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Lebanon SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Lebanon SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Lebanon
ISO code:
LB
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
415
Dialing Code
+961
Market Conditions: Lebanon has a vibrant mobile communications market with widespread SMS usage, though OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp have gained significant popularity. The country's main mobile operators are Alfa and Touch (formerly MTC Touch), providing comprehensive coverage across urban and rural areas. While both Android and iOS devices are common, Android holds a larger market share due to its wider range of affordable devices.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Lebanon
Lebanon supports basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features, focusing primarily on one-way messaging capabilities with support for concatenated messages and alphanumeric sender IDs.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Lebanon through standard A2P channels. Businesses should consider alternative communication channels like email or web forms for receiving customer responses.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is supported, though availability may vary by sender ID type. Message length rules: Standard 160 characters before splitting occurs using GSM-7 encoding. Encoding considerations: Messages using GSM-7 encoding allow 160 characters, while UCS-2 encoding (for Arabic and special characters) allows 70 characters per segment.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in Lebanon. 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 the ability to share rich media content.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Lebanon. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, simplifying message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Lebanon. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response error (code 21614), and the message will not be delivered or logged in the system.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Lebanon
SMS communications in Lebanon are regulated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). While specific SMS marketing laws are still evolving, businesses must adhere to general telecommunications regulations and international best practices for message consent and privacy.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending any marketing messages
Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Include clear terms of service and privacy policy information during opt-in
Specify the type and frequency of messages users can expect
Best Practices for Documentation:
Store consent records with timestamp and source
Maintain audit trails of opt-in methods
Regularly update and verify consent status
Implement double opt-in for marketing campaigns
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard opt-out keywords in both English and Arabic:
STOP/توقف
CANCEL/الغاء
HELP/مساعدة
Response messages to these commands should be sent in both English and Arabic
Opt-out confirmations must be sent immediately upon receiving a STOP command
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Lebanon does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Regularly clean contact lists to remove unsubscribed numbers
Implement automated systems to prevent messaging to opted-out numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Lebanon observes Eastern European Time (EET/UTC+2). Best practices include:
Send messages between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM local time
Avoid sending during religious holidays and Friday prayers
Consider Ramadan timing adjustments when applicable
Emergency messages may be sent outside these hours if necessary
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Lebanon
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Fully supported Registration requirements: No pre-registration required, dynamic usage supported Sender ID preservation: Yes, sender IDs are preserved as specified
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes supported but with limitations
Sender ID preservation: No, international numeric sender IDs are typically overwritten Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: Not recommended for marketing campaigns; better suited for transactional messages
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Lebanon Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Content Types:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content or explicit material
Political messaging without proper authorization
Cryptocurrency and unauthorized financial services
Religious content without proper permits
Regulated Industries:
Financial services require additional disclaimers
Healthcare messages must comply with privacy regulations
Insurance services need specific regulatory approvals
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filters:
URLs from unknown domains may be blocked
Messages containing specific keywords related to restricted content
Multiple exclamation marks or all-caps messages
Best Practices:
Avoid URL shorteners in messages
Use clear, professional language
Include company name in message
Avoid excessive punctuation and special characters
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Lebanon
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
Maintain consistent brand voice
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 2-4 messages per month per user
Respect religious and cultural observances
Avoid sending during major holidays
Space out messages appropriately
Localization
Support both Arabic and English
Use proper Arabic character encoding
Consider cultural nuances in message content
Ensure proper right-to-left text display for Arabic
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs in real-time
Send confirmation of opt-out
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Regular audit of opt-out compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test messages across both major carriers
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
SMS API integrations for Lebanon
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API with comprehensive support for Lebanon. Integration requires an account SID and auth token for authentication.
Key Parameters:
accountSid: Your Twilio account identifier
authToken: Your authentication token
from: Alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 characters)
to: Recipient number in E.164 format (+961)
body: Message content (supports Unicode)
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newTwilio(process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);// Function to send SMS to LebanonasyncfunctionsendSMSToLebanon( to:string, message:string, senderId:string):Promise<void>{try{// Validate Lebanon phone number formatif(!to.startsWith('+961')){thrownewError('Invalid Lebanon phone number format');}const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Alphanumeric sender ID to: to,// Optional parameters for delivery tracking statusCallback:'https://your-webhook.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers a straightforward REST API for sending SMS to Lebanon, requiring an API token and service plan ID.