Definition
A2P SMS (application-to-person SMS) is a text message sent by a software application to a mobile user, such as an OTP, delivery alert or marketing offer, rather than by one person to another.
A2P traffic starts in a business system — a CRM, an e-commerce backend, an authentication service — and reaches the handset through an SMS API or an SMPP connection to a provider, which routes it to the recipient’s mobile operator.
Operators treat A2P differently from person-to-person traffic. They usually charge a termination rate for it, may require sender ID registration and content templates, and apply filtering to block traffic that arrives over unapproved routes.
Common A2P use cases are one-time passwords, transaction and delivery notifications, appointment reminders and promotional campaigns. Regulators and operators often separate transactional and promotional A2P, with different rules on content, sender IDs and sending hours.
In the GCC, A2P SMS is generally subject to sender ID registration and to rules on promotional content set by the national regulator and operators; the exact requirements are confirmed per country at onboarding.
A frequent mistake is sending A2P traffic from consumer SIM cards or unapproved routes. Operators detect this and block it, and delivery becomes unreliable.
Example
Your Acme Bank verification code is 482913. It expires in 5 minutes. Do not share it with anyone.