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French Guiana (France) SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
French Guiana (France) SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
French Guiana (France)
ISO code:
GF
Region
South America
Mobile country code (MCC)
742
Dialing Code
+594
Market Conditions: French Guiana, as an overseas department of France, follows French telecommunications standards and regulations. The mobile market is dominated by major French operators including Orange, SFR, and Digicel. While OTT messaging apps are popular, SMS remains a crucial communication channel, particularly for business and authentication purposes. The market shows a mix of Android and iOS usage, with Android having a slight edge in market share.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in French Guiana
French Guiana supports standard SMS messaging capabilities with some limitations on advanced features like two-way messaging and concatenation.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in French Guiana through standard A2P messaging channels.
Messages can only be sent one-way from businesses to consumers.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Concatenated messages are not supported in French Guiana. Message length rules: Messages must fit within standard SMS character limits. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported, with GSM-7 allowing up to 160 characters and UCS-2 allowing up to 70 characters per message.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link to view the multimedia content. Best Practice: When sending media content, ensure the URL is shortened and clearly labeled for recipient trust.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in French Guiana.
This means phone numbers remain tied to their original carrier, simplifying message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in French Guiana.
Attempts to send SMS to landline numbers will result in a 400 response with error code 21614, and no message delivery will occur or charges applied.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in French Guiana (France)
Written consent must be obtained before sending marketing messages
Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous
Documentation of consent must be maintained and readily available
Separate consent required for different types of communications
Best Practices for Consent Collection:
Use clear opt-in checkboxes (no pre-checked boxes)
Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Include clear terms and conditions during opt-in
Provide immediate confirmation of subscription
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All marketing messages must include "STOP" functionality
Standard format: "STOP au 36179" at the end of messages
Both French and English commands must be supported
Common keywords: STOP, ARRETER, AIDE, HELP
Response to STOP commands must be immediate and in French
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
France maintains the Bloctel list, which applies to French Guiana
Businesses must screen numbers against Bloctel before sending marketing messages
Maintain internal suppression lists for opted-out numbers
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Regular database cleaning recommended to remove invalid numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Marketing messages restricted to Monday-Saturday, 8 AM to 10 PM local time
Messages outside these hours will be queued for next available window
Sunday and public holiday messages are blocked
Transactional messages can be sent 24/7
Time zone: French Guiana (GMT-3)
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in French Guiana (France)
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported Registration requirements: No pre-registration required, dynamic usage supported Sender ID preservation: Yes, sender IDs are preserved as displayed
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes supported but sender ID may be overwritten
Sender ID preservation: No, international numbers are typically overwritten Provisioning time: Immediate for international numbers Use cases: Transactional messages, alerts, notifications
Short Codes
Support: Not supported in French Guiana Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries and Content:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content and services
Unauthorized pharmaceutical products
Political messaging without proper disclaimers
Financial services without proper licensing
Cryptocurrency promotions
Content Filtering
Carrier Filtering Rules:
Messages containing certain keywords may be blocked
URLs must be from approved domains
Message content must be in French or English
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Avoid excessive punctuation and special characters
Use approved URL shorteners
Keep content professional and clear
Avoid spam trigger words
Include clear sender identification
Best Practices for Sending SMS in French Guiana (France)
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens appropriately
Maintain consistent brand voice
Include sender identification in message
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 2-3 marketing messages per week
Respect quiet hours and holidays
Space out messages to avoid overwhelming recipients
Monitor engagement rates to optimize timing
Localization
Primary language should be French
Consider including both French and English for important messages
Use proper French formatting for dates and numbers
Consider local cultural context and holidays
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Confirm opt-out with one final message
Regular audit of opt-out lists
Train staff on opt-out procedures
Testing and Monitoring
Test messages across all major carriers
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
Monitor for carrier filtering changes
SMS API integrations for French Guiana (France)
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to French Guiana. Integration requires your Account SID and Auth Token from the Twilio Console.
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize the client with your credentialsconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,// Your Account SID process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN// Your Auth Token);asyncfunctionsendSMS(){try{// Send message with proper French Guiana formattingconst message =await client.messages.create({ body:'Votre code de confirmation est: 123456', from:'YourBrand',// Alphanumeric sender ID to:'+594XXXXXXXXX'// French Guiana number format});console.log(`Message sent successfully: ${message.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);}}
Sinch
Sinch offers SMS capabilities with support for French Guiana through their unified SDK.