Through any SMS gateway in France, A2P SMS goes out from an alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 Latin letters and digits) or from an official short number. French mobile numbers cannot be used for automated messages, numeric-only sender IDs are banned outside official short numbers, marketing must carry a STOP opt-out and is limited to 08:00 to 21:30, Monday to Saturday.
Rules last checked: October 2026.
Who sets the rules
Two sources shape A2P SMS in France. ARCEP, the telecom regulator, manages the national numbering plan. The AF2M (the French mobile multimedia association of operators and messaging providers) publishes the Charte Business Messaging, the code of conduct that operators and aggregators enforce. The sender ID rules have applied since March 2025, and an updated charter covering SMS, conversational SMS and RCS has applied since 1 March 2026. Consumer and data protection law (the Consumer Code and the CNIL's guidance) add consent and opt-out duties.
Sender ID rules and recent changes
- Format: at most 11 characters, Latin letters A to Z and digits only. Spaces, accents, punctuation and other special characters are not accepted, and some providers have rejected them outright since 1 March 2026.
- No numeric-only senders: a sender ID made only of digits is banned unless it is an official short number. A sender must not look like a phone number.
- No generic words: terms that do not point to a specific brand, such as INFO, ALERT, PAYMENT, DELIVERY, RDV or BANK, are refused.
- Two blocked categories: "strictly forbidden" IDs are always blocked, while "forbidden unless authorized" IDs (protected brands, banks, public bodies) need written permission from the owner and a declaration before use.
Whether you must register your sender ID in advance depends on the provider: some treat registration as mandatory for all A2P traffic, others only check against the charter lists. Ask your route provider before launch. More in how sender ID registration works.
Numbers and short codes
| Sender type | Status in France as of 2026 |
|---|---|
| Alphanumeric | The standard for A2P, must follow the AF2M charter |
| Short number (5 digits) | Supported, dedicated or shared; used for two-way and STOP replies |
| French mobile number (06, 07) | Reserved for person-to-person use since 1 January 2023; A2P from them is blocked |
| International numeric sender | Not supported, usually overwritten |
Automated services that need a number use specific ranges set by ARCEP rather than 06 or 07. Some smaller networks overwrite alphanumeric IDs with a short code. See SMS short codes explained.
Opt-out, consent and sending hours
Marketing SMS needs prior consent and every promotional message must offer a free way to opt out. The common form is a "STOP" mention pointing to a short number at the end of the message; some providers add it automatically and overwrite the sender ID if it is missing. A web link is also accepted as an opt-out method, but a mobile phone number is not.
Promotional messages are allowed from 08:00 to 21:30 French time, preferably Monday to Saturday. The 2026 charter tolerates Sundays and public holidays but advises against them, and many routes still filter or block them, so treat them as off limits. Transactional messages (OTP, delivery and account alerts) can be sent at any time. See transactional vs promotional SMS.
Restricted content
- adult content, controlled substances and cannabis are prohibited; CBD and political messages are specifically regulated
- since 1 July 2025, telemarketing by SMS for energy renovation, renewable energy and home adaptation works is banned
- gambling traffic is refused by some providers
- public URL shorteners are often filtered: use your own domain
More in SMS content restrictions.
Mobile networks, encoding and OTP
The four network operators are Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile, with MVNOs such as NRJ Mobile, Lycamobile and Lebara on top. French accents matter for length: é, è and à are in GSM-7, but ê, â, î, ô and ç are not, and one of them switches the message to Unicode with 70 characters per part. See GSM-7 vs Unicode.
For OTP, use a branded alphanumeric ID (not "VERIFY" or "CODE"), keep the message short and without links, and do not send codes from a French mobile number. Test each of the four networks separately and compare delivery reports with real handsets; how to test an SMS route explains the method, and OTP SMS best practices covers code length and expiry.
See coverage on the France SMS destination page and our A2P SMS routes. VoIPMatcher sources the route from its carriers and manages it; buyers and sellers never see each other. Request a France SMS route.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send SMS from a French mobile number?
Not for automated messages. Since 1 January 2023 French mobile numbers starting with 06 and 07 are reserved for person to person use, and A2P traffic from them is blocked. Business messages go out from an alphanumeric sender ID that follows the AF2M charter or from an official short number. Automated services that need a number use specific ARCEP ranges.
Is STOP mandatory in French marketing SMS?
Every promotional message must offer a free way to opt out. The usual form is a STOP mention pointing to a short number at the end of the message, and some providers add it automatically. A web link is also accepted, but a mobile phone number is not. Transactional messages such as OTPs do not need it.
Can I send marketing SMS on Sunday in France?
Avoid it. Promotional SMS is allowed from 08:00 to 21:30 French time, preferably Monday to Saturday. The 2026 charter tolerates Sundays and public holidays but advises against them, and many routes still filter or block them. OTP, delivery and account alerts can be sent at any time.
Do I need to register a sender ID in France?
It depends on the provider. Some treat sender ID registration as mandatory for all A2P traffic, while others only check IDs against the AF2M charter lists of forbidden and protected names. Either way, the ID must have at most 11 Latin letters and digits and point to your brand. Ask your route provider before launch.
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