Viber Business Messages vs SMS

The use of business messaging has evolved from a simple means of communication to a communications channel that has a direct impact on revenue and customer retention.

However, many businesses today consider the choice of a communications channel a technical decision.

The truth of the matter is that SMS and Viber solve different problems in the business.

The ability to understand when to use which, as well as how to use them together, holds the key to avoiding wasting funds on messaging or achieving tangible ROI.

This guide helps filter out the noise so that decision-makers can develop an messaging strategy that is consistent with business objectives.

Business Messaging Goals That Define Channel Choice

To compare features, clarity about the objectives is required before comparison.

Messaging strategy should be based on objectives and not on capabilities.

Transactional and Critical Communications

There are messages that simply cannot go wrong.

These are one-time passwords, account security alerts, payment confirmations, delivery updates, and fraud alerts.

These messages need to reach everybody, in less than one minute, without the need for app downloads or internet access.

The cost of failure, in this case, is not measured through the use of marketing metrics—it is measured through abandoned transactions, security breaches, and customer loss.

Customer Engagement and Retention

Promotional campaigns, updates on loyalty programs, personalized offers, and re-engagement campaigns have a completely different purpose altogether.

The purpose of these messages is to boost customer lifetime value by engaging meaningfully with customers.

The key performance indicators will now change from delivery rates to conversion rates, click-through rates, and revenue attribution.

The presence of rich media, branding, and interactivity can be a key consideration for messaging that targets engagement.

Operational Efficiency

In addition to the message itself, there is the operational layer of delivery optimization, cost of delivery at scale, complexity of API integration, message routing logic, and the need for a fallback when the primary means of delivery is not available.

The best messaging framework addresses these issues automatically without the need for human interaction for every campaign.

SMS for Business: Where It Performs Best

The SMS is still the basic business messaging service because of valid reasons.

This is because it has inherent advantages that are not just historical.

Universal Reach

SMS works on all mobile phones ever made.

No app download, no smartphone, and no internet connection needed.

When it comes to businesses that target different demographics or geographic locations, the universality of SMS has no substitute.

Time-Sensitive Delivery

If a customer requires an OTP to finish a purchase, waiting even 30 seconds can mean a cart abandonment.

The infrastructure for SMS delivery has been designed for speed, with messages arriving within seconds.

Regulated Industry Compliance

Financial, health, and government communication require SMS for audit trail and delivery confirmation purposes.

In fact, several compliance regulations accept SMS as only approved communication method.

Authentication and Security

For the purposes of two-factor authentication and verification of accounts, the norm is still the use of the SMS service.

This is because the users comprehend the process and trust the service.

Reliability Under Pressure

SMS infrastructure is not reliant upon internet connectivity.

When the internet is congested, there is a natural disaster, or the infrastructure is damaged, the SMS system is likely to be available when the IP-based channels are not.

Restrictions on the Use of SMS

No communication channel is ideal for every application.

The SMS communication medium has inherent limitations that must be known by any business that considers this medium.

Message Size Restrictions

The maximum message size in an SMS message is 160 characters in the GSM-7 character set or 70 characters in the UCS-2 character set when special characters are used.

Messages longer than the maximum size are broken up into message segments, each of which is charged separately.

Native Interactivity

SMS is a text messaging service.

There is no provision for embedding any interactivity, like buttons, carousels, images, or videos.

The interactivity has to happen after the user clicks a link.

Cost at Scale

When sending high volumes of promotional messages with longer texts, the cost of each segment adds up quickly.

It will cost twice as much to send a 320-character promotional message compared to sending a 160-character transactional message.

Lower Engagement for Marketing

The open rates for text messages are high, but the click-through rates for marketing messages tend to trail behind other channels that provide more visual richness.

Messages lack visual branding when they do not contain these types of elements.

Viber Business Messages: Where It Delivers Value

Viber is positioned differently in the messaging space.

Viber is meant to engage, not to just reach.

Rich Media Support

Viber messages support the addition of media such as images, video, files, and formatted text.

When it comes to the promotion of products, events, or brands, the addition of media supports increased engagement.

Branded Sender Identity

Messages come from a verified business presence with your logo, name, and brand colors.

This ensures the person opening the message knows exactly who is texting them.

Interactive Features

Buttons, quick replies, and carousels enable consumers to make a purchase directly from the message.

A marketing message can contain a "Shop Now" button that leads to a product page.

Conversational Capability

Viber allows for two-way communication in the same message thread, unlike the traditional SMS system that is one-way.

Customer inquiries, confirmations, and feedback can now be done without having to switch channels.

Cost Efficiency for Rich Content

The cost structure of Viber messages usually doesn’t depend on the message length.

This means that both the short notification and the detailed promotional message with pictures cost the same, making it cost-effective for content-rich messages.

Limitations of Viber Business

The advantages of Viber’s engagement are accompanied by structural constraints.

App Dependency

The recipient needs to have the Viber app on their mobile device to receive the message.

In areas with low Viber penetration, reach becomes an issue even with an appealing message content.

Internet Requirement

Messages on Viber need an internet connection

This means that if the internet connection on either side of a communication is not very reliable, messages may be received late or not at all.

Geographic Variability

Viber is most popular in Eastern Europe, Asia, and other regions.

In North America and most of Europe, it has penetration levels that make it an unsuitable for businesses.

Cost Efficiency: Comparing Channels from a Business Lens

Cost-per-message pricing is only part of the equation.

Savvy marketers look at cost per result.

Take, for example, an objective of a promotion: achieving 1,000 conversions

SMS Scenario

For instance, if the promotional message needs 320 characters, the cost for sending messages will be two message segments per send.

However, with the 2% conversion rate, 50,000 deliveries are needed to achieve 1,000 conversions, consuming 100,000 message segments.

Viber Example

The same message with rich media and a call-to-action button could potentially get a 4% conversion rate.

Now, you would only need 25,000 deliveries in order to get the same number of conversions, which is 1,000, at a flat rate that does not depend on the message size.

The channel that has a higher conversion rate will provide a lower cost of conversion even if it is more expensive.

However, this calculation is different when it comes to transactional messages.

An OTP that costs twice as much but is delivered to 99.9% of users compared to 85% is considered to be of better choice to the companies that are interested in the success rate of authentication rather than the price.

Deliverability, Reach, and Reliability

The truth is that deliverability is not black or white.

It is variable depending on the method of delivery, location, and more.

SMS Baseline

The current SMS infrastructure forwards messages along various paths of carrier connections, choosing those that offer the greatest probability of delivery.

The delivery success rate is well above 95 percent if formatted correctly and delivered to valid numbers.

Viber Variables

The delivery of Viber messages also has variables beyond the control of the business, including the installation of the app, notification preferences, connectivity, and use of the app by the receiver.

A person who installed the Viber app but never uses it will not receive time-sensitive messages.

Fallback Logic

The best method is to use both channels with intelligent fallback.

Try Viber first for cost and engagement optimization, and then automatically fallback to SMS if delivery or read fail within a time window.

The redundancy here combines "Viber or SMS" into "Viber, then SMS as needed"–getting the best of both worlds while also guaranteeing delivery.

Compliance, Trust, and Brand Perception

Channel selection carries regulatory and reputational implications beyond delivery metrics.

Regulatory Requirements

Certain industries and jurisdictions mandate specific channels for customer communication.

Financial transaction alerts, healthcare notifications, and government communications often require documented delivery trails that SMS provides.

Fraud Prevention

SMS's universal recognition makes it harder for bad actors to spoof.

Recipients expect OTPs via SMS; an OTP arriving through an unfamiliar app raises suspicion even if legitimate.

Brand Visibility

Viber's branded sender profiles create consistent visual identity across every touchpoint.

For businesses investing in brand recognition, this visibility compounds over time.

Customer Expectations

Different customer segments expect different channels.

A tech-forward e-commerce customer may prefer rich Viber messages; a banking customer expects critical alerts via SMS.

Meeting these expectations builds trust.

The Smart Business Approach: SMS and Viber Together

It is advisable to adopt a pragmatic approach that makes use of both channels strategically:

• Use SMS for the following purposes: One time passwords and authentication, Security alerts for accounts, Payment and transaction verification, Time-critical delivery notifications, Markets with low Viber penetration, and When Viber delivery fails.
• Use Viber for the following purposes: Promotional activities and offers, Communication within loyalty programs, Rich announcements of products, Customer service interactions, Markets where the use of Viber is prevalent, Engagement sequences where visual impact is important
• Automatic fallback: The systems should be able to identify Viber delivery failure notifications and unread status notifications, and automatically switch to sending an SMS within an appropriate time frame.

Business Example Scenarios

E-commerce order life cycle:

• Confirmation of order: SMS (instant, high reliability)
• Shipping update: Viber with tracking visualization
• Delivery notification: SMS (time-sensitive)
• Review after purchase: Viber with product pictures

Financial services:

• Login with OTP: SMS (Non-Negotiable)
• Transaction alert: SMS (Compliance requirement)
• New Feature: Viber with an interactive demo
• Loan offer: Viber with a personalized rate calculator

Travel & hospitality:

• Booking confirmation: SMS (instant delivery)
• Pre-arrival information: Viber with property pictures and routes
• Reminder to check-in: SMS (time-sensitive)
• Post-stay survey: Viber rating buttons

How Businesses Should Choose the Right Channel Mix

The criteria of decisions depend upon the business scenario.

The major factors that need to be taken into account are:

Geographic Footprint

What geographies are your customers in?

Viber’s penetration rate varies significantly by country.

A company that serves Eastern Europe will have different math than one that serves North America.

Use Case Distribution

What is the split between your transactional and promotional messaging?

A bank that sends OTPs and notification messages has differing needs from a retailer that sends more promotional-type messages.

Budget Constraints

What is your sensitivity to cost?

In scenarios with high volumes and budget constraints, Viber’s flat pricing for rich content could provide even more attractive economics for promotional messaging.

Reliability Requirements

What’s the business cost of a failed delivery?

In authentication scenarios, the cost of a single failed OTP may be higher than the value of a successful delivery of hundreds of OTPs.

Engagement Goals

Are you optimizing for delivery or for response?

If the success of the campaign is tied to click-through rates and conversions, the interactive features of Viber messaging might be worth the extra cost per message.

How Dexatel Enables a Business-First Messaging Strategy

Building an infrastructure for multi-channel messaging takes considerable engineering investment.

Dexatel supplies the platform infrastructure, allowing the enterprise to focus on the strategy, not the infrastructure.

Unified API

One integration point for SMS, Viber, and other services.

Switch between services seamlessly or add fallback logic without rebuilding the messaging infrastructure.

Intelligent Routing

The routing of messages is automatically determined by the capabilities of the recipient, type of message, and delivery requirements.

The system handles the complexity of determining which communication channel will be best suited for each message.

Channel Fallback

Automatic fallback rules set up: Viber first, and then retry via SMS if fails within a certain time window.

No human interaction is required.

Cost Optimization

Prices are clear across all channels, with analytics that show the cost per delivered message, as well as the cost per conversion.

Decisions about which channel to use are made based on actual ROI, not estimates.

Enterprise Compliance

Delivery receipt, audit trail, and compliance reports are included.

Compliance with regulatory requirements can be achieved without custom development.

Global Reach

Direct carrier connectivity and partnership with Viber worldwide.

Unwavering quality irrespective of the geographical position of the customers.

Conclusion: Channel Strategy Over Channel Preference

The contrast between "Viber vs SMS" does not get at what matters most.

These are not competing methods but complementary solutions that solve different business needs.

The universality, reliability, and acceptability of SMS by regulatory authorities for mission-critical communication are unmatchable.

Viber enables the engagement and interaction that a marketing campaign requires.

The companies that treat messaging as an area of strategic planning, which involves choosing the channels according to the goal of the message and not just by habit, always perform better than the ones that stick to just one way of messaging.

It’s not a question of which is the better channel.

It’s a question of which is the best channel for which message, which customer, and which objective.

Start with your goals.

Then determine your channels.

And build the infrastructure that will enable you to execute your plan.