UK SMS Guidelines

Sending SMS to UK numbers requires compliance with PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) and ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) guidelines.

Key Requirements

Consent

• Opt-in consent is required for marketing SMS.
• Consent must be specific, informed, and freely given — not bundled with other terms.
• Soft opt-in exception: you may message existing customers about similar products/services if they were given a clear opt-out opportunity at the time of data collection and in every subsequent message.

Sender Identification

• Every SMS must identify the sender.
• Use your business name or a recognizable phone number.

Opt-Out

• Include opt-out instructions in every marketing message.
• Process opt-out requests promptly.
• Maintain a suppression list.

Data Protection (GDPR)

• Phone numbers are personal data under GDPR.
• Maintain records of consent (what was consented to, when, and how).
• Honor data subject access requests and deletion requests.
• Appoint a data protection officer if required by your processing volume.

Sending to UK Numbers from JustCall

• UK local numbers are available for purchase with address documentation.
• Alphanumeric Sender IDs are supported for UK outbound SMS (see Alphanumeric Sender ID Overview).
• Message delivery is subject to UK carrier filtering.

Related Articles

• SMS Compliance Guide
• UK SMS: International Long Codes Blocked
• SMS International Messaging