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Complete SMS Guidelines for Canada

When sending SMS messages to Canada, it's crucial to adhere to specific guidelines to ensure successful delivery and compliance with local regulations. This comprehensive guide outlines the essential SMS messaging rules and best practices for Canada.

Two-Way SMS Support

Canada supports two-way SMS, enabling both sending and receiving messages. This feature is advantageous for businesses aiming to engage in real-time conversations with customers. Whether for customer support, appointment reminders, or marketing campaigns, two-way messaging can significantly enhance user engagement.

Number Portability

Number portability is available in Canada, allowing users to retain their mobile numbers when switching carriers. This is vital for businesses, as it ensures your messages reach the intended recipients even if they change service providers.

Message Length and Concatenation

In Canada, the maximum SMS message length varies based on encoding:

  • GSM 3.38 encoding: 136 characters
  • Unicode encoding: 70 characters

Messages exceeding these limits will be split into multiple segments and reassembled upon receipt. Note that concatenation support may vary depending on the sender ID type and character encoding.

MMS Support

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is supported in Canada, allowing the transmission of rich media like images, videos, and audio files. MMS can be particularly beneficial for marketing campaigns or sending product information in a visually engaging format.

Sending SMS to Landline Numbers

When sending SMS messages to landline numbers in Canada, the system does not verify if the number is a landline. The message is sent to the carrier, and some carriers may convert the SMS into a text-to-speech message delivered via a voice call. Be aware of this when messaging landline numbers.

Compliance Considerations

Compliance is a critical aspect of SMS messaging in Canada. Canadian mobile carriers enforce strict filtering on application-to-person (A2P) messages, commonly used for marketing or transactional communications. To optimize delivery and avoid message filtering, consider the following:

  • Opt-in Consent: Obtain opt-in consent from users before sending communications, especially for marketing purposes.
  • Daytime Communication: Send messages during the recipient's local daytime hours unless the message is urgent.
  • HELP/STOP Support: Ensure your SMS campaigns support commands like HELP and STOP, allowing users to manage their subscriptions easily.
  • A2P Traffic: For optimal results, send A2P traffic over short codes or verified toll-free numbers to reduce the likelihood of message filtering by carriers.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can enhance the success of your SMS campaigns in Canada while ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.

Conclusion

Understanding and following the SMS guidelines for Canada is essential for businesses aiming to communicate effectively with their customers. From two-way SMS support to compliance considerations, adhering to these best practices will help ensure your messages are delivered successfully and legally. Always consult with legal counsel to ensure full compliance with Canadian laws.

For more detailed information on Canadian SMS regulations, visit the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).