Frequently Asked Questions
Use a reputable SMS provider like Twilio, Sinch, MessageBird, or Plivo. Their APIs offer integration with Taiwan's specific requirements. Remember to handle long codes appropriately, as sender IDs are often modified upon delivery.
Taiwan's mobile market is highly developed, but while apps like LINE are popular for personal use, SMS remains vital for business needs like authentication and marketing. Key operators include Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone.
Alphanumeric sender IDs are not supported for direct use, and long code sender IDs are modified by carriers. This is part of Taiwan's regulatory framework aimed at preventing spam and ensuring proper identification of message senders.
Avoid sending promotional messages between 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM, and also during the lunch break from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM Taiwan Standard Time (GMT+8). Emergency and service messages are exempt.
No, sending SMS messages to landline numbers in Taiwan is not supported. Attempts will result in a 400 response error (code 21614) with no message delivery and no charge incurred.
Standard SMS messages are 160 characters (GSM-7) or 70 characters (UCS-2). However, for Chinese characters, the limit is 65 characters per SMS. Longer messages will be concatenated.
Obtain explicit consent for marketing messages, adhere to strict time restrictions, register URLs with carriers, and regularly check numbers against the Do Not Call (DNC) registry managed by the NCC.
Gambling, adult content, financial loans, political or religious messages, controlled substances, alcohol, and links to messaging apps like WhatsApp or LINE are all prohibited in SMS content.
All marketing SMS must include opt-out instructions (STOP, CANCEL, etc. in both English and Chinese), and businesses are required to process and remove numbers from lists within 24 hours of the request.
Shortened URLs are strictly prohibited. Use full-length URLs and pre-register them with local carriers to ensure successful delivery and avoid content filtering issues.
Use UCS-2 encoding for messages containing Chinese characters. This ensures proper display on recipients' devices, especially given the prevalence of Android devices (around 65% market share).
Explicit consent, either written or electronic, is mandatory for marketing messages. Double opt-in, storing consent details (time, source), and regularly updating consent status are best practices.
The article does not detail specific penalties, but mentions that SMS communications are regulated by the National Communications Commission (NCC) and governed by the Telecommunications Act.
The National Communications Commission (NCC) website (www.ncc.gov.tw) and the Ministry of Justice website for the Personal Data Protection Act (www.moj.gov.tw/EN/pdpa) offer further resources.
Loading...
Taiwan SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Taiwan SMS Market Overview
Market Conditions: Taiwan has a highly developed mobile market with near-universal smartphone penetration. While OTT messaging apps like LINE dominate personal communications, SMS remains crucial for business communications, particularly for authentication, notifications, and marketing. The market is served by major operators including Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone. Android devices hold approximately 65% market share, with iOS devices accounting for most of the remainder.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Taiwan
Taiwan supports most standard SMS features with some restrictions, notably on sender IDs and content types, while maintaining strong compliance requirements for business messaging.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Taiwan for A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging. No exceptions or special provisions are available for enabling two-way communication.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is supported, though availability may vary by sender ID type.
Message length rules: Standard SMS length is 160 characters (GSM-7) or 70 characters (UCS-2) before splitting. For Chinese characters, the maximum is 65 characters per SMS.
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported. Messages containing Chinese characters automatically use UCS-2 encoding.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. Best Practice: When sending media content, ensure the URL is registered/allowlisted with local carriers to prevent delivery failures.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is available in Taiwan.
This feature does not significantly impact message delivery or routing as carriers handle the routing automatically.
Sending SMS to Landlines
SMS cannot be sent to landline numbers in Taiwan.
Attempts to send SMS to landline numbers will result in a 400 response error (code 21614), with no message delivery and no charge to the account.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Taiwan
Taiwan's SMS communications are regulated by the National Communications Commission (NCC) and governed by the Telecommunications Act. Companies must comply with both telecommunications regulations and the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) when handling customer data and sending messages.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Best Practices for Consent:
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Taiwan maintains a national Do Not Call (DNC) registry managed by the NCC.
Time Zone Sensitivity
Strict Time Restrictions:
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Taiwan
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Not supported for direct use
Registration requirements: No pre-registration available
Sender ID preservation: Sender IDs are overwritten with long codes outside platform
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Sender ID preservation: No, original sender IDs are not preserved
Provisioning time: Immediate to 24 hours
Use cases: Transactional messages, alerts, notifications
Short Codes
Support: Not currently available in Taiwan
Provisioning time: N/A
Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Prohibited Content and Industries:
Content Filtering
Carrier Filtering Rules:
Tips to Avoid Blocking:
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Taiwan
Messaging Strategy
Sending Frequency and Timing
Localization
Opt-Out Management
Testing and Monitoring
SMS API integrations for Taiwan
Twilio
Twilio provides a RESTful API for sending SMS messages to Taiwan. Authentication uses your Account SID and Auth Token.
Sinch
Sinch uses Bearer token authentication and provides a simple REST API for SMS delivery.
MessageBird
MessageBird offers a straightforward REST API with comprehensive delivery reporting.
Plivo
Plivo provides a REST API with authentication via Basic Auth using your Auth ID and Auth Token.
API Rate Limits and Throughput
Error Handling and Reporting
Recap and Additional Resources
Key Takeaways
Compliance Priorities
Technical Considerations
Next Steps
Additional Resources
Industry Associations: