Croatia SMS Guidelines: Best Practices and Compliance
When sending SMS messages to recipients in Croatia, it’s crucial to understand the local guidelines to ensure compliance and successful delivery. This guide covers essential aspects of SMS communication in Croatia, including two-way SMS support, number portability, message length, and compliance considerations.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Croatia. While you can send messages to users, they cannot reply directly within the same conversation thread. Businesses relying on two-way communication should explore alternative methods for customer engagement in this region.
Number Portability
Croatia allows number portability, enabling users to retain their numbers when switching between mobile operators. This is vital for businesses to maintain consistent communication, ensuring messages reach users even if they change providers.
Concatenated Message Support
If your message exceeds the character limit of a single SMS, Croatia supports concatenated messages. Long messages are split into smaller segments and rejoined on the recipient's device. Note that certain sender ID types may not support this feature, and the rejoining process may vary based on character encoding.
Message Length and Encoding
The length of an SMS message in Croatia depends on the encoding:
- GSM-7 encoding: Up to 160 characters per message.
- Unicode encoding: Up to 70 characters per message for non-Latin characters.
Messages exceeding these limits will be split into multiple segments and sent as concatenated messages.
MMS Support
Croatia does not support MMS natively. Instead, MMS messages are converted to SMS with an embedded URL, allowing recipients to view multimedia content by clicking the link.
Sending SMS to Landline Numbers
SMS messages cannot be sent to landline numbers in Croatia. Attempting to do so will result in a 400 error with error code 21614 from the Sent REST API. The message won’t appear in your logs, and your account won’t be charged for the failed attempt.
Compliance Considerations
To ensure compliance with local regulations, follow these best practices when sending SMS messages in Croatia:
- Opt-in Consent: Obtain explicit opt-in consent from users before sending messages, especially for marketing purposes.
- Daytime Communication: Limit messages to the recipient’s local daytime hours unless urgent.
- HELP/STOP Support: Ensure SMS campaigns support keywords like HELP and STOP in the local language, allowing users to manage preferences easily.
- Respect Do-Not-Call Registries: Avoid sending messages to users listed on do-not-call or do-not-disturb registries.
By adhering to these guidelines, your SMS campaigns in Croatia can be both effective and legally compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is two-way SMS supported in Croatia?
No, two-way SMS is not supported. You can send messages, but users cannot reply within the same thread.
Can I send SMS messages to landline numbers in Croatia?
No, SMS messages cannot be sent to landline numbers. The Sent API will return a 400 error if attempted.
What are the best practices for SMS compliance in Croatia?
Best practices include obtaining opt-in consent, sending messages during daytime hours, supporting HELP/STOP messages, and avoiding contacts on do-not-call lists.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your SMS campaigns in Croatia are compliant with local regulations and effective in reaching your audience.