---
title: "Bulk SMS in Chile: Subtel, Law 19.496 and No Molestar"
description: "Bulk SMS Chile guide (SMS masivos): Subtel, Law 19.496 art. 28 B and the Sernac No Molestar system, Law 21.719 data protection, Entel, Movistar, Claro, WOM."
canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/blog/bulk-sms-chile-guide/"
language: "en"
updated: "2026-11-06"
publisher: "BroadNet Technologies"
brand: "OmniChannels.ai"
category: "sms"
primaryQuery: "bulk sms chile"
keywords: ["bulk sms chile", "sms masivos chile", "no molestar sernac sms", "ley 19.496 artículo 28 b", "ley 21.719 sms marketing", "entel movistar claro wom sms", "sender id chile"]
published: "2026-11-06"
author: "OmniChannels.ai Editorial Team"
reviewer: "BroadNet Messaging Solutions Team"
readingMinutes: 10
answer: "To send bulk SMS in Chile (SMS masivos), use a provider with routes to Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM, confirm your sender set-up with the operators, and send promotions only to people who agreed to receive them. Chile's consumer law (Law 19.496, article 28 B) lets people suspend promotional contact, and Sernac's No Molestar system records those requests. Keep opt-out records, and expect accented Spanish to use Unicode at 70 characters."
takeaways: ["Subtel is the regulator in our regulation data; sender requirements are set by the operators, with a typical lead time of 5 to 10 business days, and formats are alphanumeric where supported or numeric long codes and short codes.", "Article 28 B of the consumer protection law (Law 19.496) gives consumers a right to ask providers to suspend promotional or advertising communications, and Sernac's No Molestar system lets them record that request; the law's text and recent court decisions treat telephone messaging as within its reach.", "Chile's new personal data law, Law 21.719, was published on 13 December 2024 and is set to take effect on 1 December 2026; a bill filed in September 2026 proposes postponing it to 2027, so check the current status before you rely on either date.", "Four operators carry mobile traffic in our coverage data, all with direct routes: Entel Chile (730-10), Movistar Chile (730-07), Claro Chile (730-03) and WOM (730-09).", "We found no regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Chile; schedule promotions for local daytime and keep OTPs and alerts on a transactional route."]
faq: 
  - q: "Is bulk SMS legal in Chile?"
    a: "Yes. Businesses send OTPs, alerts and marketing SMS, provided they use a legitimate route, hold a lawful basis for contacting people and honour opt-outs, including requests recorded in Sernac's No Molestar system. No single statute is called a bulk SMS law. Confirm the details with Chilean counsel."
  - q: "What is Sernac's No Molestar system?"
    a: "It is a service created by Sernac, Chile's consumer protection agency, where consumers record that they do not want promotional contact. It supports the right in article 28 B of Law 19.496. Chilean courts have fined telecom companies for sending promotional messages after a customer used it, so treat requests as binding and suppress them."
  - q: "Do I need consent to send promotional SMS in Chile?"
    a: "Plan on a documented opt-in. Our regulation data calls for verifiable opt-in with records kept, and article 28 B gives consumers the right to stop promotional contact. Law 21.719 on personal data is set to take effect on 1 December 2026 unless postponed. Keep the wording, timestamp, channel and number for every opt-in."
  - q: "Can I use an alphanumeric sender ID in Chile?"
    a: "Our regulation data says alphanumeric IDs are available where supported, with numeric long codes and short codes as alternatives, and that the operators set the requirements. Support can differ by operator, so test the sender on Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM handsets before a launch. We can prepare and file the registration with you."
  - q: "Why does my Spanish SMS split into two parts?"
    a: "Letters such as á, í, ó and ú are not in the default GSM 7-bit alphabet, so one of them switches the whole message to Unicode, which holds 70 characters (67 per part). Letters such as é, ñ and ü and the marks ¿ and ¡ are inside it. Test final copy in a character counter."
  - q: "How long does sender ID registration take in Chile?"
    a: "Our published lead time for Chile 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: 
  - title: "Ley 19.496, Establece normas sobre protección de los derechos de los consumidores, Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional"
    url: "https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=61438"
  - title: "Sernac, Servicio Nacional del Consumidor"
    url: "https://www.sernac.cl/"
  - title: "Ley 21.719, Regula la protección y el tratamiento de los datos personales, Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional"
    url: "https://www.bcn.cl/balance-legislativo/detalle/ficha_LEY_21719_2024-12-13"
  - title: "Subtel, Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones"
    url: "https://www.subtel.gob.cl/"
  - title: "3GPP TS 23.038: Alphabets and language-specific information"
    url: "https://www.3gpp.org/dynareport/23038.htm"
---

# Bulk SMS in Chile: Subtel, Law 19.496 and No Molestar

Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/blog/bulk-sms-chile-guide/
Language: en
Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies

This guide is for retail, banking, education and service teams that want to send business SMS to mobile numbers in Chile: OTPs, delivery alerts, reminders and promotions. It explains which rules apply, how the consumer law and Sernac's No Molestar system work, where the new data protection law stands, how sender IDs work and how Spanish accents change message length. It is a practical overview, not legal advice; confirm requirements with Chilean counsel and the operators before you launch.

## What rules apply to bulk SMS in Chile?

Three layers apply: telecom regulation and operator policy, the consumer protection law, and personal data law. None is a single "bulk SMS law", so you assemble the picture from each.

| Layer | What it covers | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Subtel and the operators (Entel, Movistar, Claro, WOM) | Telecom regulation, sender set-up, routes, filtering | [subtel.gob.cl](https://www.subtel.gob.cl/) |
| Law 19.496, article 28 B | Right to suspend promotional communications; No Molestar | [BCN](https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=61438), [sernac.cl](https://www.sernac.cl/) |
| Personal data law (Law 19.628, replaced by Law 21.719 when it takes effect) | Processing personal data, consent | [BCN](https://www.bcn.cl/balance-legislativo/detalle/ficha_LEY_21719_2024-12-13) |

Our regulation data names Subtel (Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones) 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 article 28 B of Law 19.496 mean for SMS?

It gives consumers the right to ask a provider to suspend promotional or advertising communications, and providers who send them must offer a way to do so. In the versions of the article we reviewed, the right covers communications sent by email, post, fax, calls or telephone messaging services, which includes SMS. Sernac created the No Molestar web service so consumers can record their wish not to be contacted, and a regulation approved by the Ministry of Economy governs the system.

Chilean courts have taken requests seriously. In 2026, appeals courts fined telecom companies for sending promotional messages to customers who had asked not to receive them through No Molestar, which suggests that a request recorded there is something to respect even if you have never talked to the person. Treat it as a suppression rule.

What to do in practice:

1. **Offer an opt-out** in every promotional SMS and honour it fast.
2. **Keep one suppression list** across campaigns, sender IDs and channels.
3. **Check your lists** against any No Molestar or customer opt-out data you hold or receive.
4. **Keep consent records**: wording, timestamp, channel and number.
5. **Ask counsel** about the exact obligations for your business type, since the article has been the subject of reform bills.

Reform bills to extend the rules to messaging apps and other channels have been filed; we could not confirm that any has become law, so describe only what the article says today.

## What does Chile's new data protection law change?

Law 21.719 replaces the 1999 data law (Law 19.628) and creates a data protection agency. It was published on 13 December 2024 and is set to take effect on 1 December 2026. A bill filed in September 2026 proposes postponing that date to 1 December 2027, and we found conflicting reports on its progress, so check the current status on the BCN and Senate sites before relying on either date.

We have not verified how the new law treats direct-marketing consent in detail, so we do not state it here. What is safe in any case: collect a clear opt-in that names the sender and purpose, keep evidence, honour withdrawal and delete or restrict data on request. Our regulation data calls for verifiable opt-in with records kept. Our [opt-in consent generator](/tools/opt-in-consent-generator/) drafts wording, and the guide to [opt-in consent across channels](/blog/opt-in-consent-multichannel-campaigns/) shows how to record it. See also [opt-in](/glossary/opt-in/) and [opt-out](/glossary/opt-out/).

## How do sender IDs and short codes work in Chile?

Chile supports alphanumeric sender IDs where the operator supports them, plus numeric long codes and short codes. 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 Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM handsets, and check what each shows |

Our [sender ID letter generator](/tools/sender-id-letter-generator/) drafts the letter, and you can check the position with the [sender ID checker](/tools/sender-id-checker/) or the [Chile sender ID page](/sender-id/chile/). If you want us to prepare and file the registration with you, see [registrations](/services/registrations/); approval decisions stay with the operators and regulators. For formats, read [SMS sender ID types explained](/blog/sms-sender-id-types-explained/), and see [short code](/glossary/short-code/) and [long code](/glossary/long-code/).

## Which operators carry SMS in Chile?

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

| Operator | MCC-MNC |
|---|---|
| Entel Chile | 730-10 |
| Movistar Chile | 730-07 |
| Claro Chile | 730-03 |
| WOM | 730-09 |

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](/blog/sms-not-delivered-improve-delivery-rate/) 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; opt-out in the message; daytime schedule |
| Mixed | "Tu pedido salió. Tienes 10% de descuento en el próximo" | Avoid; the offer makes it promotional |

For OTP design and security, read our [OTP authentication messages guide](/blog/otp-authentication-messages-guide/).

## How do Spanish accents affect SMS length?

Plain Spanish fits the 160-character GSM 7-bit alphabet only if every character is in it. The alphabet includes é, ñ, ü, ¿ and ¡, but not á, í, ó or ú, so a single "código" or "sábado" turns the whole message into Unicode with 70 characters (67 per part). See [GSM-7](/glossary/gsm-7/), [Unicode SMS](/glossary/unicode-sms/) and [concatenated SMS](/glossary/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| `Cafe Andes: tu codigo es 482913. No lo compartas con nadie.` | GSM-7 | 59 | 1 |
| `Café Andes: tu código es 482913. No lo compartas con nadie.` | Unicode | 59 | 1 |
| `Café Andes: tu pedido 2087 llega mañana entre las 10 y las 12 h.` | GSM-7 | 64 | 1 |
| `Cafe Andes: 2x1 en cafe de grano hasta el domingo. Detalles: cafeandes.example/o Responde STOP para no recibir mas.` | GSM-7 | 115 | 1 |
| `Café Andes: 2x1 en café de grano hasta el domingo. Detalles: cafeandes.example/o Responde STOP para no recibir más.` | Unicode | 115 | 2 |

Row 3 shows that "Café" and "mañana" cost nothing because é and ñ are in the alphabet, while the accented ó (row 2) and á (row 5) switch the whole message to Unicode. Many brands drop accents in OTPs and alerts and keep correct spelling in campaigns where a second part is acceptable. Check final copy in the [SMS character counter](/tools/sms-character-counter/); see [SMS character limits and Unicode](/blog/sms-character-limits-unicode-arabic/).

## How do opt-outs work?

Our regulation data lists a STOP keyword as honoured network-wide and the opt-out as one step. It also lists "SAIR", a Portuguese word that does not fit a Chilean audience, so write a clear Spanish instruction and test the keyword you choose before launch. Apply every opt-out to all channels, and do not send a promotion to anyone who has asked to stop.

## When should you send?

We have not found a regulator-published time-of-day window for promotional SMS in Chile, and our regulation data records none. Agree sending hours with your provider, send promotions in local daytime (Chile has changing offsets, so schedule in Santiago local time) and avoid late evenings. OTPs and alerts can go at any hour. The [send time planner](/tools/send-time-planner/) helps schedule campaigns, and [SMS marketing rules by country](/blog/sms-marketing-rules-by-country/) compares hours across markets.

## A worked example: a Santiago coffee roaster

"Café Andes" (synthetic) has 15 shops and an online store, and wants OTPs, delivery alerts and a weekly offer.

- It sets up two senders, one for transactional and one for promotional traffic, and tests both on Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM.
- It collects consent at checkout and in store, storing the wording, timestamp and number, and shows "Ofertas por SMS" with a clear opt-out.
- OTPs and alerts use short copy so they stay at one part.
- The weekly offer is checked against its suppression list, scheduled for local daytime and sent with correct spelling, accepting two parts.
- Opt-outs from replies feed one list that also covers WhatsApp and email.

## What are the common mistakes?

- **Ignoring No Molestar requests.** Courts have fined companies for contacting people who used it.
- **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.** One accented vowel turns a 160-character message into a 70-character one.
- **Mixing OTP and promotion on one sender.**
- **Quoting the data law date as fixed.** Law 21.719's start date is under a postponement bill; check it.

## How OmniChannels.ai helps

OmniChannels.ai is powered by BroadNet, which has direct routes to Entel, Movistar, Claro and WOM in our coverage data. We prepare and file sender registration with you, support Spanish content, 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 [Chile SMS pricing page](/sms-pricing/chile/), then [book a demo](/demo/). Small team? Our [SMS marketing guide for small businesses](/blog/sms-marketing-small-business-guide/) covers the basics.