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Panama SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Panama SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Panama
ISO code:
PA
Region
North America
Mobile country code (MCC)
714
Dialing Code
+507
Market Conditions: Panama has a mature mobile telecommunications market with widespread SMS adoption. The country's mobile sector is dominated by major operators including Telefónica (Movistar) and Cable & Wireless. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are popular for personal communication, SMS remains crucial for business messaging and authentication purposes due to its reliability and universal reach.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Panama
Panama supports standard SMS messaging capabilities with some limitations on two-way messaging and specific requirements for sender IDs.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Panama through major SMS providers. This means businesses can send outbound messages but cannot receive replies through the same channel.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenated messages are supported, though availability may vary by sender ID type. Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply - 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for UCS-2 encoding. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported, with UCS-2 recommended for messages containing special characters or non-Latin alphabets.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link to the media content. This ensures compatibility across all devices while still allowing businesses to share rich media content with their customers.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Panama. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original carriers, which can simplify message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Panama. 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 Panama
SMS communications in Panama are regulated by the National Public Services Authority (ASEP) under Law No. 31 of February 8, 1996. While specific SMS marketing regulations are less stringent compared to other countries, businesses must follow general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending any marketing messages
Maintain records of how and when consent was obtained
Include clear business identification in initial opt-in messages
Provide transparent information about message frequency and purpose
Best Practices for Consent Collection:
Use double opt-in processes for marketing lists
Document consent timestamps and methods
Store consent records securely
Regularly update and clean consent databases
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
While Panama doesn't mandate specific keywords, implementing standard opt-out mechanisms is recommended:
Include "PARA" (stop) or "AYUDA" (help) commands in Spanish
Support both Spanish and English keywords (STOP/HELP)
Process opt-out requests within 24 hours
Send confirmation messages for opt-out requests
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Panama does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:
Maintain internal opt-out lists
Honor opt-out requests immediately
Keep suppression lists updated
Share opt-out lists across campaigns and platforms
Time Zone Sensitivity
Panama follows Eastern Time (ET/UTC-5). While there are no legal restrictions on messaging hours:
Recommended Sending Window: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time
Emergency Messages: Can be sent outside standard hours if urgent
Best Practice: Respect local holidays and weekends
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Panama
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Not supported by Panama's mobile networks Registration requirements: N/A Sender ID preservation: N/A
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes fully supported
Sender ID preservation: Yes, original sender IDs are preserved for international long codes Provisioning time: Typically 1-2 business days Use cases:
Transactional messages
Customer support
Authentication codes
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Panama Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Prohibited Content:
Adult content
Gambling services
Political messaging
Religious content
Spam or unsolicited promotional content
Regulated Industries:
Financial services must include sender identification
Healthcare messages must maintain patient privacy
Educational institutions must clearly identify themselves
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Rules:
URLs should be from reputable domains
Avoid excessive capitalization
Limit special characters
No embedded images or rich media
Tips to Avoid Blocking:
Use clear, consistent sender IDs
Maintain regular sending patterns
Keep content professional and relevant
Avoid spam trigger words
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Panama
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-actions
Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
Maintain consistent branding
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 2-4 messages per week per recipient
Respect Panama's business hours
Consider cultural events and holidays
Space out bulk campaigns
Localization
Primary language: Spanish
Consider bilingual messages (Spanish/English) for business communications
Use local date/time formats
Respect cultural nuances
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Send opt-out confirmation messages
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Regular audit of opt-out lists
Testing and Monitoring
Test across major carriers (Movistar, Cable & Wireless)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
SMS API integrations for Panama
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API with comprehensive Panama support. Integration requires your Account SID and Auth Token from the Twilio Console.
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio client with credentialsconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);// Function to send SMS to PanamaasyncfunctionsendSMSToPanama( to:string, message:string):Promise<void>{try{// Ensure number is in E.164 format for Panama (+507)const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+507')? to :`+507${to}`;const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, to: formattedNumber, from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER,// Optional statusCallback URL for delivery updates statusCallback:'https://your-callback-url.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);}}
Sinch
Sinch offers direct carrier connections in Panama with a RESTful API interface.