existing Telstra service, provide details about the account. If you are a new Telstra customer, the account creation team will need a background check before creating an account. Include details (Company Name, ABN, Authorised Representative name, email) in the email and we will be in touch with you thereafter

When are invoices generated?
If you are paying by Telstra Bill, you will receive your bill as per nominated billing cycle

Is there a dollar limit on my purchased plan?
If you are paying by Telstra Bill, you do not have a limit.

I’ve created a company and added my billing details.  How long till I can use my API plan?
If you create a company with your existing Telstra billing account details, we’ll need 2-5 days to validate your Telstra billing account. You’ll receive an email when billing validation is complete. We will also create a default App (Production API keys) which includes access to the Messaging API. If you have purchased a valid IoT Device (e.g Arduino Dev Kit or Track and Monitor Device) you will already have access to other Production APIs like the Connected Things API.

I added my Telstra billing account details but received an email saying my billing details could not be validated. Why is this?
There are a few reasons why your account details may not have been validated. The Telstra account you provided may have been in an incorrect format or the billing details you entered do not match our records. Please check those details and submit again, or contact telstradev@team.telstra.com I received an email that my billing details have been validated. What do I do now?

Log into TelstraDev and select your company profile. From here, you can create a new app via “My apps & keys”.  Add an app with your purchased package, specify a name and create the app. You can now use the new app key and client ID to access all the plan features.

I changed my billing details in the middle of the month, what billing details will be charged?
We will post all your charges for the previous billing period to whatever your current billing method is on the 3rd business day of the month.

Do you do discounts for bulk API usage?
We do offer Enterprise Plans for businesses that commit to high volumes of monthly API calls. If you are an Enterprise customer or will be committing to a regular high volume, please fill out a Sales Enquiry Form from our Support page to discuss your requirements with us. We do not currently offer any other forms of discount.

How do I buy the PAYG plan?
You will need to create a company and  link your Telstra billing account;

1. Go to Pricing & plans and select Buy now for the PAYG plan
2. Enter your Company and billing details and Submit.
3. Once your details have been validated you can start to use the PAYG plan
   1. If you are paying by Telstra Bill, we’ll need 2-5 days to validate your Telstra billing account and confirm it’s in the right format for billing.  You’ll receive an email when billing validation is complete.

4. Log into TelstraDev and select your company profile. From here you can create a new app via “My apps & keys”.  Add an app with your purchased package, specify a name and create the app. You can now use the new key and client ID to access all the plan features.

I want to upgrade my plan to an enterprise contract, who do I contact?
Complete the sales enquiry form and one of our sales representatives will be in touch.

Where do I go to see my plan usage?
If you’re using the free trial, you can see your usage via the analytics tab of your app.
If you have a paid plan you can find out how much of your plan you’ve used via the billing reports.

Is there any set-up fee on the PAYG plan?
No, all fees charged are based on usage as defined in the PAYG plan.

I want to cancel my plan.  Who do I contact?
Email us at telstradev@team.telstra.com with your contact name, company name, plan and preferred plan end date.

How do I add users to my company?
To invite a developer to your company they must have already registered on the portal. Go to the “Manage Users” page and enter a user’s email and invite the developer.  The developer will need to login and accept the invitation to the company before they can view the company’s profile.

What roles can I give user’s in my company?
By default, invited users will have the role “Developer” which allows them to view the company’s apps and keys.  You can increase the user’s privileges by giving them the “Monetisation Administrator” role which allows them to do everything in the company.

I want to change my company administrator/owner.  Who should I contact?
Email us at telstradev@team.telstra.com with the new company administrator’s email and your company details. The new "owner" of the company may be asked to confirm they agree to be contacted in case of billing issues.

Can I be part of multiple companies?
Yes, you can.

Why can’t I see my paid plans when I log in?
When you log in, you’ll be taken to your personal profile each time.  Use the navigation bar to switch the profile to the company under which you purchased a plan.

Do the features included in my paid plan work in all countries?
Our API and SDK services are globally available. Check the API or IoT Device specific documentation for the offshore feature availabilities.

What is the Service Availability on the APIs?
Our Service Availability on all APIs is 99.95% unless stated otherwise. You can check our live status page :  http://status.dev.telstra.com which currently monitors Telstra Messaging API end points and provides operational insights on the availability and performance of the APIs.

The API feature I want is not on your portal. What can I do?
We love hearing your suggestions for new API endpoints or features that add value to developers on the Telstra network! Please post your suggestions on our community forum, or email us.

Is creating a subscription via the Provisioning call a required step?
Yes. You will only be able to start sending messages if you have a provisioned dedicated number. Use Provisioning to create a dedicated number subscription, or renew your dedicated number if it has expired.

When trying to send an SMS I receive a 400-Bad-Request or a 404-RESOURCE-NOT-FOUND response. How can I fix this? 
You need to make sure you have a provisioned dedicated number before you can send an SMS. Use Provisioning to create a dedicated number subscription, or renew your dedicated number if it has expired. Perform a GET /provisioning/subscriptions call and ensure that your provisioned number is still actively linked to your API key. Otherwise, you will need to perform a POST /provisioning/subscriptions call to re-provision your API MSISDN to your API key.

If you do not have a provisioned dedicated number and you try to send a message via the API, you will get the error below in the response.

{
  "status":"400",
  "code":"DELIVERY-IMPOSSIBLE",
  "message":"Invalid \'from\' address specified"
}

{
  "status":"404",
  "code":"RESOURCE-NOT-FOUND",
  "message":"Invalid resource. Refer to API docs at https://dev.telstra.com"
}

When trying to send an SMS I receive a 400 Bad Request response. How can I fix this?
You need to make sure you have a provisioned dedicated number before you can send an SMS. If you do not have a provisioned dedicated number and you try to send a message via the API, you will get the error below in the response:

{
  "status":"400",
  "code":"DELIVERY-IMPOSSIBLE",
  "message":"Invalid \'from\' address specified"
}

Use Provisioning to create a dedicated number subscription, or renew your dedicated number if it has expired.

What are the costs of dedicated number provisioning?
Messaging API is charged based on usage, i.e. number of SMS / MMS sent. At this stage, we do not charge for provisioning dedicated numbers as that is included with the API usage.

How many dedicated numbers (subscriptions) can I provision?
Free Trial users are limited to ONE virtual mobile number only. Do not delete the app you used for creating your first subscription or you will no longer have access to the Messaging API free trial.
For paid accounts, to create multiple dedicated virtual mobile numbers, create new apps under "My Apps & Keys". Each API key will be associated to a dedicated number (1:1 mapping). If you wish to create more than FIVE apps, please contact us for support.

Can I use my own mobile number to send messages from the Messaging API?
We are not able to manually associate a particular number with your Client Credentials. This includes porting Virtual Mobile Numbers (VNMs) from other accounts or between apps (i.e from free to paid keys). When you provision your own virtual mobile number by calling CREATE SUBSCRIPTION you are assigned a new number.

How long does my dedicated number stay active for?
When you provision a dedicated number, by default it will be active for 30 days. You can use the activeDays parameter during the provisioning call to increment or decrement the number of days your dedicated number will remain active. If the Provisioning call is made several times within that 30-Day period, it will return the expiryDate in the Unix format and will not add any activeDays until after that expiryDate.
Note that Free Trial apps will have 30 days as the maximum activeDays they can add to their provisioned number. Paid accounts have a maximum of 5 years.

Can I send a broadcast message using the Telstra Messaging API?
Yes. Recipient numbers can be in the form of an array of strings if a broadcast message needs to be sent, allowing you to send to multiple mobile numbers in one API call. A sample request body for this will be: {"to":["+61412345678","+61487654321"],"body":"Test Message"}

How many recipient numbers can I send a broadcast message to at one time?
The API currently supports up to 10 recipient numbers in the "to" array.

Can I send SMS and MMS to all countries?
You can send SMS and MMS to the countries in this list, provided the destination network supports delivery. The above list is an indication of reach, but we don’t currently send messages to all these countries. Traffic to international destinations is sent on a best endeavour basis as end to end SLAs to foreign operators are not available

For you to send SMS internationally, you must provide the country code plus the mobile number of your recipient in the "To" field, e.g “+82 87 6542 2100”.
International endpoints (outside of Australia) have some limitations. For example; Alphanumeric identifiers will only reliably work in Australia.

Can I use the Telstra Messaging API if I am based outside of Australia?
Yes, you can use our Messaging API outside Australia. However, the subscription you create with the API to send “from” will be an Australia Virtual Mobile Number.

Why is my Alphanumeric Identifier  failing to send?
Please ensure your message complies with the Alphanumeric Identifier rules

1. ​Alphanumeric identifiers will only reliably work in Australia as many other countries (and thus carriers in those countries) around the world will block messages alphanumeric "from" addresses. You can refer to this forum post https://dev.telstra.com/content/assigning-alphanumeric-identifier-address
2. Phone numbers in the from attribute will be blocked (400-error) to prevent number spoofing.
3. There are specific characters which are not allowed in the "from" attribute (space, <, >, etc)
4. If the "from" attribute is not present, the service will use the mobile number associated with the application (in E.164 format).
5. If replyRequest is set to true, then the "from" field should not be present.
6. This feature is only available on Telstra Account paid plans, not through Free Trials . You can refer to the messaging API documentation: https://dev.telstra.com/content/messaging-api#operation/sendSms

If you pass all of the above criteria, and you’re still unable to use the Alphanumeric Identifier, please contact support.

Can I use Messaging API from my paid plan via credit card billing?
No. As of 12 Dec 2021, developers no longer have access to Messaging API production keys with existing credit card billing accounts. An error "MSG_Monetization_ERR. Credit Card API limit may have been reached, e-mail telstradev@team.telstra.com for support. If you are using the Free Trial account, this error shows you have exceeded the number of free messages available." will be displayed. To continue using Messaging API, you must setup Telstra Billing account number. If you are not an existing Telstra customer, or if you are an existing Telstra customer but don't have a 10 digit account number ending in 0 but have active ABN, please submit a request here https://dev.telstra.com/content/requesting-telstra-billing-account

If you already have Telstra Account setup but need to change Telstra Account as default billing method in https://dev.telstra.com/company-edit , contact our support team at "telstradev@team.telstra.com with company details and screenshot of this page.

What is the maximum sized MMS that I can send?
This will depend on the carrier that will receive the MMS. For Telstra it's up to 2MB, Optus up to 1.5MB and Vodafone only allows up to 500kB. You will need to check with international carriers for their MMS size limits. The subject size is limited to 64 characters.

How is the size of an MMS calculated?
Images are scaled up to approximately 4/3 when base64 encoded. Additionally, there is approximately 200 bytes of overhead on each MMS. Assuming the maximum MMS that can be sent on Telstra’s network is 2MB, then the maximum image size that can be sent will be approximately 1.378MB (1.378 x 1.34 + 200, without SOAP encapsulation).

How is an MMS classified as Small or Large?
MMSes with numberSegments below 600 are classed as Small whereas those that are bigger than 600 are classed as Large. They will be charged accordingly.

Are SMILs supported by the Messaging API?
While there will be no error if you send an MMS with a SMIL presentation, the actual layout or sequence defined in the SMIL may not display as expected because most of the new smartphone devices ignore the SMIL presentation layer. SMIL was used in feature phones which had limited capability and SMIL allowed a powerpoint type presentation to be provided. Smartphones now have the capability to display video which is the better option for presentations. It is recommended that MMS messages should just drop the SMIL.

Can I use the Messaging API to receive inbound messages? Are they charged?
You can send and receive messages via the API by using the notifyURL feature. See the documentation for more info: https://dev.telstra.com/content/messaging-api#operation/retrieveSmsReplies

You will not be charged for any inbound messages to your virtual mobile number retrieved via GET /messages/sms. However, receipts via GET /messages/sms/{messageId}/status are charged (first read only).

How do I assign a delivery notification or callback URL?
You can assign a delivery notification or callback URL by adding the notifyURL parameter in the body of the request when you send a message. Once the message has been delivered, a notification will then be posted to this callback URL.

Why can’t I get the status of my message?
You can retrieve the replies to your virtual number under the following circumstances:

1. If the subscription has a notifyURL, and replyRequest = True in outbound SMS payload, then
   1. Inbound messages will be logged to the notifyURL
   2. Cannot retrieve the reply using GET call
   3. Inbound replies received within 7 days of sending will be available via notifyURL
2. If the subscription has a notifyURL, and replyRequest = false or not set at all in outbound SMS payload, then
   1. Inbound messages will be logged to the notifyURL
   2. Cannot retrieve the reply using GET call
   3. Inbound replies received anytime (eg. 2 weeks) will be available via notifyURL and accessible anytime
3. If the subscription does not have a notifyURL, then
   1. Messages can be retrieved using GET call
   2. Inbound replies received anytime (eg. 2 weeks) will be available via the GET call only for 7 days from receiving the inbound reply

See our Messaging API docs for more info on using the NotifyURL and replyRequests. We also have some relevant blog on callbacks and Conversation via the Telstra Messaging API. 

Sometimes I am missing delivery receipts, why is this happening?
Telstra can guarantee delivery receipts are provided for any mobile service connected on Telstra's network so long as the destination handset is able to receive SMS or MMS messages. For other carriers, although messages will be delivered to valid handsets on those carriers, they do not have an obligation to provide delivery receipts back to Telstra.

What is the difference between the notifyURL parameter in the Provisoning call versus the notifyURL parameter in the Send Message call?
A. The notifyURL in the Provisoning call will be the URL where replies to the provisioned number will be posted. On the other hand, the notifyURL in the Send Message call will be the URL where the delivery notification will be posted, e.g. when an SMS has already been delivered to the recipient.

Is there a specific format for the notifyURL parameter?
The notifyURL should be a complete URL address which includes the protocol identifier (e.g. https://). It should also have a forward slash at the end if it is just a domain (e.g. http://www.example.com/).

Is Telstra Messaging API suitable for high volumes of SMS/MMS?
Yes, we can accommodate sending a large volume of messages per user (>100k/month) and have several active users enjoying large monthly usage. If you require high volumes of SMS or MMS, please contact us to arrange technical support.

Note: Free Trial use is limited to 100 messages total (prior to August 2020 the limit was 1000 messages per user). If you are using the API keys available under the company profile (i.e. Production Keys), there is no restriction on the number of messages you can send.

We are always improving our services to provide an increasing capacity for number of messages sent per second through the TelstraDev gateway. If you have a requirement for high throughput campaigns, please reach out to us to discuss your options.

Why should I consider the Telstra Messaging API?
Check out the Telstra Enterprise website for an introduction to Messaging API as a solution: https://www.telstra.com.au/business-enterprise/products/mobility-solutions/messaging-and-apis/messaging-api 
 

Important – As of July 15th 2021 we are no longer selling IoT devices through the TelstraDev IoT Marketplace. See our blog announcement for more details.

How can I get an Arduino MKR NB 1500 device?
As of July 15th 2021, Telstra no longer sells the Arduino MKR NB 1500 devices. You can purchase one from your preferred online retailer or from Arduino directly.

Can I use the Narrowband (NB-IoT) network with my Arduino MKR NB 1500?
Yes. The hardware supports both NB-IoT and Cat-M1 (LTE-M) radio access technologies. 

If you purchased your Arduino MKR NB 1500 from TelstraDev, the SIM included with bundle is a Cat-M1 only SIM. If you have your own NB-IoT SIM, you may need to upgrade the UBLOX firmware to connect to that network.

 I bought the Arduino device from Telstra, what are my support options (after 30th June 2021)?
TelstraDev team will continue to support existing customers who have purchased Arduino MKRNB1500 board incl. IoT SIM from dev.telstra.com/iot-marketplace for a period of 3 months from purchase. During this period, you can email telstradev@team.telstra.com in case of any issues . and also can continue to access content eg. guides, tutorials, documents, etc

The Arduino I bought from TelstraDev has a hardware fault
Check the Arduino support forums, or contact Arduino for support.

Where do I get the Arduino NB library for the MKR NB 1500?
The official library is available at https://github.com/arduino-libraries/MKRNB. The library is also available via the latest Arduino IDE by going to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries and searching for MKRNB.

I’m having issues with the Arduino library
Checkout the Arduino support forums at https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?board=107.0. Also have a look at the MKR GitHub repo https://github.com/arduino-libraries/MKRNB.

What is the firmware version of my ublox SARA radio module?
The Narrowband connectivity is performed with a module from u-blox, the SARA-R410M-02B, a low power chipset operating in the different bands of the IoT LTE cellular range.

Refer to Arduino's user forum to see how to check the firmware version of the module: https://support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/360016119159-How-to-check-the-firmware-version-the-SARA-radio-module-u-blox-on-the-MKR-NB-1500 

and to test the module functionality: https://support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/360013051939-How-to-test-the-Sara-Module-u-blox-of-the-Arduino-MKR-NB-1500

I want to upgrade the firmware on my board’s u-blox SARA component
The u-blox website contains some useful documentation on the SARA-R4 series, and a SARA-R4 data sheet which includes more information on firmware upgrades. To get a copy of any firmware upgrades, you must register with U-BLOX and raise a ticket directly on their website.

The IoT device is connected to Telstra’s network but doesn’t get data from anywhere
Check the libraries you are using especially making sure you have the latest version of the MKR NB 1500 library https://github.com/arduino-libraries/MKRNB. Check the SIM card is installed correctly and has been activated via the dev portal also checking that you have Cat-M1 coverage available via the coverage maps https://www.telstra.com.au/business-enterprise/solutions/internet-of-things/iot-coverage.

My MKR NB 1500 device won’t do anything
Try running the blink sketch that comes with the Arduino IDE which will make LED 13 blink on the board. Also try doing Serial.println output to show what the device is doing.

My antenna clip has broken, what can I do?
You need to take extra special care when dealing with this tiny component, sadly there is no way that this can be reattached beyond trying to solder the clip back on.

How do I get more involved with open source projects?
Open source projects are always looking for people to get more involved. While most are code based you don’t have to write or contribute code to a project, just testing a new version of the library or proof reading READMEs. Head on over to https://github.com/Telstra or https://github.com/Arduino-libraries to get started

Important – As of July 15th 2021 we are no longer selling IoT devices through the TelstraDev IoT Marketplace. See our blog announcement for more details.

Where can I buy a Captis device? Do you offer end to end solutions for Captis IoT solutions?
For more information visit, https://www.telstra.com.au/business-enterprise/products/internet-of-things/solutions/environment-monitoring

How do I connect the Captis device to the IoT network?
Your device comes with a Telstra IoT SIM card build in. The SIM card is on a plan on a recurring monthly subscription.

How long will the battery last?
The expected battery life of the device is dependent on multiple factors.  Under standard operating conditions Telstra warrants the device for 5 years or 5,000 transmissions (whichever comes first). Refer Warranty details for standard operating conditions.

Is the device waterproof?
The device is rated IP68 which means its water and dust resistant. The device is not waterproof and will be affected if submerged in water for any length of time

What can I monitor with my Captis Device?
Using one of our sensors, you can implement many environmental monitoring use cases include Water Level, Pressure, Flow and quality (recording parameters such as pH, conductivity, and ORP), solar radiation, rainfall, temperature, air quality and wind speed.
Temperature & Humidity: Monitor the ambient air temperature, rail temperature or fridge temperature, even in a power failure.
Infrastructure: Monitor water usage, lux, noise, vibration of entertainment precincts, construction sites etc.
Smart Relays: Monitor the health and performance of your equipment.
Controls: Control pumps, valves and alarms in response to data readings.

What’s the difference between the Captis Multi and Pulse Lite.
Captis Pulse Lite supports up to 2 digital inputs (Pulse and Switch mode)
Captis Multi supports the above inputs as well as  1 analog input, 1 serial input and 2 digital outputs

 How can I do a software/firmware upgrade on my Captis Devices?
You need to contact Captis support team

Can I replace the battery on my own?
No, you can’t.

Can I resell Captis?
No, you can’t