SMS Notification Error: [351] Invalid destination address value

This article outlines possible causes of the following common SMS notification error that you may encounter in the xMatters log files:

Notification Error; [351] Invalid destination address value

What this error means

Error code 351 (EC_INVALID_DESTINATION_ADDRESS) is a generic delivery failure that indicates the destination number was not accepted by the carrier.

Possible causes of this error include:

• The phone number belongs to a prepaid user who does not have sufficient funds to receive an SMS message.

• The end user is not provisioned to receive SMS from all short codes or specific short codes.

  • Note: T-Mobile does not deliver short-code SMS to any of its resellers' numbers.

• The phone number is deactivated, disconnected, or otherwise no longer in service.

• The destination address does not belong to the mobile operator. This often happens when a user switches carriers, such as from T-Mobile to AT&T, and the systems haven't fully updated yet.

• The phone number format is incorrect or incomplete.

• The number is temporarily barred or blocked at the carrier level (for example, due to call/SMS barring on the subscriber account).

Recommended next steps

• Ask the user to confirm that the number configured in xMatters is their current mobile number, that it is active, and that it can receive SMS from other services.

• Verify that the number in xMatters is entered in the correct format (including country code) and that the device type is appropriate for SMS.

• Have the user contact their carrier to confirm:

  • SMS service is enabled on their subscription.

  • There are no active blocks or barring settings that would prevent short-code or application-originated SMS.

We recommend contacting your carrier to discuss issues about receiving SMS, in general, or specifically from the xMatters short code.

Have you considered using the xMatters mobile app?
Although we continue to work with carriers, providers, and aggregators to lobby for the best end-user experience over SMS, we recommend the xMatters mobile app as the most reliable, easy-to-use, and cheapest solution for our clients.

For more information on the advantages of the mobile app, see our article: Mobile Clients vs. SMS - Why SMS STINKS.

xMatters internal reference:
DTN-6361; DTN-7824