To send bulk SMS in Cote d'Ivoire you need a registered sender ID, prior consent from every person who receives marketing messages, and a free way for them to stop. Law 2013-546 on electronic transactions bans direct marketing by SMS to anyone who has not opted in, and Law 2013-450 makes the ARTCI the authority that supervises how you hold the contact list in the first place.
Last reviewed: 28 October 2026. This article summarises public rules and is not legal advice. Check edge cases with the regulator.
This guide goes further than our short bulk SMS overview for Cote d'Ivoire. It covers the two laws that matter, the three networks, how French accents change your costs, local payment habits and a checklist you can work through before your first campaign.
Cote d'Ivoire at a glance
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Telecoms and data regulator | ARTCI (Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications/TIC de Côte d'Ivoire) |
| Direct marketing rule | Law 2013-546, Articles 14 and 15: prior consent and a working stop contact |
| Personal data law | Law 2013-450 of 19 June 2013, supervised by the ARTCI |
| Mobile networks | Orange, MTN, Moov |
| Number format | +225 followed by 10 digits, for example +225 07 XX XX XX XX |
| Language | French for almost all business messages |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF), written locally as FCFA |
The consent rule: Law 2013-546, Articles 14 to 16
Cote d'Ivoire is one of the few African countries whose law names SMS explicitly. Article 14 of Law 2013-546 prohibits direct marketing sent by an automated calling or SMS system, fax, email or any other electronic means that uses the contact details of a natural person who has not given prior consent to receive marketing that way. The penalty is one to five years' imprisonment and a fine of XOF 1,000,000 to 10,000,000, or either of the two.
The same article allows an exception for marketing by email to existing customers about similar products. The wording of that exception refers to email ("courrier electronique"), not SMS. The safe reading for SMS is simple: no opt-in, no marketing message.
Article 15 adds that every marketing message must include valid contact details the recipient can use to ask for the messages to stop, at no cost beyond sending the request. Article 16 required businesses to ask for fresh consent for contact lists collected before the law came into force.
The law defines direct marketing broadly: any message, commercial, political or charitable, that promotes goods, services or the image of a person selling them. A fundraising appeal or a political rally invitation is caught as much as a discount offer.
What counts as a service message
| Message | Treat as | Consent needed? |
|---|---|---|
| OTP or login code | Service | No marketing consent; the user asked for it |
| Payment receipt, loan instalment reminder | Service, linked to an existing contract | No marketing consent, but keep it factual |
| Delivery and appointment updates | Service | No marketing consent |
| Promotions, new products, sales | Direct marketing | Yes, prior opt-in and a stop contact |
| Fundraising or political messages | Direct marketing under the law's definition | Yes |
The line blurs when a receipt ends with "and enjoy 20% off next week". Once a message promotes something, treat it as marketing.
Your contact list and Law 2013-450
Law 2013-450 on personal data protection gives the ARTCI the role of data protection authority. The ARTCI has told data controllers that processing personal data requires its prior authorisation, and it has publicly named digital lenders that were operating without one. A customer database used for SMS campaigns is personal data processing, so check your organisation's declaration or authorisation status with the ARTCI before you scale up.
People also have rights of access, rectification, deletion and objection under the law. In practice, that means you should be able to tell a customer where you got their number and remove it when asked. The eSMS dashboard keeps an opt-out list: once a number is on it, sends to that number are blocked across your account.
Networks and number formats
Cote d'Ivoire moved from 8-digit to 10-digit numbers on 1 February 2021. At the switch, mobile numbers gained a two-digit prefix by network: 07 for Orange, 05 for MTN and 01 for Moov. Fixed lines took 27, 25 or 21. Mobile number portability has since been introduced, so treat the prefix as a hint, not proof of the network.
Always store and send numbers in E.164 format: +225 followed by the 10 digits, with no spaces. Old 8-digit numbers in a legacy CRM will fail, so run a clean-up before import. A common fix is to add 07, 05 or 01 based on the old number's network, then validate a sample.
Your messages reach all three networks through our direct connections. Coverage details are on the Cote d'Ivoire coverage page.
Sender IDs
A sender ID is the name that appears instead of a number, such as "BANQUEXY" or "ABIDJANSHOP". Keep it to 11 characters or fewer, use your trading name, and avoid generic words such as "INFO" or "PROMO" that networks typically reject. Networks typically ask for proof that the brand belongs to you, such as your RCCM registration and a signed authorisation letter, plus a sample of the messages you will send.
eSMS Africa handles the registration for you. The steps and the current fee are on the Cote d'Ivoire sender ID page, and our earlier note on sender ID registration in Cote d'Ivoire explains the paperwork. You can test on the eSMS default sender while yours is being registered.
Writing in French without doubling your cost
SMS uses the GSM-7 alphabet by default: 160 characters in one message, 153 per part when a message is split. Any character outside that alphabet switches the whole message to Unicode (UCS-2), which allows only 70 characters, or 67 per part.
French is only partly covered. The characters é, è, à, ù and É are in GSM-7. The lower-case ç and the circumflex letters â, ê, î, ô and û are not. A single "reçu" or "fenêtre" turns a 150-character message into a Unicode message of three billable parts.
- Rephrase where you can: "paiement confirmé" instead of "reçu".
- Write amounts as "15 000 FCFA" or "XOF 15000"; both are GSM-7.
- Preview every template in the dashboard, which shows the encoding and part count before you send.
A realistic one-part marketing message, with the opt-out contact Article 15 asks for:
MAXIDECO: -15% sur les canapés jusqu'au 30/11 à Cocody et Marcory. Infos 0700000000. Stop SMS: envoyez STOP au 7xxx
The STOP instruction only works if you rent a two-way number. eSMS two-way short codes can be ordered online for Cote d'Ivoire, and STOP replies are recorded as opt-outs automatically. See two-way SMS. If you send from a one-way sender ID, give a phone number or link instead.
Payment habits to reflect in your messages
Ivorian customers pay by mobile money as often as by cash or bank card. Orange Money, MTN MoMo, Moov Money and Wave are all common, so a reminder that names the right wallet and merchant code gets paid faster than one that just states a balance.
EBURNIEMF: votre échéance de 45 000 FCFA est due le 05/11. Payez par Orange Money ou MTN MoMo, code marchand 123456, ref {{account}}.
Keep the amount, the deadline and the reference in the first 100 characters. Many recipients read only the notification preview.
Common use cases
- Microfinance and banks: instalment reminders, transaction alerts and OTPs.
- Retail and e-commerce in Abidjan: order confirmations, delivery windows and opted-in promotions.
- Health: appointment reminders for clinics and labs, with no diagnosis in the text.
- Schools: fee reminders, exam dates and closure notices to parents.
- Logistics: pickup codes and driver ETAs.
Sending from your system
For personalised reminders, use the bulk endpoint with merge fields. Test keys (esms_test_...) simulate the send without charge.
curl -X POST https://sms.esmsafrica.io/api/messages/send-bulk \
-H "Authorization: Bearer esms_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"sender_id": "EBURNIEMF",
"text": "Bonjour {{name}}, votre échéance de {{amount}} FCFA est due le 05/11.",
"recipients": [
{"to": "+2250700000001", "name": "Awa", "vars": {"amount": "45 000"}},
{"to": "+2250500000002", "name": "Koffi", "vars": {"amount": "30 000"}}
]
}'
Full parameters, including scheduling, are in the HTTP API docs.
Cost
A one-part message to Cote d'Ivoire costs XOF 30 ($0.0514) at the basic tier, falling to XOF 25 and XOF 20 at higher volumes. You pay as you go from USD 20 by card or crypto, with no monthly minimum. Live rates are on the pricing page.
Setup checklist
- Confirm your ARTCI declaration or authorisation for the customer database.
- Record how and when each marketing contact opted in.
- Convert every number to +225 and 10 digits.
- Submit your sender ID with your RCCM and authorisation letter.
- Write templates in GSM-7 French and check the part count.
- Add a stop contact to every marketing message, or rent a two-way number for STOP replies.
- Separate service messages from marketing lists.
- Send a small test batch on each network and read the delivery reports.
Frequently asked questions
Is SMS marketing legal in Cote d'Ivoire?
Yes, to people who have given prior consent. Law 2013-546 prohibits marketing SMS to anyone who has not opted in, and each message must include a way to ask for it to stop.
Do OTPs and receipts need marketing consent?
No. They are service messages the customer expects. Keep them free of promotional content, or they become marketing.
Why does my French message count as two or three SMS?
Characters such as the lower-case c cedilla and letters with a circumflex are outside GSM-7, which switches the message to Unicode with a 70-character limit. Rephrase or check the preview before sending.
Which networks do you reach?
Orange, MTN and Moov. One API call or campaign reaches all three.
Can customers reply to my messages?
Not on a standard sender ID. Two-way short codes for Cote d'Ivoire can be ordered online, and replies arrive by webhook.
Sources
- Law No. 2013-546 of 30 July 2013 on electronic transactions (UNODC SHERLOC copy, PDF)
- CIO Mag - ARTCI: processing personal data now subject to prior authorisation
- Digital Business Africa - ARTCI warning on unauthorised digital lenders
- Oxford Business Group - principles of Law 2013-450 on personal data
- Fraternite Matin - switch from 8 to 10-digit numbers from February 2021
- Fraternite Matin - mobile number portability
Read our compliance notes for Cote d'Ivoire, compare routes on the bulk SMS page for Cote d'Ivoire, then create an account and send your first test with a free test key. For large volumes or a dedicated short code, talk to our team.
