Russia SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Russia SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: Russia has a robust mobile messaging ecosystem with high SMS adoption rates. The market is dominated by major operators including MTS, MegaFon, VEON (Beeline), and Tele2. While OTT messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp are popular for personal communications, SMS remains critical for business messaging, particularly for authentication, notifications, and marketing. Android devices hold approximately 70% market share compared to iOS at around 30%, influencing messaging capabilities and user experience.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Russia

Russia supports standard SMS messaging features with some restrictions on sender IDs and specific compliance requirements for business messaging.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Russia through standard A2P messaging channels. Businesses must use alternative communication methods for receiving customer responses.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Yes, concatenated messaging is supported, though availability may vary by sender ID type.
Message length rules: Standard 160 characters per message segment using GSM-7 encoding.
Encoding considerations: Messages support both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding. When using UCS-2 for Cyrillic characters, the message length is limited to 70 characters per segment.

MMS Support

MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This ensures compatibility across all devices while still allowing rich media content to be shared through a web-based experience.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is available in Russia. This feature allows users to keep their phone numbers when switching between mobile operators, with minimal impact on SMS delivery or routing.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Russia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and an error response (400 error code 21614) from the messaging API.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Russia

Russia maintains strict regulations for SMS communications, overseen by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications (Roskomnadzor) and the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media (Minkomsvyaz). Businesses must comply with Federal Law No. 126-FZ "On Communications" and data protection regulations.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Written or electronic consent must be obtained before sending marketing messages
• Consent records must be maintained and readily available for audit
• Documentation should include timestamp, source, and scope of consent
• Penalties of up to 500,000 RUB may apply per message sent without valid consent

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

• All SMS campaigns must support HELP and STOP commands in Russian
• Common Russian keywords include:
  • СТОП (STOP)
  • ПОМОЩЬ (HELP)
  • ОТПИСАТЬСЯ (UNSUBSCRIBE)
• Messages must include clear opt-out instructions in Russian

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

Russia maintains a national Do Not Disturb registry managed by Roskomnadzor. Best practices include:

• Regular checks against the registry database
• Maintaining internal suppression lists
• Immediate processing of opt-out requests
• Proactive filtering of registered numbers before campaign execution

Time Zone Sensitivity

Russia spans 11 time zones, requiring careful message timing:

• Permitted Hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM local time
• Time Zone Consideration: Messages must be scheduled according to recipient's local time
• Exception: Emergency notifications may be sent outside these hours

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Russia

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported with restrictions
Registration requirements: Pre-registration required; no dynamic usage allowed
Sender ID preservation: Preserved only for registered IDs before July 2024
Note: Support will be discontinued after July 2024 for new registrations

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International: Neither domestic nor international long codes are supported
Sender ID preservation: N/A
Provisioning time: N/A
Use cases: Not available for messaging in Russia

Short Codes

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

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Prohibited Content and Industries:

• Gambling and betting services
• Alcohol and tobacco products
• Adult content and pornography
• Unauthorized pharmaceutical promotions
• Political campaign messages without proper authorization
• Advertising for non-registered legal entities

Content Filtering

Carrier Filtering Rules:

• Messages containing restricted keywords are automatically blocked
• URLs must be from approved domains
• Message content must match registered sender ID's business profile

Best Practices to Avoid Blocking:

• Avoid URL shorteners
• Use registered and approved sender names
• Maintain consistent message patterns
• Include clear business identification

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Russia

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear call-to-action
• Use approved templates for transactional messages
• Personalize content using recipient's name or relevant details

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit to 2-3 messages per week per recipient
• Respect Russian holidays and cultural events
• Avoid sending during major national celebrations
• Monitor engagement rates to optimize timing

Localization

• Primary content should be in Russian
• Use proper Russian character encoding (UCS-2)
• Consider regional language variations
• Include company name in Russian when possible

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Maintain centralized opt-out database
• Provide clear opt-out instructions in Russian
• Confirm opt-out status via confirmation message

Testing and Monitoring

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

SMS API integrations for Russia

Twilio

Twilio provides robust SMS capabilities for sending messages to Russia through their REST API. Authentication requires your Account SID and Auth Token.

import { Twilio } from 'twilio';

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

// Function to send SMS to Russia
async function sendSmsToRussia(to: string, message: string) {
  try {
    // Ensure number is in E.164 format for Russia (+7)
    const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+7') ? to : `+7${to}`;
    
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      to: formattedNumber,
      // Use registered alphanumeric sender ID
      from: 'YourSenderID',
      // Optional: Specify status callback URL
      statusCallback: 'https://your-callback-url.com/status'
    });
    
    console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers direct carrier connections in Russia with support for alphanumeric sender IDs. Their REST API requires API Token authentication.

import axios from 'axios';

class SinchSmsService {
  private readonly baseUrl = 'https://sms.api.sinch.com/xms/v1';
  private readonly apiToken: string;
  private readonly servicePlanId: string;

  constructor(apiToken: string, servicePlanId: string) {
    this.apiToken = apiToken;
    this.servicePlanId = servicePlanId;
  }

  async sendSms(to: string, message: string) {
    try {
      const response = await axios.post(
        `${this.baseUrl}/${this.servicePlanId}/batches`,
        {
          from: 'YourSenderID',
          to: [to],
          body: message,
          // Enable delivery reports
          delivery_report: 'summary'
        },
        {
          headers: {
            'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiToken}`,
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
          }
        }
      );
      
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sinch SMS error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides SMS services for Russia with support for message status tracking and delivery reports.

import messagebird from 'messagebird';

class MessageBirdService {
  private client: any;

  constructor(apiKey: string) {
    this.client = messagebird(apiKey);
  }

  sendSms(to: string, message: string): Promise<any> {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      this.client.messages.create({
        originator: 'YourSenderID',
        recipients: [to],
        body: message,
        // Specify Russian language for proper character encoding
        type: 'unicode'
      }, (err: any, response: any) => {
        if (err) {
          reject(err);
        } else {
          resolve(response);
        }
      });
    });
  }
}

Plivo

Plivo offers SMS capabilities for Russia with support for high-volume messaging and detailed delivery tracking.

import plivo from 'plivo';

class PlivoSmsService {
  private client: any;

  constructor(authId: string, authToken: string) {
    this.client = new plivo.Client(authId, authToken);
  }

  async sendSms(to: string, message: string) {
    try {
      const response = await this.client.messages.create({
        src: 'YourSenderID', // Registered sender ID
        dst: to, // Destination number
        text: message,
        // Optional parameters for Russian messages
        type: 'unicode',
        url: 'https://your-callback-url.com/status'
      });
      
      return response;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Plivo SMS error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Standard rate limit: 30 messages per second
• Burst limit: 100 messages per minute
• Daily sending quota varies by provider and account type

Strategies for Large-Scale Sending:

• Implement queuing system with Redis or RabbitMQ
• Use batch sending APIs where available
• Monitor throughput and adjust sending rates
• Implement exponential backoff for retries

Error Handling and Reporting

• Implement comprehensive logging with Winston or Bunyan
• Track delivery rates and failures by carrier
• Monitor message status callbacks
• Set up alerts for unusual error patterns
• Store delivery receipts for compliance

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways

1. Compliance First: Always obtain explicit consent and maintain records
2. Sender ID Registration: Required for all business messaging
3. Time Sensitivity: Respect local time zones and sending hours
4. Content Guidelines: Follow strict content restrictions and filtering rules

Next Steps

1. Review Regulations
   • Contact Roskomnadzor for current guidelines
   • Review Federal Law No. 126-FZ requirements
2. Legal Consultation
   • Engage local counsel for compliance review
   • Verify consent collection processes
3. Technical Setup
   • Register sender IDs with chosen provider
   • Implement proper character encoding
   • Set up delivery tracking

Additional Resources

• Roskomnadzor Official Website
• Russian Communications Law Portal
• Federal Law No. 126-FZ Documentation