Bulk SMS in the Netherlands: ACM, Consent and Sender Guide
Bulk SMS Netherlands guide: ACM and the spam ban (article 11.7 Telecommunicatiewet), AVG consent, KPN, Vodafone and Odido routes, sender names and Dutch text.
By OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team · Reviewed by BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team
SMS & OTP
Short answer
To send bulk SMS in the Netherlands, use a provider with routes to KPN, Vodafone and Odido, get prior consent you can prove before any commercial SMS (the spam ban in article 11.7 of the Telecommunicatiewet, enforced by ACM, plus the GDPR), identify yourself clearly and add a free, quick way to unsubscribe. An alphanumeric sender of up to 11 characters is listed in our data. Plain Dutch fits GSM-7 at 160 characters.
On this page
- What rules apply to bulk SMS in the Netherlands?
- Do you need consent to send commercial SMS in the Netherlands?
- How do identity and unsubscribe rules work?
- How do sender names work in the Netherlands?
- Which operators carry SMS in the Netherlands?
- How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?
- Does Dutch text fit in GSM-7?
- When should you send?
- A worked example: a bakery chain in Utrecht
- What are the common mistakes?
- How OmniChannels.ai helps
Key takeaways
- ACM enforces the spam ban in article 11.7 of the Dutch Telecommunicatiewet: commercial electronic messages need prior consent, with a narrow exception for existing customers and related products, and every message must offer an easy, free way to unsubscribe.
- ACM says you can prove consent up to 5 years after sending, and pre-ticked boxes, consent under pressure or acceptance through general terms do not count.
- Our regulation data names ACM and the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) as the authorities, alphanumeric IDs up to 11 characters, requirements set by the operators and a free-form lead time.
- Three mobile networks appear in our coverage data, all with direct routes: KPN (204-08), Vodafone Netherlands (204-04) and Odido (204-16).
- Dutch fits GSM-7 for everyday text, but the trema letters ë and ï, and the circumflex in words like pâtisserie, are outside the default alphabet and push a message to Unicode at 70 characters.
This guide is for marketing, e-commerce, fintech and operations teams that want to send business SMS to Dutch mobile numbers: OTPs, delivery alerts, appointment reminders and promotions. It covers who regulates what, how the spam ban and consent work, how sender names behave and how Dutch text affects message length. It is a practical overview, not legal advice; confirm your set-up with Dutch counsel before launch.
What rules apply to bulk SMS in the Netherlands?
Three layers apply: the spam ban in the Telecommunicatiewet, the GDPR (in Dutch, AVG) and operator policy. Our regulation data names two authorities, ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt) and the AP (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).
| Layer | What it covers | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunicatiewet, article 11.7 | The spam ban: prior consent for commercial electronic messages, existing-customer exception, unsubscribe, sender identity | ACM guidance |
| GDPR (AVG) | Lawful basis, quality of consent, right to object | EUR-Lex, AP |
| Operators | Routes, filtering, sender name handling | Confirmed at onboarding |
ACM states that these rules apply to the sender who gives the instruction, to the party who presses send and to companies that help with sending, such as suppliers of address lists. In an SMS programme that means your provider and any list vendor share the exposure, so choose partners carefully.
Do you need consent to send commercial SMS in the Netherlands?
Yes. Plan on prior consent for every commercial SMS. ACM says commercial messages by email, SMS or WhatsApp may only go to people who gave consent beforehand, and the consent must be a deliberate choice that clearly covers advertising. Pre-ticked boxes, consent obtained under pressure and acceptance through general terms do not count. ACM adds that you can prove consent up to 5 years after sending, so keep the records.
An exception exists for existing customers. ACM describes it as unsolicited messages about products or services related to their earlier purchases, provided customers can opt out and you are clearly identifiable. It is narrow, so do not build the whole programme on it and check your case with a lawyer.
Our regulation data records that GDPR-compliant opt-in is required and that double opt-in is the operator-preferred standard for marketing. A safe routine:
- Show clear wording at sign-up: who is sending, what kind of messages and how often, for example "Aanbiedingen van Bakkerij De Molen per sms".
- Use an unticked box and keep SMS consent separate from terms and conditions.
- Confirm the number with a code or reply, ideally with a link to a page where the person can also unsubscribe, which ACM has cited as a way to demonstrate consent in telemarketing supervision.
- Store the evidence: wording shown, date and time, channel and number.
- Do not buy lists. Purchased numbers have no consent trail.
Our opt-in consent generator drafts the wording, and opt-in consent across channels shows how to record it. See opt-in.
How do identity and unsubscribe rules work?
Tell recipients who you are and give a free, quick way to stop in every commercial message. ACM says you must make clear who is sending, for example with your business name, and you must not use an alias or fictional name. The unsubscribe must be quick, with no lengthy questionnaires, and free, not paid for with personal data or another counter-service. A Dutch court ruling summarised by ACM also holds that an unsubscribe option that only works at an intermediary is not enough, so the opt-out must reach the party on whose behalf you send.
Our regulation data records that the STOP keyword is honoured network-wide and that opt-out is one step and holds until the person consents again. Put a short line in each promotion, such as "Afmelden: demolen.example/stop", and feed replies and clicks into one suppression list shared with WhatsApp and email. See opt-out.
How do sender names work in the Netherlands?
Business SMS can use an alphanumeric sender ID of up to 11 characters, and our data notes that a numeric long number is also supported. Requirements are set by the operators and the lead time reads "free-form" in our data, so treat timing as agreed during onboarding.
| Choice | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Alphanumeric (up to 11 characters) | Shows your brand name | Recipients cannot reply |
| Numeric long number | Supports replies | Less brand recognition |
Published guidance on Dutch sender handling varies and we found no primary source from the regulator, so send a test of each sender to KPN, Vodafone and Odido handsets. Use your real business name, since ACM says an alias or fictional name is not acceptable, and avoid generic labels or names that imitate banks or authorities.
Draft the letter with our sender ID letter generator, check the position with the sender ID checker or the Netherlands sender ID page, and read sender ID types explained. If you want us to prepare and file anything the operators require, see registrations; decisions stay with the operators.
Which operators carry SMS in the Netherlands?
Three mobile networks appear in our coverage data, each with a direct route:
| Operator | MCC-MNC |
|---|---|
| KPN | 204-08 |
| Vodafone Netherlands | 204-04 |
| Odido (formerly T-Mobile Netherlands) | 204-16 |
Our regulation data names KPN and Vodafone Netherlands in the sender ID rules, and the coverage data adds Odido as the third route. Read delivery reports per operator rather than a blended rate; improving SMS delivery rates explains how to diagnose gaps.
How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?
Keep OTPs, order alerts and reminders on their own sender and route, with no offers inside. A mixed message is commercial, which brings the consent rules above, and it risks login codes if marketing traffic is filtered.
| Traffic | Example | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional | OTP, shipping update, appointment reminder | No offers inside; own sender; any hour |
| Promotional | Sale, new product, loyalty offer | Provable consent; unsubscribe line; daytime schedule |
| Mixed | "Uw pakket is onderweg. Nu 10% korting!" | Avoid; the offer makes it commercial |
For code length and expiry see the OTP authentication messages guide and the OTP service.
Does Dutch text fit in GSM-7?
Mostly yes. Plain Dutch uses letters in the GSM 7-bit alphabet, so one message holds 160 characters (153 per part when split). The default alphabet includes é, è and ü, but not ë, ï or â, and the curly apostrophe and emoji are also outside it. One such character moves the whole message to Unicode with 70 characters (67 per part). See GSM-7 and concatenated SMS.
| Encoding | Single message | Per part when concatenated |
|---|---|---|
| GSM 7-bit | 160 characters | 153 |
| Unicode (UCS-2) | 70 characters | 67 |
These examples were counted against the limits:
| Message | Encoding | Characters | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
Uw code is 482913. Deze is 10 minuten geldig. Deel hem met niemand. Bakkerij De Molen |
GSM-7 | 85 | 1 |
Bakkerij De Molen: 2 broodjes voor de prijs van 1 op zaterdag! Info: demolen.example/s. Afmelden: demolen.example/stop |
GSM-7 | 118 | 1 |
Bakkerij De Molen: uw bestelling 1042 ligt morgen klaar. Ophalen voor 17.00 uur. |
GSM-7 | 80 | 1 |
Bakkerij De Molen: nieuw bij ons, pâtisserie voor het weekend! Info: demolen.example/s. Afmelden: demolen.example/stop |
Unicode | 118 | 2 |
The last row shows what a single â does: the same length message goes from one part to two. Check final copy in the SMS character counter and read SMS character limits and Unicode for other scripts.
When should you send?
We have not found a regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in the Netherlands, and our regulation data records none. Agree sending hours with your provider, send promotions in local daytime (Central European Time, UTC+1, or UTC+2 in summer) and avoid late evenings. OTPs and alerts can go at any hour. The send time planner helps schedule campaigns, and SMS marketing rules by country compares hours across markets.
A worked example: a bakery chain in Utrecht
"Bakkerij De Molen" (synthetic) has 15 shops and wants pickup alerts, loyalty-app OTPs and a weekly offer.
- It collects SMS consent at the till and in the app with a confirmation step, keeps the records and stores the wording shown.
- OTPs and pickup alerts use a separate sender and plain GSM-7 text with no offers inside.
- The weekly offer goes only to confirmed numbers, names the bakery in the sender and message, and ends with a free unsubscribe line.
- Copy is counted before sending, and words with ë or â are rewritten so each message stays at one part.
- WhatsApp is offered as a second opt-in channel; see the Netherlands WhatsApp pricing page.
What are the common mistakes?
- Pre-ticked boxes or consent buried in terms. ACM says these do not count.
- No proof of consent. You may need to show it years later.
- Fictional or generic sender names. Use your real business name.
- Unsubscribe that costs something or needs a long form.
- Relying on the existing-customer exception for unrelated offers.
- A single trema or emoji that doubles the part count.
How OmniChannels.ai helps
OmniChannels.ai is powered by BroadNet, which has direct routes to KPN, Vodafone Netherlands and Odido in our coverage data. We support consent-aware campaigns with duplicate and suppression handling, Dutch and Unicode content, per-operator delivery reports and SMPP 3.4 for high volume, and we prepare and file any sender registration with you. For indicative list prices see the Netherlands SMS pricing page, then book a demo. Neighbouring markets: the Germany guide and the Belgium guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is bulk SMS legal in the Netherlands?
Yes, for OTPs, service messages and consented marketing. Article 11.7 of the Telecommunicatiewet prohibits unsolicited commercial electronic messages without prior consent, ACM supervises it, and the GDPR (AVG) applies to the phone numbers. Have Dutch counsel review your sign-up flow and your use of the existing-customer exception.
Do I need consent to send promotional SMS in the Netherlands?
Plan on it. ACM says commercial messages by SMS, email or WhatsApp may only go to people who gave consent beforehand, through a deliberate choice that clearly covers advertising. Our regulation data adds that GDPR-compliant opt-in is required and double opt-in is the operator-preferred standard. Keep proof of consent.
Can I message existing customers without new consent?
ACM describes an exception for existing customers: you may send unsolicited messages about products or services related to their earlier purchases, if they can opt out and you are clearly identifiable as the sender. The detail matters, such as how the number was collected, so ask a Dutch lawyer before relying on it.
Do I need to register an alphanumeric sender in the Netherlands?
Our regulation data says requirements are set by the operators, and the lead time is free-form, with BroadNet confirming the current position during onboarding. Published guidance on Dutch sender handling varies, so send test messages to KPN, Vodafone and Odido handsets and avoid generic names.
What must a commercial SMS include?
ACM says you must make clear who is sending, for example with your business name, without an alias or fictional name, and every message needs a way to unsubscribe that is quick and free. Our regulation data also records that STOP is honoured network-wide. Put the unsubscribe line inside the message.
Do Dutch letters need Unicode?
Usually not. Plain Dutch uses letters in the GSM 7-bit alphabet, so 160 characters fit in one message. The ë and ï in words such as financiële or ideeën, the â in pâtisserie, curly apostrophes and emoji are not in it and move the whole message to Unicode with a 70-character limit.
Sources
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