Kazakhstan SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Kazakhstan SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: Kazakhstan has a robust mobile telecommunications market with high SMS usage rates. The country's major mobile operators include Kcell, Beeline, and Tele2. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram are gaining popularity, SMS remains a critical communication channel, particularly for business messaging and authentication services. The market shows a strong preference for Android devices, though iOS usage is growing in urban areas.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan supports most standard SMS features with some specific restrictions on timing and sender ID requirements, while maintaining strong regulatory oversight for business messaging.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Kazakhstan for A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging. Businesses looking to implement interactive messaging solutions will need to explore alternative communication channels.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Yes, concatenated messages are supported, though availability may vary based on sender ID type.
Message length rules: Standard 160 characters per message segment using GSM-7 encoding.
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported, with UCS-2 messages limited to 70 characters per segment.

MMS Support

MMS messages are not directly supported in Kazakhstan. Instead, MMS content is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can view the multimedia content. This ensures compatibility while maintaining message delivery capabilities.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is available in Kazakhstan, allowing users to keep their phone numbers when switching between mobile operators. This feature does not significantly impact message delivery or routing, as the network infrastructure handles number porting transparently.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Kazakhstan. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and a 400 response error (code 21614) through the API. These messages will not appear in logs, and accounts will not be charged for failed attempts.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan maintains strict regulations for SMS communications, overseen by the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry. All SMS marketing activities must comply with the Law on Communications and data protection regulations.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Written consent must be obtained before sending any promotional or marketing messages
• Consent records must be maintained and easily accessible
• Opt-in documentation should include:
  • Date and time of consent
  • Source of consent (web form, paper document, etc.)
  • Scope of consent (types of messages agreed to receive)
  • Customer's phone number and contact information

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

• All SMS campaigns must support standard opt-out keywords:
  • STOP, ???????? (Russian)
  • ?????????? (Kazakh)
• HELP/?????????? commands must provide information in both Russian and Kazakh
• Response to opt-out requests must be immediate and confirmed via SMS

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

While Kazakhstan doesn't maintain a centralized Do Not Call registry, businesses must:

• Maintain their own suppression lists
• Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
• Regularly clean contact lists to remove unsubscribed numbers
• Implement systems to prevent messaging to opted-out numbers

Time Zone Sensitivity

Critical Time Restrictions:

• Promotional SMS prohibited between 9 PM and 9 AM local time (GMT+6)
• Messages sent during restricted hours will fail delivery
• Exception: Emergency notifications and service-related messages
• Best Practice: Schedule campaigns between 10 AM and 6 PM local time

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Kazakhstan

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported with pre-registration
Registration requirements:

• Mandatory pre-registration required
• No dynamic usage allowed
• Registration process takes approximately 3 weeks
• Documentation needed: Company registration, brand proof, use case description

Sender ID preservation: Yes, registered IDs are preserved across networks

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes not supported
• International long codes supported with limitations

Sender ID preservation: No, international long codes may be modified Provisioning time: N/A for domestic, immediate for international Use cases: Primarily for transactional and authentication messages

Short Codes

Support: Not currently supported in Kazakhstan Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Prohibited Content and Industries:

• Gambling and betting services
• Adult content
• Religious content
• Political messaging
• Cryptocurrency promotions

Regulated Industries:

• Financial services require additional documentation
• Healthcare messages must comply with privacy regulations

Content Filtering

Carrier Filtering Rules:

• Messages containing restricted keywords are automatically blocked
• URLs must be from approved domains
• Message content screened for prohibited terms

Best Practices to Avoid Blocking:

• Avoid excessive punctuation
• Don't use all capital letters
• Limit URL usage to necessary cases
• Use approved message templates when possible

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Kazakhstan

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear call-to-action
• Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
• Maintain consistent sender ID across campaigns

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit to 2-3 messages per week per recipient
• Respect religious holidays (especially Ramadan)
• Avoid weekends unless explicitly requested
• Schedule campaigns during business hours

Localization

• Support both Kazakh and Russian languages
• Allow language preference selection
• Use proper character encoding for local alphabets
• Consider cultural sensitivities in message content

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Maintain detailed opt-out logs
• Provide clear opt-out instructions
• Confirm opt-out status via SMS

Testing and Monitoring

• Test across all major carriers (Kcell, Beeline, Tele2)
• Monitor delivery rates by carrier
• Track opt-out rates and patterns
• Regular testing of opt-out functionality

SMS API integrations for Kazakhstan

Twilio

Twilio provides robust SMS capabilities for Kazakhstan through their REST API. Authentication requires your Account SID and Auth Token.

import { Twilio } from 'twilio';

// Initialize Twilio client
const client = new Twilio(process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);

async function sendSmsKazakhstan() {
    try {
        // Send message with registered alphanumeric sender ID
        const message = await client.messages.create({
            body: 'Your verification code is: 123456', // Message content
            from: 'YourBrand',  // Pre-registered sender ID
            to: '+77012345678', // Kazakhstan number format
            // Schedule within allowed hours (9 AM - 9 PM GMT+6)
            scheduleType: 'fixed',
            sendAt: new Date('2024-01-20T10:00:00+06:00')
        });
        
        console.log(`Message sent successfully: ${message.sid}`);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers SMS services for Kazakhstan with REST API integration. Authentication uses Bearer token.

import axios from 'axios';

async function sendSinchSms() {
    const SINCH_API_TOKEN = process.env.SINCH_API_TOKEN;
    const SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID = process.env.SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID;

    try {
        const response = await axios.post(
            `https://sms.api.sinch.com/xms/v1/${SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID}/batches`,
            {
                from: 'YourBrand', // Pre-registered sender ID
                to: ['+77012345678'],
                body: 'Your verification code is: 123456',
                // Additional Kazakhstan-specific parameters
                delivery_report: 'summary'
            },
            {
                headers: {
                    'Authorization': `Bearer ${SINCH_API_TOKEN}`,
                    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
                }
            }
        );
        
        console.log('Message sent:', response.data.id);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error:', error.response?.data || error.message);
    }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides SMS API access for Kazakhstan with specific features for the region.

import messagebird from 'messagebird';

const messageBirdClient = messagebird(process.env.MESSAGEBIRD_API_KEY);

function sendMessageBirdSms() {
    const params = {
        originator: 'YourBrand', // Pre-registered sender ID
        recipients: ['+77012345678'],
        body: 'Your verification code is: 123456',
        // Kazakhstan-specific parameters
        scheduledDatetime: null, // For immediate sending
        validity: 3600 // Message validity in seconds
    };

    messageBirdClient.messages.create(params, (err, response) => {
        if (err) {
            console.error('Error:', err);
            return;
        }
        console.log('Message sent:', response.id);
    });
}

Plivo

Plivo's SMS API supports Kazakhstan with specific regional configurations.

import plivo from 'plivo';

const client = new plivo.Client(
    process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_ID,
    process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN
);

async function sendPlivoSms() {
    try {
        const response = await client.messages.create({
            src: 'YourBrand', // Pre-registered sender ID
            dst: '+77012345678',
            text: 'Your verification code is: 123456',
            // Kazakhstan-specific options
            url: 'https://your-callback-url.com/status',
            method: 'POST'
        });
        
        console.log('Message sent:', response.messageUuid[0]);
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('Error:', error);
    }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Default rate limit: 100 messages per second
• Burst limit: 1000 messages per minute
• Daily quota: Based on account type and agreement

Strategies for Large-Scale Sending:

• Implement queue systems (Redis/RabbitMQ)
• Use batch APIs when available
• Schedule messages across permitted hours
• Monitor throughput and adjust sending rates

Error Handling and Reporting

Common Error Codes:

• 21614: Invalid destination (landline number)
• 21408: Message outside allowed hours
• 21611: Invalid sender ID

Logging Best Practices:

• Log all API responses
• Track delivery receipts
• Monitor bounce rates
• Implement retry logic for failed messages

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways

1. Compliance Priorities:

   • Pre-register sender IDs
   • Respect time window restrictions
   • Maintain proper consent records

2. Technical Requirements:

   • Use correct number formatting (+7)
   • Implement proper character encoding
   • Monitor delivery status

3. Best Practices:

   • Test thoroughly before large campaigns
   • Maintain clean contact lists
   • Regular monitoring and reporting

Next Steps

1. Review the Kazakhstan Telecommunications Law
2. Consult with local legal counsel for compliance
3. Register sender IDs with chosen provider
4. Implement testing environment

Additional Resources

• Ministry of Digital Development
• Telecom Operators Association
• Data Protection Guidelines

Contact Information:

• Regulatory Authority: +7 (7172) 74-99-99
• Technical Support: Available through your chosen SMS provider
• Legal Consultation: Local telecommunications law firms