Transcription
Rules and Regulations - MENAVersion 2
IntroductionCharacter LimitsRules and RegulationsTOPICSDelivery ReportsSender Name RegistrationsOperator DetailsContact Us
Version ControlVersion numberSectionAuthorDetails2Rules andRegulationsPreciseAdded South Africa to the list
INTRODUCTION"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficientoperation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficientoperation will magnify the inefficiency“- Bill GatesIn order to avoid SPAMMING as well as to protect a user’s privacy, Mobile operators do keepupdating their policy in terms of how a communication can be done to the customers. Eachcountry and operators have their own rules and regulations. At Essentially Precise, we strictlyadhere to these rules and regulations and make necessary adjustment to our system.This document will highlight the various rules and regulations of various countries and operatorsin MENA. This document will be handy for those who are using SMS as a platform to sendTransactional or Marketing SMS.All details mentioned in this document are based on the information our team has received fromrespective partners and is subject to change. Essentially Precise will not be accountable for any ofthe terms mentioned here or for any change in rules and regulations by the Operators or TRA.This document is for information purpose only.
CHARACTER LIMITSOur system supports 1 to 13 length messages in one submission. Majority of the operators allows up to 13 messages (combined) in one go. As a bestpractice we recommend to limit the length of the message to the Basic to avoid any delivery issues.Multi part messages are submitted as separate messages to the operator and then to the mobile phone, but with certain coding embedded so as tostitch them together. Due to this, you will not get multiples of the message count when sending multi part messages. Certain characters are used forstitching them together.Normal LimitsEnglish Message:Basic Limits160 characters(All characters in US/UK based keyboard)Arabic/Non English message:70 Characters(Any characters other than English)English Message:Advanced Limits3 length(153 characters per message – total 459)Arabic/Non English message:3 Length(67 characters per message – total 201)Sender Name Limit: 11 CharactersEnglish Message:(153 characters per message – total 1989)Arabic/Non English message:13 Length(67 characters per message – total 871)Allowed characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, Space and “-” (dash).Not all operators support the “-” characterNote: Phones will only display the messages once it receives all the message parts13 length
Rules and RegulationsUAEBulk SMSStreaming SMSSender NameUnsubscribeAs part of UAE TRA rule, all marketing SMSthat is done through Etisalat or DU shouldcontain the instruction on how toUnsubscribe from receiving future SMS.There can be fines if Unsubscribe (OptOut) option is not mentioned within themessage.Timing- 8 AM to 9 PM only- All the days of the weekTiming- 7 AM to 11 PM only- All the days of the weekIn order to send SMS with customizedname, we need to get prior approvalsfrom both the operators.Unsubscribe OptionWithin the message clear instructionon how the customer can opt out(Unsubscribe) from future messages.Preferably Toll free number.Unsubscribe OptionNo need for Unsubscribe (Opt out)option. If separate accounts are usedfor streaming, past Unsubscribednumbers will not be considered.Documents required1. NOC letter addressed to Etisalat2. NOC letter addressed to DU3. Valid Trade License copyExamples:- 2OptOut SMS 4687- 2OptOut www.remve.meContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.HealthcareRequires MOH approval for sendername and prior to broadcasts.HealthcareDoes not require MOH approval foralerts/notificationsOnly companies registered in UAE areallowed to get a customized sendername. NOC letters should be on thecompany letter head, signed andstamped by Authorized person.Valid Sender Names- Sender name has to be related toyour company name- Number based sender name is notallowed- Individual’s name is not allowedDays Required: 1 to 3 working daysPrecise has automated this process on ourSMS server where any requests that isreceived will be stored in a common areaand no marketing SMS will be delivered tothese numbers.In case you need dedicated Unsubscribelist, you can use a specific keyword (withprior approvals) and the list can begenerated separately. Dedicated shortcodes can also be used for this purpose.Operators also provide their ownUnsubscribe option. Delivery report forthese numbers indicate as Undelivered.Lists will not be shared by the operators.
Rules and RegulationsKSABulk SMSTimingCITC in Saudi Arabia has requested allmarketing SMS to be pushed duringthe below time period.-8 AM to 10 PM onlyAny day of the weekUnsubscribe (DND) OptionUnsubscribe option is done atOperators end known as DND (Do NotDisturb List). No need to mentionanything within the message.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed. Avoid anypromotional messages related toValentines day, Non Muslim religiousevents, etc.Streaming SMSTimingThere is no specific rules by KSA CITCfor Streaming (Transactional / OTP)messages, but we recommend thebelow timings.-7 AM to 12 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe (DND) OptionIf Dedicated accounts and routes areused, operators will bypass DND list.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameUnsubscribeSender name white listing isrequired prior to doing any Bulk orStreaming SMS. No requirement tosubmit NOC or Trade License copies.DND (Do Not Disturb) list isregulated by the CITC. Operators areimplementing their own mechanismto the end customer to opt out ofreceiving marketing.For promotional SMS, the sendername should contain the postfix “AD” or “-AD”. Any SMS that is sentwithout this postfix will invite finesand termination of the sender nameand account.For Streaming SMS, prior approvalsare required to route throughdedicated non DND channels.Days Required: 1 to 2 working daysAll SMS are routed through DirectConnection with the operators. NoWholesale routes are used as theyare not reliable.Mobily and Zain are still rolling outthis and is taking it case by casebasis. Customers can call theService Center and request to beadded in the DND List.For STC customers, they can usemySTC app or call the servicecenter.There is no fixed Delivery reportpattern followed. DLR can be eitherUndelivered or Delivered. List willnot be shared by the operators.
Rules and RegulationsBahrainBulk SMSStreaming SMSTimingThere is no specific rules set byBahrain TRA, but we recommend thebelow timings.TimingThere is no specific rules by BahrainTRA, but we recommend the belowtimings.--8 AM to 10 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators also do not have theUnsubscribe option.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.7 AM to 12 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Bahrain.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameDynamic Alphanumeric sendernames are allowed for Bahrain forMarketing SMS.For Streaming SMS, we need to firstconfigure the account with therespective sender names. Henceprior whitelisting on Precise Serveris required.UnsubscribeThere is no rules and regulations forUnsubscribe (DND).If required as part of your companypolicy, you can use the Opt Outoption with the portalwww.remve.meSample:2OptOut visit www.remve.me
Rules and RegulationsQatarBulk SMSStreaming SMSSender NameTimingThere is no specific rules set by QatarTRA, but we recommend the belowtimings.TimingThere is no specific rules by QatarTRA, but we recommend the belowtimings.In order to send SMS withcustomized name, we need to getprior approvals from all theoperators.--Documents required1. NOC letter2. Valid Trade License copy8 AM to 9 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators also do not have theUnsubscribe option.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.7 AM to 11 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Qatar.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.NOC letters should be on thecompany letter head, signed andstamped by Authorized person.Valid Sender Names- Sender name has to be related toyour company name- Number based sender name isnot allowed- Individual’s name is not allowedDays Required: 2 to 4 working daysUnsubscribeOnly Ooredoo has implementedDND (Do Not Disturb) option to itscustomers. Customers need to sendthe keyword “UNSUB” to 92600short code or by calling their CallCenter directly.Delivery report for these DND listednumbers will come as Undelivered.But no specific reason will bementioned.For Vodafone there is no DNDoption yet.
Rules and RegulationsKuwaitBulk SMSStreaming SMSTimingTiming--8 AM to 11 PM onlyAll the days of the weekMessages pushed before after thespecified time will be blocked at theoperator level and pushed during thenext Window timing.7 AM to 11 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Kuwait for streaming SMS.Unsubscribe OptionNo need to mention within themessage. Zain and Ooredooimplements their own DND list.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.Note: Operators do not support directDLR. DLR is generated from PreciseServer using in house built in Logic.Note: Operators do not support directDLR. DLR is generated from PreciseServer using in house built in Logic.Sender NameUnsubscribeIn order to send SMS with customizedname, we need to get prior approvalsfrom all the operators.Only Zain and Ooredoo hasimplemented DND (Do Not Disturb)option to its customers. OptIn/Outon Zain done by sending SMS text"Ad on" or “Ad of“ to "99999".Ooredoo Opt In/Out can be done bycalling Free of Charge CustomerService or by activating Block Uservice from their Ooredoo account.Documents required1. NOC letter addressed to Ooredoo(formerly Wataniya)2. NOC letter addressed to Zain3. Generic NOC letterNOC letters should be on thecompany letter head, signed andstamped by Authorized person.Valid Sender Names- Sender name has to be related toyour company name- Number based sender name is notallowed- Individual’s name is not allowedDays Required: 3 to 5 working daysSince there are no direct DLRavailable in Kuwait, we do not getany feedback with respect to DNDnumbers.For Viva there is no DND option yet.
Rules and RegulationsOmanBulk SMSStreaming SMSTimingThere is no specific rules set by OmanTRA, but we recommend the belowtimings.TimingThere is no specific rules by OmanTRA, but we recommend the belowtimings.--8 AM to 9 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators also do not have theUnsubscribe option.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.7 AM to 11 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Oman.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameUnsubscribeIn order to send SMS with customizedname, we need to get prior approvalsfrom all the operators.There is no rules and regulations forUnsubscribe (DND).Documents required1. NOC letter addressed to OmanTel2. NOC letter addressed to Ooredoo3. Generic NOC letter4. Valid Trade License copyNOC letters should be on thecompany letter head, signed andstamped by Authorized person.Valid Sender Names- Sender name has to be related toyour company name- Number based sender name is notallowed- Individual’s name is not allowedDays Required: 3 to 4 working daysIf required as part of your companypolicy, you can use the Opt Outoption with the portalwww.remve.meSample:2OptOut visit www.remve.me
Rules and RegulationsEgyptBulk SMSTiming-9 AM to 9 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators also do not have theUnsubscribe option.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.Streaming SMSTimingThere is no specific rules by EgyptTRA, but we recommend the belowtimings.-7 AM to 11 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Egypt.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameUnsubscribeIn order to send SMS with customizedname, we need to get prior approvalsfrom all the operators.There is no rules and regulations forUnsubscribe (DND).Documents required1. NOC letterNOC letters should be on thecompany letter head, signed andstamped by Authorized person.Valid Sender Names- Sender name has to be related toyour company name- Number based sender name is notallowed- Individual’s name is not allowedDays Required: 1 to 2 working daysIf required as part of your companypolicy, you can use the Opt Outoption with the portalwww.remve.meSample:2OptOut visit www.remve.me
Rules and RegulationsJordanBulk SMSStreaming SMSTimingTiming---8 AM to 10 PM onlyAll days except Fridays and publicholidays.No SMS on Friday and Publicholidays.Unsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators implement their own DNDlist.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.7 AM to 11 PM onlyAll the days of the weekUnsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Jordan.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameDynamic sender name is allowed,except that for Marketing SMS sendername should be prefixed with “adv “before the sender name. That is, only7 characters are allowed as Sendername. Example: adv PreciseFor streaming SMS, no sender namerestrictions.If “adv “ is not prefixed for marketingSMS and if it comes to Operator’snotice the sender name can beblocked and company can bepenalized.UnsubscribeFor Marketing SMS operators doconsider DND list.For streaming SMS no DND list isconsidered.DND is implemented by individualoperators and can be done bycalling the call center.
Rules and RegulationsLebanonBulk SMSStreaming SMSTimingNo specific timings from TRA Lebanon,but we recommend the below.TimingNo specific timings from TRA Lebanon,but we recommend the below.- 7 AM to 11 PM only- All the days of the week-8 AM to 10 PM onlyAll days of the week.Unsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators also do not have theUnsubscribe option.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.Unsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Lebanon.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameDynamic sender names are allowed.No need for whitelisting.UnsubscribeThere is no rules and regulations forUnsubscribe (DND).If required as part of your companypolicy, you can use the Opt Outoption with the portalwww.remve.meSample:2OptOut visit www.remve.me
Rules and RegulationsSouth AfricaBulk SMSStreaming SMSTimingNo specific timings from TRA SouthAfrica, but we recommend the below.TimingNo specific timings from TRA SouthAfrica, but we recommend the below.- 6 AM to 11 PM only- All the days of the week-8 AM to 10 PM onlyAll days of the week.Unsubscribe OptionNo requirement for Opt Out option.Operators also do not have theUnsubscribe option.ContentNo religious, political or patrioticcontents are allowed.Unsubscribe OptionNo Unsubscribe list or filtering isapplied for Lebanon.ContentOnly alerts / notifications relatedmessages are considered asStreaming SMS. No marketing orpromotional messages allowed.Sender NameNo sender name (Alphanumeric)allowed. All sender names will beconverted to Long numeric code bythe operator.2-way SMS option is available forSouth Africa through this Long code.UnsubscribeThere is no rules and regulations forUnsubscribe (DND).If required as part of your companypolicy, you can use the Opt Outoption with the portalwww.remve.meSample:2OptOut visit www.remve.me
Delivery ReportsA delivery report (DLR) is the feedback that is obtained back from the operator after an SMS is submitted. Delivery reports will take anywherebetween 1 minute to 24 hours depending on the status of the number and traffic at operators end. Some of the status and its definition will changebased on the operator. Some of the operators provide detailed information and some only provide the status. From our server, we forward the DLRas it is received from the operator. If you have SMPP connection, then the DLR is pushed in the proper format for SMPP. If you have HTTP Call backconfigured, then the DLR is pushed by calling your web URL. Else the DLR is updated in your reports.Certain operators do not provide any kind of DLR, except the reference number. In such cases we try to run our own logic (using HLR lookup, pasthistory, recent broadcast to same number, etc) and provide as accurate DLR as possible. This we call is the system generated DLR.SENTThis is the status that is updated at our end when an SMS is submitted to the operator. This means that the SMS was wellreceived on our server and processed. This report is not returned back as DLRAcceptedThis is a response from certain operators stating that they have successfully accepted the message to forward to the mobilehandset. Not all operators do provide this report.DELIVEREDThis status means that the message was successfully delivered to the handset and got confirmation back. Only in rare caseswhere the operator implements Do Not Disturb (DND or Unsubscribe) list, they return the status as Delivered even if thenumber is present in DND.Continued
Delivery ReportsERRORThis status means that we were not able to submit the particular message to the operator successfully or there was an errorfrom the operators side in sending the message. This could be due to connectivity issues.Operators will also return this status if the mobile number is incorrect (Length, code, etc). For example in UAE if we try tosend an SMS with the code 97140XXXXX, then this will be returned as Error.UNDELIVEREDThis status indicates that the particular message could not be delivered to the handset. The reason can vary from operatorto operator. Various reasons for this are: Non existing number, Temporarily out of service, Disconnection due to non billpayment. Undelivered status is also returned by many of the operators who have DND features set and if the mobilenumber is in their DND list.EXPIREDExpired status means that the operator was not able to send the SMS to the recipient within the time frame specified.Timeframe varies from operator to operator and how we set during SMPP submission. This can be between 4 hours to 24hours.UNSUBSCRIBEDThis status is for those numbers that have requested directly through our platform to be Unsubscribed from any marketingSMS. If a number is present in the list, then they are automatically removed from the final broadcast. This list does notreflect any of the DND numbers from the operators.
Sender Name RegistrationsSender name is the name or number that appears when you receive a text message on your phone.This can be 11 character Alphanumeric, 4 or 5 digit short code, or Long number (GSM Number).Majority of the operators require the sender to pre register the required name prior to sending theSMS. Depending on the policy, registrations are done by sending an email, sending an NOC (NoObjection Certificate) or an NOC with Trade License copy. Some operators do not need registrationand allow dynamic sender name – you can send with any name required.Registration of a sender name can take 1 to 5 working days once the documents are submitted.Once the registration is done, the same is configured to your account.Format for NOC can be provided on request. These NOC needs to be on the company letter head forwhich the SMS needs to be done. NOC should be signed and stamped by the authorized person. Incase you are an agency and cannot specify our name directly, you can get the NOC first to yourcompany name and in turn issue an NOC from your company to us.Note: Numeric sender names are not supported by majority of the operators, except short code if itis availed from them directly.Sender Name Limit: 11 CharactersAllowed characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, Space and “-” (dash).Not all operators support the “-” character
Operators DetailsA quick list of various operators in the region are listed below. Please note that this is not the final list and we recommend you to check with us in caseof any clarification.CountryOperator NameCountryOperator NameUAEEtisalat / DUEgyptOrange / Vodafone / EtisalatKSASTC / Zain / Mobily / Bravo / Virgin / LebaraJordanOrange / Zain / UmniahBahrainBatelco / Zain / VivaLebanonTouch / AlfaQatarOoredoo / VodafoneIranHamrah Aval / MTN Irancell / RighTel / TaliyaKuwaitZain / Ooredoo / VivaIraqZain / Asia Cell / Korek / Omnnea / ItisalunaOmanOman Tel / OoredooPalestineJawwal / Wataniya
Operators Details - PrefixMobile number prefix for various countries are listed below. There can be change in the details depending on new operators or additional prefixesadded by existing operators. We requestCountryPrefixesCountryOperator NameUAE97150, 97155, 97156, 97152, 97154Egypt2010, 2011, 2012KSA96650, 96653, 96655, 96658, 96659, 96654,96656, 966570, 966571, 966572, 966576,966577, 966578Jordan96277, 96278, 96279Lebanon96130-39, 96170, 96171, 96176, 96178, 96179Iran9891, 98990, 98931, 98932, 98934, 98901,98902, 98903, 98930, 98933, 98935, 98936,98937, 98939, 98920, 98921Iraq96473, 96474, 96475, 96476, 96477, 96478,96479PalestineCountry Code – 970 or 972 with the below prefix592, 595, 597, 598, 599, 562, 568, 569Bahrain97331, 973322, 973383, 973384, 973388,97339, 97333, 973340, 973341, 973343,973344, 973345, 97336, 973377Qatar97433, 97455, 97466, 97477Kuwait9665, 9666, 9669Oman9689
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Streaming SMS. No marketing or promotional messages allowed. Sender name white listing is required prior to doing any Bulk or Streaming SMS. No requirement to submit NOC or Trade License copies. For promotional SMS, the sender name should contain the postfix " AD" or "-AD". Any SMS that is sent without this postfix will invite fines
