Hong Kong SMS Features and Restrictions

Country Summary

Sender ID Guidelines

Since 28 Dec 2023, Hong Kong regulator (OFCA) has started the SMS Sender Registration Scheme in order to help the public verify the identities of SMS senders, with a view to combating SMS fraud. The scheme is open to Hong Kong companies or companies with a Hong Kong entity. All registered Sender IDs will have a # in front of their Sender ID (eg: #brand). Currently it is encouraged but not mandatory to join the scheme. Numeric Sender ID is excluded from the scheme.

Please refer to OFCA website for more details:

https://www.ofca.gov.hk/en/industry_focus/industry_focus/ssrs/index.html (under 'Guidelines on Registration of Sender IDs and Sending of Short Messages and Multimedia Messages')

What’s the process to complete registration with Vonage?

Customers will need to complete the registration with OFCA first before reaching out to Vonage for registration. Vonage is unable to advise on OFCA's registration process. Brand owners will have to check with OFCA directly.

After the Sender ID is approved and registered with OFCA, customers can then submit a registration request* to Vonage with the required LOA so we can register with the operators and route the traffic via a dedicated connection. When sending SMS from a registered Sender ID, the customer must include a # in front of their sender ID (eg: #brand), otherwise the SMS will be rejected.

Can we support aggregators / resellers traffic?

We cannot support aggregator or reseller traffics at the moment. Aggregators or resellers are to engage with OFCA's Registered SMS Service Providers (RSSP) licensees directly.

How do I know if my customer has registered their Sender IDs with OFCA?

Customers can find the list of registered Sender IDs here: https://www.ofca.gov.hk/en/industry_focus/industry_focus/ssrs/index.html (under ‘SMS Sender Registry’ session)

Non-Registered Sender ID:

*To initiate the Sender ID registration process, please contact your account manager or support

Use-Case & Content Guidelines

Additional Information

P2P traffic is prohibited.

No political, religious, unsolicited promotion, or gambling content.

There are no additional content restrictions beyond those in our Acceptable Use Policy.