Definition
Bulk SMS is the sending of the same or personalised text message to a large list of recipients in one operation, typically for marketing campaigns, announcements or alerts.
Bulk sends are usually uploaded as a CSV or Excel file or triggered through an API, with variables for personalisation (name, amount, date) and scheduling.
Cost is driven by recipient count × segments per message × rate per destination, so encoding and message length matter as much as list size.
Rules apply: promotional bulk SMS normally requires opt-in, a clear opt-out, registered sender IDs and, in many GCC countries, sending within permitted hours and with any required promotional markers.
Before sending, deduplicate and normalise numbers to E.164, remove opted-out contacts, test on a small group and pace the send to your throughput.