Shorter version
[Bank]: Online and mobile banking unavailable [Date], [Start]-[End], for maintenance. Cards and ATMs work as usual.
1 SMS segments · GSM-7 · 107 characters
SMSTransactionalBanking and finance · Service outage and delays
Planned banking maintenance SMS template (transactional)
Send it a few days before scheduled maintenance, and optionally the day before. Customers can plan transfers in advance, and knowing cards and ATMs still work prevents a spike in calls.
Preview
Your brand
[Bank]: Online and mobile banking will be unavailable on [Date] from [Start] to [End] for scheduled maintenance. Cards and ATMs will work as usual. We apologise for the inconvenience.
Variables are highlighted. Replace them with your own values before sending.
[Bank]: Online and mobile banking will be unavailable on [Date] from [Start] to [End] for scheduled maintenance. Cards and ATMs will work as usual. We apologise for the inconvenience.
175 characters in GSM-7, which is 2 SMS segment(s). GSM-7 fits 160 characters in a single SMS, or 153 per segment when the message is split. Counts treat each [Placeholder] as text of similar length; check the final message once your real values are in.
Variables explained
What to put in each variable, with an example value.
| Variable | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
[Bank] | Bank name or registered sender ID | Gulf First Bank |
[Date] | Day of the maintenance | Friday 18 October |
[Start] | Start time, with AM or PM | 1 AM |
[End] | Expected end time | 5 AM |
Category and compliance notes
Transactional SMS: it must relate to something the customer did or owns. Keep it free of offers and promotional links, or operators may filter it as promotional traffic and apply quiet hours.
Promotional sending hours differ by country, and some regulators also set Ramadan hours.Sender ID rules by countryPlan the send time
Variations
Alternative versions of the same message, following the same channel rules.
Day-before reminder
[Bank]: Reminder: online and mobile banking will be down tomorrow from [Start] to [End]. Please plan any urgent transfers before then.
1 SMS segments · GSM-7 · 128 characters
Service restored
[Bank]: Our scheduled maintenance is complete and online and mobile banking are available again. Thank you for your patience.
1 SMS segments · GSM-7 · 123 characters
How to use this template
- 1
Copy the text
Copy the message and keep the brand name at the start so the recipient knows who is writing.
- 2
Replace the placeholders
Map each [Placeholder] to a field in your contact list or system, keeping the message short.
- 3
Check length and encoding
Paste the final text into the SMS counter to see the segments you will pay for.
- 4
Send from a registered sender ID
Use a sender ID registered for this traffic type in each destination country.
Questions about this template
How many SMS segments is this message?
2 segment(s): the text has 175 characters in GSM-7. GSM-7 fits 160 characters in a single SMS, or 153 per segment when the message is split.
Is this promotional or transactional SMS?
Transactional. It relates to a specific order, account or appointment, so it can be sent around the clock as long as it carries no promotional content.
When can I send this message?
Any time. Transactional and OTP messages are delivered 24/7; time-of-day windows such as 07:00–21:00 in the UAE or 09:00–22:00 in Saudi Arabia apply to promotional traffic.
Is this template available in other languages?
Yes. It is written natively in English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Turkish, and Simplified Chinese, so the Arabic and other versions read as original messages, not translations.