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Luxembourg SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Luxembourg SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Luxembourg
ISO code:
LU
Region
Europe
Mobile country code (MCC)
270
Dialing Code
+352
Market Conditions: Luxembourg has a highly developed telecommunications market with near-universal mobile penetration. The country's primary mobile operators include POST Luxembourg, Tango, and Orange Luxembourg. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are popular for personal communications, SMS remains crucial for business communications, particularly for authentication, notifications, and official communications. The market shows a relatively even split between Android and iOS devices, with a slight preference for iOS among business users.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Luxembourg
Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg through standard API providers. Businesses requiring interactive messaging solutions should consider alternative communication channels or implement workarounds using separate inbound and outbound numbers.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Concatenated messaging is not supported in Luxembourg through major SMS providers. Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply - 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for Unicode. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported, with GSM-7 recommended for optimal character usage and cost efficiency.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link to view the media content. This ensures compatibility across all carriers while still allowing the delivery of rich media content to end users.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Luxembourg for SMS services. This means that messages are routed based on the original carrier assignment of the phone number.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Luxembourg. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and an error response (400 error code 21614) from the SMS API, with no charges applied to the sender's account.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Luxembourg
Luxembourg follows strict GDPR and ePrivacy Directive requirements for SMS communications. The National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) oversees data privacy compliance, while the Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation (ILR) regulates telecommunications services.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Written or electronic consent must be obtained before sending marketing messages
Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous
Documentation of consent must include timestamp, source, and scope
Existing business relationships may allow for soft opt-in, but must provide immediate opt-out options
Best Practices for Consent:
Use double opt-in processes for marketing lists
Maintain detailed consent records including date, time, and method
Clearly state the types of messages recipients will receive
Provide transparent information about data usage and sharing
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
STOP, ARRÊT, and STOPP must be supported (accommodating French, German, and English)
AIDE and HELP commands must provide support information in relevant languages
All commands must be case-insensitive
Response to opt-out commands must be immediate and confirmed
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Luxembourg does not maintain a centralized Do Not Call registry, but businesses must:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Implement proper list hygiene practices
Regularly clean contact databases
Time Zone Sensitivity
Luxembourg observes Central European Time (CET/CEST). While no strict time restrictions exist:
Recommended sending window: 08:00 - 20:00 CET
Avoid sending on: Sundays and public holidays
Emergency messages: Can be sent 24/7 if truly urgent
Best practice: Schedule campaigns between 10:00 - 18:00 on business days
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Luxembourg
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported with dynamic usage Registration requirements: No pre-registration required Sender ID preservation: Sender IDs are generally preserved across all major carriers Length restriction: Maximum 11 characters, alphanumeric only
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes fully supported
Sender ID preservation: Yes, original sender ID is preserved Provisioning time: Immediate for international long codes Use cases:
Two-factor authentication
Transactional messages
Customer support communications
Short Codes
Support: Not currently available in Luxembourg Alternative: Use international long codes or alphanumeric sender IDs Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries:
Gambling and betting services (unless licensed)
Adult content and services
Cryptocurrency promotions
Unauthorized financial services
Regulated Industries:
Banking and financial services (require regulatory compliance)
Healthcare (subject to patient privacy laws)
Insurance (must follow specific disclosure requirements)
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filters:
URLs from unknown shorteners
Excessive punctuation
All-capital messages
Multiple exclamation marks
Best Practices:
Use official domain URLs
Maintain consistent sender IDs
Avoid spam trigger words
Include clear business identification
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Luxembourg
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
Maintain consistent brand voice
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 4-5 messages per month per recipient
Respect business hours and time zones
Avoid sending during major holidays
Space out messages appropriately
Localization
Support French, German, and English
Consider cultural nuances
Use appropriate date/time formats
Respect local holidays and customs
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized suppression lists
Confirm opt-out with final message
Regular database cleaning
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major carriers
Monitor delivery rates
Track engagement metrics
Regular performance analysis
SMS API integrations for Luxembourg
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API with comprehensive support for Luxembourg. Integration requires an account SID and auth token for authentication.
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,// Your Account SID process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN// Your Auth Token);// Function to send SMS to LuxembourgasyncfunctionsendSmsToLuxembourg( to:string, message:string, senderId:string):Promise<void>{try{// Ensure number is in E.164 format for Luxembourgconst formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+352')? to :`+352${to}`;const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Alphanumeric sender ID or long code to: formattedNumber,// Optional parameters for delivery tracking statusCallback:'https://your-webhook.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers a straightforward REST API for sending SMS to Luxembourg, with support for both JSON and XML formats.