A2P compliance checklist.
Choose a destination country and whether your traffic is promotional or transactional. We generate an actionable, check-off compliance list — sender-ID registration, consent and opt-out, AD-prefix and quiet hours, data protection and routing — built from published regulator and operator rules. Nothing is submitted anywhere; everything runs in your browser.
Marketing, offers, campaigns — consent-based, time-restricted.
Guidance, not legal advice. This checklist is generated from published regulator and operator rules plus BroadNet's operator-team experience. It is guidance, not legal advice, and requirements change. Always confirm the current specifics — fees, timing windows, prefixes and documentation — with the regulator or your BroadNet account manager at registration.
Promotional checklist for the UAE
TDRA — Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority
Sender ID & registration
0/3Consent & opt-out
0/3Content & timing
0/2Data protection
0/2Routing
0/1UAE rules: promotional vs. transactional SMS
| A2P Compliance Checklist | Promotional / marketing | Transactional / service (OTP, alerts) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered sender ID required | Required | Required |
| "AD" prefix required | Required | — |
| 7am–9pm sending window | Required | — |
| Prior opt-in consent required | Required | — |
| Free opt-out (STOP) required | Required | — |
| Open to international senders | Restricted | Yes |
The short answer
How this checklist is built
Each item is derived from BroadNet's own country dataset — sender-ID rules and lead times, the regulator's name, compliance notes and the operator list — and, for countries with a full regulation guide, from that guide's promotional-vs-transactional comparison. Promotional traffic surfaces the consent, opt-out, AD-prefix and quiet-hours items; transactional traffic shows the sender-ID, data-protection and routing items that apply to service messages. Where we hold no country-specific rule, the item is labelled as a best-practice baseline rather than presented as a local mandate.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a substitute for legal advice?
No. The checklist reflects published regulator and operator rules plus BroadNet's operator-team experience, but rules change and enforcement varies. Treat it as a starting point and confirm the current requirements with the regulator or your BroadNet account manager before you send.
Why does the list change between promotional and transactional?
Most regulators treat marketing and service messages very differently. Promotional traffic typically requires prior opt-in consent, a free opt-out, an advertising prefix (such as AD-) and delivery only within permitted hours. Transactional messages — OTPs, delivery and security alerts — are usually exempt from those timing and consent rules but still need a registered sender ID and lawful data handling. The tool filters items to the message type you choose.
What is an AD- prefix and where is it required?
Several markets — the UAE and Saudi Arabia among them — require promotional sender IDs to carry an advertising marker (for example an AD- prefix or -AD suffix) so recipients can identify marketing at a glance. It applies to promotional traffic only, not to transactional messages. The checklist surfaces it only for countries whose rules in our data call for it.
What are quiet hours?
Quiet hours are windows during which promotional SMS may not be sent — commonly overnight, and in Saudi Arabia with stricter hours during Ramadan. Transactional messages are generally exempt. Where a country's data specifies a window verified at an official source, the checklist shows it; otherwise it is left out rather than guessed.
Do transactional OTP messages need a registered sender ID?
In almost every market, yes. OTPs and other service messages are usually exempt from marketing consent, timing and prefix rules, but the sender ID itself must still be registered and approved, and the underlying data handling must be lawful. The checklist keeps those items visible for transactional traffic.
Where does the data come from?
From BroadNet's country coverage dataset — sender-ID rules, lead times, regulator, compliance notes and operators — and from the per-country A2P regulation guides, which include an explicit promotional-vs-transactional comparison. Nothing is fabricated: where we lack a country-specific rule, the item is shown as a best-practice baseline.
Need help getting compliant?
BroadNet registers sender IDs, files the paperwork and routes over licensed operator-direct connections in 86 countries, with reach into 200+. Talk to our team about launching compliantly in your destination countries.