SMS Guidelines for Bosnia and Herzegovina: Key Insights and Best Practices

Understanding the SMS guidelines in Bosnia and Herzegovina is crucial for effective communication and compliance. This guide covers essential aspects such as two-way SMS, number portability, and compliance considerations.

Locale Overview

Bosnia and Herzegovina, identified by the ISO code BA, is part of the European region. The mobile country code is 218, and the dialing code is +387. These codes are essential for setting up SMS services and ensuring proper message routing.

Two-Way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recipients cannot reply directly to messages. If your campaign requires two-way communication, consider alternative methods.

Number Portability

Number portability is unavailable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning users cannot keep their numbers when switching carriers. Maintaining an updated contact list is crucial to avoid sending messages to inactive numbers.

Concatenated Message Support

Bosnia and Herzegovina supports concatenated messages. Messages exceeding the standard character limit will be split into segments and rejoined at the receiving end. Note that this may vary based on sender ID types and character encoding.

MMS Support

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is not natively supported. MMS messages convert to SMS with an embedded URL, allowing recipients to access multimedia content via a link.

Sending SMS to Landline Numbers

SMS cannot be sent to landline numbers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Attempting this will result in a 400 error with code 21614, and the message will not be logged or charged.

Compliance Considerations

Compliance is critical for SMS campaigns. It is recommended to consult legal experts to ensure adherence to local laws. Here are some best practices:

  • Opt-in Consent: Obtain explicit consent before sending messages.
  • Respect Time Zones: Send messages during local daytime hours unless urgent.
  • Support HELP/STOP Commands: Allow users to manage subscription status.
  • Do-Not-Call Registries: Avoid contacting users on these registries.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure compliance and effectiveness in your SMS campaigns.

FAQs

Is two-way SMS supported in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

No, two-way SMS is not supported. Recipients cannot reply directly to your messages.

Can I send SMS to landline numbers?

No, sending SMS to landline numbers will result in a 400 error with code 21614, and no charges will be incurred.

What are the compliance considerations?

Ensure opt-in consent, respect local time zones, support HELP/STOP commands, and avoid contacting users on do-not-call registries.


By adhering to these SMS guidelines and compliance considerations, your messaging campaigns in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be both effective and legally compliant.