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Bulk SMS in Taiwan: NCC, PDPA Consent and Sender ID Guide

Bulk SMS Taiwan guide: NCC, sender ID set-up with Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone, PDPA marketing opt-out and Traditional Chinese Unicode limits.

Updated 9 min read

By OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team · Reviewed by BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team

SMS & OTP

Short answer

To send bulk SMS in Taiwan, use a provider with routes to Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone, confirm your sender set-up with the operators, and use personal data only on a lawful basis under the Personal Data Protection Act. For marketing, the Act requires you to stop when a person objects and to give them a way to object at your cost. Traditional Chinese text is Unicode, so a message holds 70 characters (67 per part).

On this page
  1. What rules apply to bulk SMS in Taiwan?
  2. What does the PDPA require for SMS marketing?
  3. How do sender IDs work in Taiwan?
  4. Which operators carry SMS in Taiwan?
  5. How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?
  6. How does Traditional Chinese affect SMS length?
  7. How do objections and opt-outs work?
  8. When should you send?
  9. A worked example: a Taipei tea shop
  10. What are the common mistakes?
  11. How OmniChannels.ai helps

Key takeaways

  • The regulator in our regulation data is the National Communications Commission (NCC); sender requirements are set by the operators, with a typical lead time of 5 to 10 business days and alphanumeric IDs of up to 11 characters, with local script supported.
  • Article 20 of the Personal Data Protection Act requires a business using personal data for marketing to stop when the person objects, and to tell them how to object the first time it markets to them, at the business's expense.
  • Three networks appear in our coverage data, all with direct routes: Chunghwa Telecom (466-92), Taiwan Mobile (466-97) and FarEasTone (466-11).
  • Any Traditional Chinese character puts the whole message in Unicode, so one SMS holds 70 characters and each part of a longer message holds 67; a 72-character message becomes two parts.
  • We found no regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Taiwan; schedule promotions for local daytime and keep OTPs and alerts on a transactional route.

This guide is for retail, banking, e-commerce and service teams that want to send business SMS to mobile numbers in Taiwan: OTPs, delivery alerts, reminders and promotions. It explains which rules apply, what the Personal Data Protection Act means for marketing, how sender set-up works and how Traditional Chinese changes message length. It is a practical overview, not legal advice; confirm requirements with Taiwanese counsel and the operators before you launch.

What rules apply to bulk SMS in Taiwan?

Three layers apply: telecom regulation and operator policy, the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), and your own consent records. None is a single "bulk SMS law", so you assemble the picture from each.

Layer What it covers Where to check
NCC and the operators (Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, FarEasTone) Telecom regulation, sender set-up, routes, filtering ncc.gov.tw
Personal Data Protection Act Lawful bases, marketing objection, penalties Law database
Your own records Proof of when and how each number agreed Your CRM or consent log

Our regulation data names the National Communications Commission (NCC) as the regulator and records that sender requirements are set by the operators, so the rule that matters on launch day is the one your operator route enforces.

What does the PDPA require for SMS marketing?

It requires a lawful basis to use personal data and, whatever that basis, makes you stop marketing to anyone who objects. Article 19 lists the bases for collection and processing by non-government agencies, and one of them is the data subject's consent. Article 20 covers use, and its marketing provisions are the part that matters for SMS.

  • Stop on objection (article 20, paragraph 2). When a business uses personal data for marketing and the person objects, it must cease using their data for marketing.
  • Tell people how to object (article 20, paragraph 3). The first time you use someone's data for marketing, you must give them the means to object, and you bear the cost.
  • Penalties (article 48). A breach of those paragraphs leads first to an order to rectify within a set period, then to fines, which the English text of the Act sets at NT$20,000 to NT$200,000 and which can be repeated until the breach is corrected.

The Act was amended with a promulgation date of 11 November 2025. Law-firm summaries describe a new independent data protection authority and breach notification duties, with the effective date set by the Executive Yuan, so check the current text and dates before you rely on any summary.

A safe routine follows:

  1. Capture consent with a record: the exact wording shown, the date and time, the channel and the number.
  2. Name the sender and the purpose at sign-up, for example "茶好 會員優惠簡訊".
  3. Include an objection route in the first marketing SMS and every one after it.
  4. Honour objections immediately and keep one suppression list across campaigns and channels.
  5. Do not buy lists. Purchased numbers have no consent trail.

Our opt-in consent generator drafts wording, and the guide to opt-in consent across channels shows how to record it. See also opt-in and opt-out.

How do sender IDs work in Taiwan?

Taiwan supports alphanumeric sender IDs of up to 11 characters, and our regulation data notes that local script is supported. The operators set the requirements and the process is confirmed at onboarding. Our published lead time is 5 to 10 business days; treat it as typical, not guaranteed.

Step What to do
1. Classify Decide which traffic is transactional (OTP, alerts) and which is promotional, and plan one sender for each
2. Choose names Use your registered business or brand name; avoid names that imitate banks, operators or public bodies
3. Prepare documents Company registration papers and an authorisation letter naming the senders and your provider
4. Submit Your provider files with the operators; track each approval
5. Test Send an OTP and a promotion to Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone handsets and check what each shows

Our sender ID letter generator drafts the letter, and you can check the position with the sender ID checker or the Taiwan sender ID page. If you want us to prepare and file the registration with you, see registrations; approval decisions stay with the operators and regulators. For formats, read SMS sender ID types explained, and see alphanumeric sender ID.

Many Taiwanese brands also put their name at the start of the message body in brackets, as in the examples below. That is a copywriting habit, not a verified rule, and it uses characters from your limit.

Which operators carry SMS in Taiwan?

Three mobile networks appear in our coverage data, each with a direct route.

Operator MCC-MNC
Chunghwa Telecom 466-92
Taiwan Mobile 466-97
FarEasTone 466-11

Our regulation data names only Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile for sender set-up, so confirm FarEasTone requirements at onboarding. Read delivery reports per operator, not as one blended figure. A healthy total can hide a weak network, and our guide to improving SMS delivery rates shows how to diagnose it.

How should you separate OTP and promotional traffic?

Keep OTPs, order alerts and service messages on their own sender and route, and promotions on another. A promotion inside an OTP puts login codes at risk if the promotional route is filtered or a customer complains.

Traffic Example Practice
Transactional OTP, payment confirmation, delivery alert No offer inside; own sender; any hour
Promotional Sale, new product, loyalty offer Consented numbers only; objection route in the message; daytime schedule
Mixed "您的訂單已出貨，下次購物享九折" Avoid; the offer makes it promotional

For OTP design and security, read our OTP authentication messages guide.

How does Traditional Chinese affect SMS length?

Any Chinese character makes the whole message Unicode, so one SMS holds 70 characters and each part of a longer message holds 67. The count includes digits, punctuation, spaces and any bracketed brand tag, and full-width punctuation counts as one character each. See Unicode SMS, 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
【茶好】您的驗證碼為 482913，請勿告訴任何人。 Unicode 26 1
【茶好】您的訂單 2087 將於明天上午 10 點至 12 點送達。 Unicode 34 1
【茶好】週末買二送一，限本週日前。詳情與退訂：chahao.example/o Unicode 39 1
【茶好】會員週末限定：全館茶葉買二送一，並加贈試飲包一份，活動至本週日 23:59 止。詳情 chahao.example/o 退訂請回覆 TD Unicode 72 2
ChaHao: your code is 482913. Do not share it. GSM-7 45 1

The fourth message is only two characters over the single-message limit and becomes two parts, so trim it rather than pay for a second part. The last row shows that an English-only message stays in GSM-7 at 160. Keep Traditional Chinese copy in Traditional characters for Taiwan. Check final copy in the SMS character counter; see SMS character limits and Unicode.

How do objections and opt-outs work?

Give a clear objection route in every promotional SMS and apply it to all channels. Our regulation data lists a STOP keyword as handled for Taiwan, but a Chinese-language audience is better served by an instruction in Chinese, such as a short reply word or a link, so decide the mechanism with your provider and test it before launch. Under article 20 the means of objecting must cost the person nothing, so avoid routes that charge them. Do not send a promotion to anyone who has objected.

When should you send?

We have not found a regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Taiwan, and our regulation data records none. Agree sending hours with your provider, send promotions in local daytime (Taiwan is UTC+8) 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 Taipei tea shop

"茶好" (synthetic) has 20 shops and an online store, and wants OTPs, delivery alerts and a weekend offer.

  • It sets up two senders, one for transactional and one for promotional traffic, and tests both on Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone.
  • It collects consent at checkout and in store, storing the wording, timestamp and number, and tells members how to object in the first marketing message.
  • OTPs and alerts stay near 30 characters so they remain one part.
  • The weekend offer is trimmed to under 70 characters, scheduled for local daytime and checked against its suppression list.
  • Objections from replies and the link feed one list that also covers WhatsApp and email.

What are the common mistakes?

  • No objection route. Article 20 expects you to give people one at first marketing use.
  • No consent evidence. Without a timestamp and source you cannot answer a complaint.
  • Look-alike sender names that imitate banks, operators or public bodies.
  • Ignoring encoding. A message two characters over 70 doubles its cost.
  • Mixing OTP and promotion on one sender.
  • Using Simplified characters. Taiwan readers expect Traditional.
  • Relying on a summary of the PDPA. The Act was amended in November 2025; read the current text.

How OmniChannels.ai helps

OmniChannels.ai is powered by BroadNet, which has direct routes to Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone in our coverage data. We prepare and file sender registration with you, support Unicode content in Traditional Chinese, scheduled sends and WhatsApp with SMS fallback, and give you per-operator delivery reports, with SMPP 3.4 for high volume. For indicative list prices, see the Taiwan SMS pricing page, then book a demo. Small team? Our SMS marketing guide for small businesses covers the basics.

Frequently asked questions

Is bulk SMS legal in Taiwan?

Yes. Businesses send OTPs, alerts and marketing SMS, provided they use a legitimate route, have a lawful basis to use the numbers and respect objections to marketing. No single statute is called a bulk SMS law, so the rules come from the NCC, the operators and the Personal Data Protection Act. Confirm the details with Taiwanese counsel.

Do I need consent to send promotional SMS in Taiwan?

Plan on documented consent. The Personal Data Protection Act lists consent among the bases for collecting and processing personal data, and our regulation data calls for verifiable opt-in. Whatever your basis, article 20 requires you to stop marketing to a person who objects. Keep the wording, timestamp, channel and number.

What does the PDPA require for marketing messages?

Under article 20, a non-government agency using personal data for marketing must cease when the data subject objects, and the first time it markets it must tell the person how to object and bear the cost. Article 48 provides for a rectification order and then fines. Check the current text, since the Act was amended in November 2025.

Why is my Chinese SMS limited to 70 characters?

Chinese characters are not in the GSM 7-bit alphabet, so any message that contains one is sent as Unicode (UCS-2), which holds 70 characters in a single message and 67 per part when concatenated. Counting includes punctuation, digits, spaces and the brackets of a sender tag. Test final copy in a character counter.

Can I use an alphanumeric sender ID in Taiwan?

Our regulation data says alphanumeric IDs of up to 11 characters are supported, with local script supported, and that the operators set the requirements. Support can differ by operator, so test the sender on Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone handsets before launch. We can prepare and file the registration with you.

How long does sender registration take in Taiwan?

Our published lead time for Taiwan is 5 to 10 business days. That is a typical range, not a promise. Operators review the application, and missing company documents can add time. Build it into your launch plan and use our team to prepare and file the registration.

Sources

  1. Personal Data Protection Act, Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
  2. National Communications Commission (NCC), Taiwan
  3. New Developments in the Taiwan Personal Data Protection Act, JD Supra
  4. 3GPP TS 23.038: Alphabets and language-specific information

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