Key Takeaways
- USSD request API usage drives *# menus on the SIM in the paired Android — balance, bundles, not a second SMS API.
- Live request fields live in Developer Center. This page is timeouts, slots, and what not to scrape.
- Do not build a reseller “check any number’s balance” product on random USSD trees.
- Menus change without notice. Parse failures are operator UX, not a gateway bug.
- USSD can steal the radio while OTP is queued. Isolate or serialize.
- You bring the phone and operator credit. We meter devices and SMS send volume — USSD is not extra carrier packs from us.
USSD is a menu, not an SMS
Android SMS gateway USSD request API usage is how your backend starts a USSD session on the paired phone: check remaining airtime, buy a bundle, hit a bank short code the SIM is allowed to use. It shares the radio with SMS. It is not concatenated SMS and it is not a CPaaS short-code product.
Feature: USSD gateway. Live fields: Developer Center. Do not copy a Ghana *123# tree into a Kenya deploy.
“If you parse USSD like JSON, the operator will ship a new comma next week.”
*123#
Placeholder. Your operator’s tree is the real contract.
What to automate (carefully)
| Use | OK when | Not OK |
|---|---|---|
| Own SIM balance | You own the MSISDN and the runbook | Scraping SIMs you do not control |
| Bundle top-up | Staff-approved, logged | Unattended spend loops |
| Bank / wallet USSD | Counsel + the bank’s terms | Storing PINs in the gateway logs |
| OTP via USSD | Rare; prefer SMS OTP | Assuming session = SMS DLR |
| Load test | Never against live operator trees | Parallel sessions cooking the modem |
API usage without mirroring params
Conceptual: start session, send menu key, wait, capture screen text. Timeouts are long. Dual-SIM: name the slot. Idempotency does not apply the same way as SMS — a second *123# is a second session. Samples are HTTPS/JSON, not a “USSD SDK.”
OEM, SIM slot, timeouts
Some OEMs overlay USSD and kill background sessions. Battery. Do not run USSD on the OTP SIM during peak login. OTP priority.
Cost
Operator may charge for some USSD — that is the pack, not our SKU. Gateway billing stays devices + SMS send volume. Free 300 SMS lifetime / Developer 25,000 per year are SMS caps. Pricing.
Checklist
- Tree documented per operator + date.
- Parse tests fail closed.
- No PINs in logs.
- Slot pinned.
- Not concurrent with OTP on the same radio.
Next steps
USSD feature, setup, Developer Center.
Related product pages
Jump to the live product docs for this topic—not another long-form article.
- USSD balance and menu automationOperator USSD codes
- SMS API documentationLive endpoint reference
- device and SMS volume pricingPlans and allowances
- Android SMS gateway product guideDefinition, product, and how to buy
