SmartPush allows you to send international marketing SMS messages to recipients in various countries and regions worldwide. This article explains the applicable countries and regions, billing rules, character limits, pre-registration requirements, and content restrictions for SMS services.
Supported Countries/Regions for SMS
You can send SMS messages to recipients (contacts) in the following 17 countries and regions. SmartPush does not provide SMS services beyond the countries or regions listed below.
| Country or Region | Code | Country Code |
| New Zealand | NZ | +64 |
| Australia | AU | +61 |
| Japan | JP | +81 |
| Singapore | SG | +65 |
| Taiwan | TW | +886 |
| Hong Kong | HK | +852 |
| Malaysia | MY | +60 |
| Germany | DE | +49 |
| Italy | IT | +39 |
| Spain | ES | +34 |
| Netherland | NL | +31 |
| France | FR | +33 |
| United Kingdoms | GB | +44 |
| Ireland | IE | +353 |
| United States | US | +1 |
| Canada | CA | +1 |
| Mexico | MX | +52 |
SMS Billing Rules
According to local laws and carrier regulations, some countries and regions require SMS to display the sender's name or number. SmartPush does not support sending marketing SMS to non-subscribers. Refer to Applying for Your SMS Sender Number for details.
Billing Standards
SmartPush charges based on the number of SMS messages sent. Rates vary by country or region. You can view the latest rates when topping up your SMS quota or contact your customer service representative.
Below explains the character limits and calculation rules for both English and non-English SMS messages:
English SMS
There are two types of characters used in English SMS: standard and extended. Each type is counted differently when calculating the total number of characters in a message:
| Standard characters |
! " # $ % ' ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ _ ¡ £ ¥ § ¿ & ¤ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Ä Å Æ Ç É Ñ Ø ø Ü ß Ö à ä å æ è é ì ñ ò ö ù ü Δ Φ Γ Λ Ω Π Ψ Σ Θ Ξ |
| Extended characters | | ^ € { } [ ] ~ \ |
Character counting rules:
- Each standard character counts as 1 character.
- Each extended character counts as 2 characters.
- A single SMS can contain up to 160 characters.
- Messages longer than 160 characters are split every 153 characters into multiple SMS messages. For example, a 320-character SMS = 3 messages (153 + 153 + 14).
Non-English SMS (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.)
Character counting rules:
- Each Chinese character, number, punctuation (half-width or full-width), or space counts as 1 character.
- A single SMS can contain up to 70 characters.
- Messages longer than 70 characters are split every 67 characters into multiple SMS messages. For example, a 150-character SMS = 3 messages (67 + 67 + 16).
Character Count Preview and Line Break Rules
When creating an SMS marketing campaign, the preview section automatically displays:
- The total number of characters
- The maximum number of allowed characters
- The estimated number of SMS messages based on billing rules
|
Note: This calculation includes:
|
Line Break (New Line) Rules
SmartPush now supports adding line breaks (Enter/Return) in SMS messages:
- Each line break counts as 1 character.
- Consecutive line breaks are supported, and empty lines are allowed.
- Pasting text with line breaks into the SMS editor will also retain the original line spacing.
- If you manually type the symbol "\n", it counts as 3 characters.
- Even if no content is entered, the default unsubscribe text (for UK/US/AU/CA regions) will remain at the bottom.
These improvements help merchants format messages more clearly and maintain accurate billing estimation.
Countries/Regions with Pre-Registration Requirements
Before sending SMS to recipients in the following regions, you may need to submit your message content and business details to SmartPush for review. Messages sent without pre-registration may not be delivered.
Taiwan: Mandatory Real-Name Registration
Taiwan's SMS regulations now require strict real-name registration. Before sending to recipients in Taiwan, ask your customers to prepare the following materials and ensure their message content meets the formatting requirements.
Content requirement: Add your company, brand, or product name as a signature at the very beginning of the message — for example: [Brand Name] Your order has shipped.
Required registration documents:
- Business registration certificate or company incorporation certificate of the end client
- Front and back of the legal representative's national ID, or passport (for foreign clients, passport takes priority; national ID is secondary)
- Front and back of the national ID of the person responsible for business operations at the end client's company
- The exact signature wording that will appear in the message
- Supporting documents for the signature, depending on which signature type you use:
- Company name: provide the company registration change form
- Brand name: provide a screenshot of the brand's official website, or trademark registration certificate
- Marketing campaign name: provide the campaign application certificate
| Important: Registration processing times can vary. Contact your SmartPush account manager as early as possible to allow sufficient time for review before your planned send date. |
SMS Content Restrictions and Compliance Requirements
To maintain a clean SMS marketing environment, SmartPush enforces strict rules and regulations based on local laws. These rules are designed to ensure compliance and protect customer rights. Please read the following guidelines carefully to avoid sending spam SMS.
- You may not send SMS messages containing the following: pornography, gambling, drugs, party and government, legal rights protection, crowdfunding, charity fundraising, religion, superstition, stocks, studying abroad and immigration, interviews and recruitment, lottery, loans, overdue notices, credit limit raising, investment and financial services, prizewinning, lucky draws, lightning deals, external-link e-commerce platforms, counterfeits, plastic surgery, tobacco and alcohol, blind dating, violence, intimidation, furs, cashback deals, rebate deals, agent invoicing, information forbidden by carriers, proxy registration, agent certification, invitation to social media accounts or Whatsapp and Line groups, personal information selling, carriers’ business, traffic marketing, information that violates the advertising law, empty package scalping, requests for positive reviews, store transfer, user acquisition, crowdsourcing, POS machines, and reward points redemption.
- Incorrect or intentionally altered words and unusual symbols are prohibited in phrases or keywords.
- Do not include unauthorized mixed-language expressions or unusual formatting.
- SmartPush reserves the right to take action against violations, including reporting illegal activities or harm to third parties. Ensure compliance to maintain account security and avoid sending non-compliant SMS messages.
Additional Requirements for Recipients in the United States and Canada
For recipients in the United States and Canada, your subscriber opt-in flow (typically the registration page on your store) should include all of the following:
- A clear statement that the customer is consenting to receive SMS messages, and the expected sending frequency
- Your company or organization name
- A note on any applicable charges (for example: "Message and data rates may apply")
- The purpose of the messages (for example: order updates, promotions)
- Clear unsubscribe instructions
- Links to your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service
Factors That May Affect SMS Delivery
To maximize delivery rates and avoid message failures, be aware of the following:
- Sending to Taiwan without completing real-name registration will result in failed or undelivered messages.
- Messages with a strong promotional tone that include links for collecting customer information may be flagged and blocked by local carriers.
If you experience any delivery issues or have questions about compliance requirements, contact your SmartPush account manager or email info@smartpushedm.com.