W H I T E PA P E R

How SMS Messaging Works

Your guide to messaging concepts and terminology, critical messaging decisions, and diverse global carrier requirements.

TA B L E O F C O NT E NT S Introduction
Introduction 1 Text messaging opens up a powerful new channel for businesses to connect
effectively with their customers. The high open rates, volume of responses and quick
SMS for Business: Key Concepts 3
replies deepen your engagement with customers. Not to mention that texting
Messaging Regulations Across Countries 7 conversations are a much more natural form of communication than email.
Australia 7
US and Canada 8 We all understand messaging based on our personal experiences with friends and
Unique Messaging Challenges 9 family. Business messaging takes these fundamentals of texting to a whole new level
United Kingdom 10
of sophistication. This guide shares insights and information you need to understand
Germany 12
India 12 as you leverage the power of text messaging for your business.
Summary 14

Appendix: SMS-Magic Global Numbers 15

Understanding Business Text Messaging Basics

Texting is comprised of two basic types of messages:

Short Messaging Service (SMS) uses the ease of simple text messaging to enhance
your communications by providing continuous character-based conversations
between your business and your audience.

Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) enhances SMS with the ability to include
a variety of media to bring your message content to life. Business text messaging
includes both SMS and MMS.

Business text messaging is different from personal text messaging for some key
reasons.

Compliance. Business messaging must meet the compliance standards for the
geographies and carriers where you do business. Violating these standards can
result in heavy fines and/or blocked communications.

Volume of Messaging. Business messaging must support high volumes of

messaging conversations between your business and your diverse audience
members. That means your messaging users need a way to effectively manage
all those conversations within their desktop environments, as well as in a mobile
application.

Conversations. Business messaging conversations are similar to the interactions

you have on your phone. The difference is that sales and support reps can be

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conversing with 10X more individuals using business

text messaging than they can with telephone or email
communications.

Automated Campaigns. Business text messaging

includes automated messaging for nurture campaigns,
surveys, scheduling and alerting to manage complex
processes. For this, you need powerful workflows
and event managers to monitor the flows and trigger
messages when an appropriate behavior or scheduled
date and time occurs.

Security and Encryption. Business text messaging

must support message encryption and security both
in transit and in databases. High availability and data
protection are also critical for any business messaging
infrastructure.

There are many differences between business and personal

text messaging. To learn more, you can refer to:

10 Ways Business Text Messaging is More Powerful

Than Personal Text Messaging an infographic that
highlights the ways business text messaging gives your
business a competitive edge.

Our best practices guides, which feature use cases for

business text messaging in marketing, sales and service
across a variety of industries.

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TA B L E O F C O NT E NT S SMS for Business: Key Concepts

Introduction 1

SMS for Business: Key Concepts 3 Think of your messaging application as being similar to your email app on your laptop
or desktop, only you’re send a message to individual audience members, or a list of
Messaging Regulations Across Countries 7 members, instead of emails. Messages can be sent from your Salesforce or other CRM
Australia 7 environment, as well as standalone messaging apps on your laptop or mobile.
US and Canada 8
Unique Messaging Challenges 9
United Kingdom 10 Your audience receives your messages on their smartphone or smart device.
Germany 12
India 12 Figure 1 depicts how your customers receive messages sent from our Converse Inbox
Summary 14 within the Salesforce application.
Appendix: SMS-Magic Global Numbers 15
Business Sends Customer Message
in Converse Inbox

Customer receives
Text message
immediately

Figure 1: Business Text Messaging

Aside from its more powerful capabilities, business text messaging introduces as
array of new terms and concepts.

The following is an overview of key concepts, definitions and examples.

Sender ID
A Sender ID (or the FROM address) is the name or number that identifies the sender
of an SMS message.

When a business sends a message, the recipient may see any one of the following
FROM address formats, indicating who sent the message:

An international number, such as +123456780,

A local number,
A short code (a short 4-8 digit number that varies by country),
A long code (up to 10-digit number),
An alphanumeric originator such as ABC Company.

Long Code/Short Code

Long and short codes are types of Sender IDs that have different uses in business text
messaging.

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Long codes, or numbers, are telephone numbers which can to procure a Dedicated Incoming Number (DIN) or use a
be up to 10 digits in length but are usually the length of a provider’s incoming numbers to send messages. You can
standard telephone number for the local geography. Long configure this incoming number as the Sender ID, so that all
codes are lower cost than short codes and are normally used messages you send will show this number as your Sender
for interactive conversations. (P2P messaging), for example, ID (for example, a standard US number of +1 214 758 7469.)
between a sales rep and your prospect.
India. A Sender ID is a configurable 6-digit alphanumeric. This
Short codes are shorter in length at 4-8 digits. They are Sender ID is replaced on the case of promotional campaigns
registered with the local carrier for use in sending high (See India section in this document.)
volume A2P messages such as automated campaigns,
surveys, announcements and more to large lists. The ability to use the same Sender ID for all messages varies,
Short codes support message velocity of up to 40-60 based on compliance and regulations of the country where
messages/second. Carriers often block long codes if the messages are being sent. For example, a global UK virtual
volumes of messages are detected. Short codes are not number can be used in sending your messages across the
blocked and are used primarily in the US. Short codes are globe.
also available in the U.K but are not commonly used since
long codes serve most UK messaging needs. Also, UK short Global UK virtual numbers refers to UK long codes which
codes do not have Spam filters or velocity restrictions. can send and receive messages from any country. Only the
UK and US offer such long codes. UK and US carriers don't
Toll-Free Numbers. In the US, toll-free long codes are publish the Virtual Mobile Numbers, aka long codes, on their
available to support text messaging and voice calls. Toll-free registers for international carriers.
numbers are designed for A2P SMS messaging traffic with
velocities of 3 messages per second and volumes of a few
thousand texts per day. Message Content and Credits
Pre-registered Sender ID. Carriers in some countries require The text sent within an SMS text is known as the message
that businesses pe-register their Sender IDs before they can content.
start sending messages. Carriers will block all messages
sent from or to these Sender IDs if they are not pre-registered. Carriers only allow messages of up to 160 characters per
This is to assure that carriers can approve the traffic being message. Any messages longer than that are broken into
sent by or to the business. multiple messages of 160 characters or less. Recipients
receive these messages on their phones, but not necessarily
Alphanumeric Sender ID. Businesses may use the company in the correct order of content as it was sent. We always
name or their brand name as the Sender ID when sending recommend that our customers keep messages at 152
one-way (outbound) messages. These are comprised of 11 characters to avoid recipient confusion when multiple
characters including letters, numbers and special characters. messages arrive in the wrong order.
The accepted character types included in Alphanumeric
Sender IDs are: Messages are charged by the carriers at a per message
Upper- and lower-case ASCII letters, rate called a message credit, with one credit equaling one
Digits 0-9, 160-character message.
Dashes (for example, A-Z, a-z, 0-9.)

All countries do not support Alphanumeric Sender IDs. MMS

Before opting for this type of Sender ID please check the
message regulations of your carrier and country. MMS refers to Multimedia Messaging Service. MMS
supports sending and receiving media files of up to certain
size limits, which vary from country to country.
Sender ID Restrictions
Sender ID restrictions vary for every country. The restrictions MMS consumes 2 credits per message. MMS messages
imposed by a few countries are listed below. cannot be broken down into multiple messages.

UK, Australia, Europe. You can configure the company name Size and file type restrictions for MMS messages varies by
as the Sender ID. Please note that a Sender ID can be up to individual provider. You’ll need to check with your carrier to
11 alphanumeric characters without any special characters. clarify any restrictions on media sizes and formats.

US and Canada. The Sender ID is not configurable. You need

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2-way Messaging/Reply Path Concatenated SMS/Long SMS

When a message originated by a business or customer A concatenated SMS is used to bypass the limit on the
receives a reply from the other party, a 2-Way SMS number of characters that can be sent in a single SMS text
messaging conversation begins. message.

Conversations can occur over long codes, short codes or With this method, the sending device divides the longer
virtual long numbers (also known as Premier numbers). message into smaller ones that are recombined at the
receiving end as a single text message. Each smaller
Only numerical Sender IDs can have 2-way message is billed separately.
conversations. That’s why long codes are required for
interactive communications, for example, between a A concatenated GSM/English SMS supports a message
support rep and your customer. character count of 153 characters, with the remaining 7
characters used as a suffix/prefix to re-combine the longer
Replies cannot be sent to alphanumeric Sender IDs since SMS message correctly on the recipient device.
there is no phone number or address provided to receive
the reply. Carrier charges for concatenated GSM/English messages
are calculated as follows:
Unicode Characters
1 standard SMS message = up to 160 characters
Unicode characters are required to support multiple 2 concatenated SMS messages = up to 306 characters
languages. The Unicode international standard defines a 3 concatenated SMS messages = up to 459 characters
unique number for every character for all languages and 4 concatenated SMS messages = up to 612 characters
scripts around the world. This includes all punctuation 5 concatenated SMS messages = up to 765 characters
marks, technical and mathematical symbols, arrowheads
and every other non-Latin alphabet character used in Thai, For Unicode messages, individual messages are comprised
Chinese and Arabic scripts. of 67 characters, with the remaining 3 characters used as a
suffix/prefix to re-combine the longer messages correctly
Unicode characters are read by a computer as a unique on the recipient device. Carrier charges for concatenated
code/number that applies across languages. This standard Unicode messages are calculated as follows:
avoids data corruption when messages flow through
different computers configured for different languages and 1 standard SMS message = up to 70 characters
encodings. 2 concatenated SMS messages = up to 134 characters
3 concatenated SMS messages = up to 201 characters
When your business sends an English message, it takes up 4 concatenated SMS messages = up to 268 characters
160 characters of space. Unicode messages take up more 5 concatenated SMS messages = up to 335 characters
space than English messages and are charged a different
number of message credits by carriers. Networks that do not support concatenated SMS, such as
CDMA networks, deliver each smaller message as individual
160 characters for English messages = 1 SMS credit SMS text messages.
70 characters for Unicode messages = 1 SMS Credit
Delivery Reporting (DLR)
English messages are sent using the Global System for Delivery reporting confirms SMS message delivery to the
Mobiles (GSM), an underlying network technology for recipient for each message.
cell phone transmissions. GSM networks support English
characters including the following ASCII set: Call Forwarding
a-z Calls on a virtual long code can be forwarded to a personal
A-Z number if properly configured. To support call forwarding
0-9 functionality, the long code needs to be both SMS & voice
~!@#$%^&*()-_=+][?<>,’.”:/\{} enabled.

Any other character is a Unicode character. A message with SMS Provider

even a single Unicode character is charged as a Unicode
An intermediary between a mobile service provider (providing
message. Some examples of Unicode characters are £, €, √,
the SMS service) and the mobile phone operator(s).
º, Ω, and ℅.

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Unsolicited SMS be sent to DND registered numbers, and promotional SMSs

can only be sent between 9 AM-9PM.
All messages that are sent without prior consent from the
user or the account holder are referred to as unsolicited Use Case Examples
SMSs. These would also include those messages that are
sent by the user after he/she has opted out of a messaging Here are a few examples of how different types of numbers
campaign or source. can be used:

Customer notifications. A service company could use

It’s obvious that business text messaging is more complex
a long code to inform a customer that their service
and sophisticated than personal messaging. Understanding
technician is en route.
the above concepts is a first step.
Client updates. A mortgage company could text client
As you can see, there are a variety of decisions you’ll need
updates on mortgage products or regulations each
to make. The first one is how to know which type of phone
month using a short code. Brokers could then use
number(s) to procure for your interactive and/or automated
personal long codes for interactive conversations.
messaging needs. The next section reviews key decision
criteria and offers examples of different types of numbers
Marketing campaigns. Use short codes to send
in action.
coupons, product alerts, and other nurture information.
If your company is US-based, it’s mandatory to have a
short code for all marketing texts.
How to Select a Long or Short Code
Emergency alerts. Short codes are often used for alert
Selecting the ideal type of number(s) for your business notifications, including hurricane warnings or campus
messaging is a critical aspect of your messaging strategy. updates, for reliable delivery.
The choice of short or long codes depends on a number of
messaging variables unique to your business. The table below shares the factors considered in the US for
selecting the ideal number to send business messages.

Volume of Text Messages ROUTES SHORT CODE 8XX PLUS STANDARD NUM
Countries have different regulations for how short and long #FORMAT XXXXX OR 1-8XX-YYY- 1-XXX-YYY-ZZZZZ
codes are used. A good rule of thumb is that short codes XXXXXX ZZZZ
should be used for any type of text messaging campaigns,
including lead nurtures, surveys, new job alerts, product Use cases Marketing Transactional P2P Messages
Messages Messages
updates, promotions and other high-volume messaging use
cases. Long codes are appropriate for interactive sales and Subject to Lowest Low Medium
service conversations, as well as low volume campaigns delivery
(under 100 messages, generally.) interruption
via anti spam
filters on carrier
networks
Inbound to Outbound Text Ratio
Message Up to 40/sec Up to 20/sec 1 message every
Carrier regulations require that the ratio of inbound to throughput limit 4 seconds
per number
outbound text traffic should be more than 1:3 when
using toll free numbers. For long codes, carriers expect Intended None None 1:1
traffic to be interactive in nature. There is no velocity or Outbound to
volume restriction in place for short codes. Inbound
message target
ratio
There are no restrictions on SMS volumes in Europe &
Africa. Program/ Carrier Approval Approval
Use Case Certification Same Day Same Day
approval 6-10 weeks
Only outbound texting is supported in most of the timeframe
Middle Eastern countries and it is mandatory to register
the Sender IDs. Requires Mandatory Not required Not required
out-put if user initiates if user initiates
mechanism conversation conversation
In India, Sender ID and every transactional message
needs to be registered. Promotional messages cannot
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Now that we’ve covered the basic concepts of business text messaging, let’s focus on
another area that impacts how your business uses global messaging; the differences
in legal and carrier regulations in various geographies.

TA B L E O F C O NT E NT S
Messaging Regulations Across Countries
Introduction 1
There are a variety of messaging service providers around the globe, from larger
SMS for Business: Key Concepts 3 telecommunication organizations to focused industry vendors. Text messages are
sent seamlessly through these global interconnected networks. Yet the differences
Messaging Regulations Across Countries 7
Australia 7 in carrier and legal regulations between countries can result in poor messaging
US and Canada 8 performance.
Unique Messaging Challenges 9
United Kingdom 10 Just as countries require specific regulatory compliance around consent for phone,
Germany 12
email and text messaging, carriers require compliance to their rules as well. Each
India 12
Summary 14 carrier and country has different sets of features, restrictions and best practices you
need to understand to optimize your business text messaging results and ROI.
Appendix: SMS-Magic Global Numbers 15
Following are highlights of carrier and regulatory requirements for a few select
countries. Contact us for details on the 57 direct carrier connections and 190 countries
we serve.

Australia
Business messaging is on the rise in Australia as leading telecommunication networks
are partnering with online platforms to provide database support and help businesses
generate customized API solutions. Some of the carriers in Australia and the relevant
regulatory requirements are provided below.

Dial Code Major Telcos

+61 Telstra, Optus, Vodafone

Use-Cases Supported
1 to 1 Communication, 2-Factor Authentication, Alerts, Business
Communication, Confirmation, Marketing and Promotion, Notification,
Reminders and others.

Regulatory Body
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
Link: www.acma.gov.au

SPAM Content
The Australian SPAM Act 2003 notes the following as related to commercial SMS
messages. These messages must:

Only be sent with the consent of the recipient (the account holder)
Include clear sender information
Contain an unsubscribe function

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Failure to comply may lead to penal actions by ACMA,

including formal warnings, fines and mandated account USA and Canada
suspension.
The United States and Canada have similar carrier and
regulatory requirements. The US is governed by the
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014C00214
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which is
enforced by the FCC. In Canada, the Canadian Anti-Spam
Sending SMS messages to landline numbers Legislation (CASL) regulates phone, mail and messaging.
Both are focused heavily on controlling and curbing spam.
SMS messages cannot be sent to landline destination
number. The SMS will appear in the logs as a rejected
message, and appropriate credit(s) will be deducted from Dial Code Major Telcos
your account.
+1 AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint

Best Practices for Australia Text messaging regulations

TCPA and CASL are regulations. The USA and Canada
SMS messages cannot be sent to landline destination both have similar SMS regulations & require a high-quality
number. The SMS will appear in the logs as a rejected connection to ensure smooth delivery of SMS messages.
message, and appropriate credit(s) will be deducted from
your account.
All SMS messages sent to a US number must send from
Australia is one of the more straightforward countries when either a U.S. pre-approved long or short code that is
it comes to messaging regulations. By following simple associated with your account.
best practices for messaging, you can stay compliant and
be assured that carriers will deliver your messages. A few
key best practices include:
Long Codes/Numbers
Get opt-in consent from each end user before sending US long codes are 10-digit numbers starting with the area
any communication to them, particularly for marketing code. They are largely used for conversational purposes,
or other promotional communications. e.g., interactive messaging for reps and marketing users.
The requirements for long codes in the US include:
Do not over text. Spamming with text is no better than
spamming with email. We recommend a maximum Support Numeric Sender ID. US long codes/numbers
of 1 text/week for marketing, and 2/month is a better need to be a Sender ID in an international number
cadence. format, e.g., 1.757.922.1355. Without this format the
SMS message will be blocked by the carrier.
Be sure you message content falls within the SMS
specifications, meaning less than 160 characters for Long/concatenated SMS and Unicode messages
each message. We recommend message character are allowed by the US, but sometimes small carriers
counts of 152 characters to assure message delivery. (MVNO’s) do not support concatenated messages.
Be sure to check with your carrier if you plan to use
Only communicate during an end user's daytime hours concatenation.
unless it is urgent. SMS campaigns should support
HELP/STOP messages, and similar messages, in the Message Velocity. In the US & Canada, carrier
end user's local language. regulations provide for a maximum of 1 SMS per 2
second per long code. If SMS messages are sent more
Do not contact end users on do-not-call or do-not-disturb quickly, messages(s) will be blocked. We recommend
registries. you purchase a short code for high volume campaigns
due to regulatory requirements and the quality of
delivery.

Message Volumes. A maximum of roughly 500

messages per day per long code/ number can be
sent. If this is exceeded, the long code/number will
be blocked and will no longer be available for use.
Carriers also expect traffic on long codes/numbers to
be bi-directional, so numbers must demonstrate a 3:1
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outgoing to incoming ratio or they will be blocked for When your landline carrier over-writes your SMS routing
future use as well. configuration on the registry, slamming occurs. In such
cases all text messages from the landline number are likely
Message Content. Repetitive keyword & URLs in the to fail for a period of time.
message body will also be blocked by the carriers if
messages are sent using long codes. There are multiple causes for slamming, including:
Approval to change received from unintended
Short Codes authorities. For example, a new telecom IT associate
A US short code is a 5-6-digit number that has been accidentally agrees to a carrier that is not acceptable,
registered with your carrier(s) for marketing-type uses,
such as nurture campaigns or progressive profiling. We A number is accidentally changed or mis-entered in the
recommend you send large campaign traffic over short registry,
codes for optimal delivery results.
A carrier updates their service and numbers, or routing,
Short codes are fully featured and there is no daily restriction are accidentally over-written.
on the number of messages or volume of messages that can
be sent. In each situation, your business can experience undelivered
messages and be unable to send messages until the issue
Dedicated Short Codes are assigned at random from is resolved.
the CSCA (Common Short Code Administration); You
don’t get a choice of the number. These are used to send Spamming
volume messages (marketing messages) based on the
Spamming occurs when a high volume or velocity of
business requirement.
messages containing promotional, illegal or prohibited
content is sent from a single long number.
Vanity Short Codes are selected by you and subject to
availability. Often, businesses select Vanity Codes to
Businesses sending a large number of messages (say
support their brand standards.
over 100) using the same long code are prone to carrier
spamming blocks. Bulk messages containing similar content
Toll Free SMS Numbers are also blocked by carrier spam filters.

Toll-Free numbers (for example, 811-XXX -XXXX, SMS-Magic helps solves this challenge by using merge
800-XXX-XXXX) are used to send conversational (P2P) as fields with the first and last name to make each message is
well as automated (A2P) messages. They can also be used unique.
to send URL links (other than shortened URLs, which we do
not recommend.) We also offer throttling to bypass spam filtering. Throttling,
also known as a rate limiter, controls message velocity
Toll free numbers are fully featured and you can send up to so that one message is sent every 4 seconds. This is a
10,000 messages/day using these numbers. Large volume recommended practice for messaging campaigns that are
messaging traffic can be sent via Toll Free numbers. not time dependent.

Messages to Landline Numbers Spam filter technology can result in filtering out legitimate
SMS traffic. Filter technology is in constant evolution, and
Landline Numbers need to be registered with the carrier to associated algorithms change constantly. It is recommended
receive text messages. Messages sent to numbers that are that you stay up to date on your carriers’ current filtering
not registered to receive texts will not be delivered. approach and requirements. We also help our customers
constantly monitor carrier practices.
Unique Messaging Challenges in the US
Incorrect Types of Numbers for Your Use Case
There are several unique aspects for business text
messaging in the U.S. These include, but are not limited to: In the US, Person-to-Person, or P2P, (10-digit numbers)
and Application-to-Person or A2P (8xx) numbers are
Slamming recommended for messaging.
Slamming occurs with text-enabled landline numbers and
P2P numbers (long codes) are recommended when you are
results in message delivery failures. It is a rare occurrence
using messaging for one-to-one conversations, as in sales.
with most carriers, but it does happen.
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A2P numbers (toll free numbers and short codes) are used Only communicate during an end user's daytime hours
to send campaigns, surveys, and other bulk messages. Such unless it is urgent.
automated message campaigns should be sent managing
the velocity and volume of sends to conform with carrier Use the appropriate type of long or short code
requirements. This is why SMS-Magic’s messaging services for messaging to assure carrier compliance. We
platform features inherent throttling contrls to appropriately
manage volume message traffic. Long codes for P2P, interactive messaging
conversations, for example between sales and
Also, there is the potential to receive inaccurate delivery support reps and your buyers.
confirmations. You think your message is delivered when it
has actually failed. This usually happens with long codes, Short codes or toll-free numbers for A2P
which are designed for interactive traffic and don’t actually marketing and other promotional campaigns and
confirm receipt on the smart device, but rather confirm conversations. Short codes are easy to use for
delivery to the carrier itself. This is another reason A2P type opt-ins as part of your digital and print promotions.
traffic should be sent via appropriate number types.
Be sure your message content is within the appropriate
We recommend that you do not send URL links with P2P character sizes and formats for uninterrupted delivery.
numbers, as this will trigger a blocking function by the When using MMS, be sure the file size is within the stated
carriers. If you wish to send URL links, use 8xx numbers. It requirements of your carrier(s).
is recommended that you do not use any bitly links.
All of your SMS campaigns should feature HELP/STOP
Network Loss messages in English. Be sure you remind users of these
options on a. bi-monthly basis with a simple message.
Poor or low connectivity may impact message delivery. A
high volume or velocity of sent messages may also overload Do not contact end users after they opt-out of specific
your bandwidth causing messages to remain undelivered. content types.

Phone Number Switched Off

Message delivery is impacted when the recipient phone

number is switched off or unavailable to receive the United Kingdom
message.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a
The provider makes multiple attempts to resend the mandatory compliance regulation that all individuals and
message for 48 hours. While the time window is active, the businesses operating within the European Union (EU) and
message status is displayed as “Submitted.” After 48 hours, European Economic Area (EEA) must adhere to. It covers all
the message status displays as “Expired.” forms of communications, including telephone, email and
messaging.
Best Practices for US and Canada
GDPR was created to make the data regulations cohesive
The United States and Canada are moving to stricter controls across the EU member states. It requires that any
of communication as spam continues to increase. US States information is processed lawfully, fairly and transparently.
are beginning to legislate more stringent regulations, many It also dictates that when information is collected, it is
reflecting the strict standards of GDPR (see EMEA.) specified explicitly what it will be used for and is taken
for legitimate reasons. Additionally, information can’t be
We recommend customers follow stringent carrier and legal processed again for any other purposes beyond the initial
regulations including: reason.
Get opt-in consent from each end user before sending
any communication to them, particularly for marketing Some specific requirements for GDPR include:
or other promotional communications. Be sure you
Any personal data that you keep must come with
timestamp and store this consent in the record of the
consent. Anyone using that personal information must
recipient.
provide an audit trail proving that it was given freely, in
an informed way, for a specific purpose(s) and that you
Opt-in consent is linked to a specific type of content,
are only using it for that purpose(s). Silence, consent
for example, product information. Only send content
for other purposes or inactivity are not considered as
that reflects the consent. If you want to send different
consent.
content, you must request additional consent.
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Information must be stored and managed so that recipients you have prior consent for another form of contact,
can easily review it or request that it be deleted. You must be we recommend you get consent specifically for SMS
able to provide an audit trail evidencing deletion. Subjects messaging.
can also request specifics on how you are using their data,
you must be able to produce every instance of your use of Opt-in consent is linked to a specific type of content,
each subject’s information. You must also maintain an audit for example, product information. Only send content
trail of all communications between your organization and that reflects the consent. If you want to send different
each individual subject. content, you must request additional consent.

All information must be stored securely and be protected Timestamp and store every single communication
against any unlawful or unauthorized processing. This between your company and each individual recipient
also includes protection from hackers or others who might in their CRM record.
potentially steal and then use personal information.
Be sure the audit trail data is well-protected and easily
Thanks to GDPR, individuals are granted increased rights available should an individual request their audit trail.
over their personal data and how it is used. It is critical to Protection needs to include backups and also security
your business text messaging that your messaging strategy to protect the data from hackers or other illegal access
meets GDPR regulations if you are communicating with EU and use.
data subjects.
If an individual opts-out, immediately stop sending
Following are key highlights of UK carrier and legal information and timestamp the opt-out action as part
regulations and requirements. of the individual record and audit trail.

If an individual requests that you delete their personal

Dial Code Major Telcos data, do so immediately and timestamp the action as
+44 T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone, 3, EE the final data in the audit trail. If the individual requests
confirmation, confirm and send the audit trail as
NOTE: T-Mobile is currently filtering Sender IDs containing evidence of deletion
some symbols, including _ and -
Only communicate during an end user's daytime hours
Use-Cases Supported
unless it is urgent.
1-1 Communication, 2-Factor Authentication, Alerts,
Business Communication, Confirmation, Marketing and
Use the appropriate type of long or short code
Promotion, Notification, Reminders and others.
for messaging to assure carrier compliance. We
recommend:
Messages to Landline Numbers
Long codes for P2P, interactive messaging
SMS messages cannot be sent to landline destination conversations, for example between sales and
number. The SMS will appear in the logs as a rejected support reps and your buyers.
message and credit will be deducted from your account.
Short codes or toll-free numbers for marketing and
other promotional campaigns and conversations.
Best Practices for the United Kingdom Short codes are easy to use for opt-ins as part of
GDPR represents the strictest compliance to date across your digital and print promotions.
the globe. The penalties for non-compliance are severe, up
to 10% of a company’s annual revenues. If you are sending Be sure your message content is within the appropriate
a messaging to an EU data subject, you must comply with character sizes and formats for uninterrupted delivery.
GDPR. When using MMS, be sure the file size is within the
stated requirements of your carrier(s).
We recommend customers follow stringent regulations
including: All of your SMS campaigns should feature HELP/STOP
messages in English. Be sure you remind users of these
Get opt-in consent from each end user before sending options on a. bi-monthly basis with a simple message.
any communication to them, particularly for marketing
or other promotional communications. Be sure you Do not contact end users after they opt-out of specific
timestamp and store this consent in the record of the content types.
recipient and maintain it as an audit trail. Even if

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Germany Messages to Landline Numbers

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies in SMS cannot be sent to a landline destination number. The
Germany as an EU country. SMS will appear in the logs as a rejected message and
appropriate credits deducted from your account.

Regulatory Information
Dial Code Major Telcos
+49 E-Plus, O2, Sipgate Wireless, There are a number of different regulations and restrictions
you must consider when texting in India.
Vodafone, Telekom
Marketing SMSs can only be sent between 9am and
Use-Cases Supported 9pm IST. Messages submitted after 9pm will attempt to
1-1 Communication, 2-Factor Authentication, Alerts, send, but due to local regulations, these messages will
be queued until the next morning. You will be charged
Business Communication, Confirmation, Marketing and for them as usual.
Promotion, Notification, Reminders and others.
The Sender ID for promotional SMSs will be replaced
Messages to Landline Numbers with XX-NNNNNN (2 letters followed by 6 numbers).
An SMS cannot be sent to a landline destination number. For example, DM-544634.
The SMS will appear in the logs as a rejected message and
Sending SMS messages to mobile numbers
credit(s) will be deducted from your account. registered in NDNC (National Do Not Call registry)
will cause the sender to be blocked. You can check
the destination number on the Telecom Regulatory
Best Practices Authority of India registry using this search tool:
www.nccptrai.gov.in/nccpregistry/search.misc (omit
Germany is part of the EU and as such, text messaging falls India International prefix 91)
under GDPR regulations. Please refer to the section on UK
best practices for similar practices in Germany.
Transactional Messages
Transactional messages refer to messages that convey
crucial information for your audience, and that are not sent
for marketing purposes. For example, change in booking
India alerts, weather/911/campus alerts, or other emergency
The increase in messaging in India has resulted in stricter updates. These messages are delivered 24 x7. You can
regulatory compliance to protect recipients from Spam. assign a 6-digit alpha character Sender ID to identify your
Following is an overview of key regulations. company or draw attention to an ALERT. Such IDs must be
registered with your carrier.

Dial Code Major Telcos Pre-registered Alpha Sender ID

+91 Airtel, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular, Registration requires a 6-letter alpha Sender ID and
SMS template. This Sender ID will be used for sending
BSNL, Aircel
trans-national traffic.
Use-Cases Supported
The Sender ID will be prefixed with 2 letters, depending
Marketing and Promotion, Deals and Offers and others on which carrier will be used to deliver the SMS to the
marketing content final carrier, or more commonly a random number; e.g.
DM-XXXXXX (where XXXXXX is the registered Sender
ID)
Use-Cases Supported for Transactional messages:
1-1 Communication, 2-Factor Authentication, Alerts Messages sent to Jammu and Kashmir carrier networks
and others (example, 405/55 - Airtel J&K) will be blocked by the
government due to political sensitivity.

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13 | HOW GLOBAL TEXT MESSAGING WORKS

Best Practices Recommendations for India

The key to text messaging within India is to avoid being
tagged as a Spam sender. India’s regulations are heavily
focused on blocking Spam of any kind. Here’s what we
recommend to be sure your messages are effectively
delivered to your audience.

Be sure to register your Sender IDs with your carrier.

Pre-registered 6 characters alpha Sender ID are required
for any trans-national or transactional messaging traffic.

Implement a consent-based compliance process for all

text messaging, capturing and storing consent. Do not
send messages to individuals without consent.

Only send promotional messages between the hours

of 9 am and 9 pm IST. While carriers won’t block your
sends outside of those times, they will delay them
until the next day. Promotional messages will only be
delivered to non DND customers.

Be sure to capture mobile numbers from your audience.

Text messages are not delivered to landline numbers,
and you will be charged for those failed messaging
sends.

Do not send messages to any number in the NDNC

registry. Your Sender ID will be blocked. Always be sure
to check new numbers with the registry via the supplied
link.

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14 | HOW GLOBAL TEXT MESSAGING WORKS

TA B L E O F C O NT E NT S Summary
Introduction 1

SMS for Business: Key Concepts 3

Global messaging comes with a variance that makes it difficult to define a single
standard for all businesses. We highly recommend that you work with a partner who
Messaging Regulations Across Countries 7 has experience with your carrier and country regulations to be sure your strategy
Australia 7 delivers global compliance.
US and Canada 8
Unique Messaging Challenges 9
United Kingdom 10
We partner with our customers to provide advisory services concerning all aspects of
Germany 12 global business messaging. Whether you’re in a single country or sending messages
India 12 across the globe, our goal is to assure the optimum business messaging results
Summary 14 in terms of message delivery time, consistency, quality and, most importantly,
compliance.
Appendix: SMS-Magic Global Numbers 15

Our messaging services platform, developed on AWS, offers a robust global

infrastructure featuring the key technologies required to track and troubleshoot
delivery, manage network volume and velocity, secure messages in flight and at rest
and provide the audit trails required for regulatory compliance. In addition to 190
countries served, our direct connections with 59 global carriers provide detailed
tracking and troubleshooting into messaging delivery and status, messaging costs
and overall messaging performance.

If you’d like to experience global business messaging for yourself, just request a Free
Trial by clicking here. You’ll receive access to a full production version of SMS-Magic
Converse for 7 days, no questions asked.

Or, you can schedule a demo with one of our textperts by clicking here. We’ll show
you the ins and outs of business text messaging specifically for your geography and
industry.

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15 | HOW GLOBAL TEXT MESSAGING WORKS

TA B L E O F C O NT E NT S SMS-Magic Global Numbers

Introduction 1

SMS for Business: Key Concepts 3

For over a decade, SMS-Magic has been the leader in global business messaging with
190 countries served, 59 direct carrier connections and over 2000 global customers.
Messaging Regulations Across Countries 7 We understand global messaging like no other vendor because we live it every day.
Australia 7
US and Canada 8 The following table provides a snapshot of the types of numbers we support for
Unique Messaging Challenges 9
United Kingdom 10
business text messaging.
Germany 12
India 12
Summary 14 Number Availability For 2-Way Communication
Appendix: SMS-Magic Global Numbers 15

Numbers Availability Countries

Long-Code, Toll-Free Number, USA, Canada

ShortCode (Vanity & Random),
BYON (Bring your own number)

Long-Code Australia, UK, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia,

Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland,
Norway, Ukraine, Chile, Italy, Mexico, Philippines,
Turkey, Ukraine, South Africa, Nigeria, Bahrain,
Tanzania, Trinidad, Czech Republic, Turkey,
Spain, Thailand, China, Russia

Dedicated Short-Code New Zealand, Kenya

Shared Short-Code UAE, Peru, UK, France

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