How to Send Bulk SMS in Ghana: Step-by-Step Guide for MTN, Telecel and AT

GAGodwin AmefiaJune 7, 202613 min read

Here is how to send bulk SMS in Ghana in seven steps: get a sender ID approved, build a list of people who opted in, format every number with +233, write a message that fits the character limit, schedule it inside the NCA’s sending hours, send it to MTN, Telecel and AT, then read the delivery report. Each rule below links to the regulator’s own page, so you can check it yourself.

For campaign planning beyond the mechanics, see our SMS marketing in Ghana guide.

What is bulk SMS?

Bulk SMS is one message sent to many mobile numbers at once, from a single account. Our primer on how bulk SMS marketing works covers the fundamentals. Unlike texting from your own phone, recipients see your business name (such as MYSHOP) as the sender, messages go out through a provider or a network’s bulk service rather than a SIM card, and Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) and Data Protection Commission (DPC) publish rules on consent, sending hours and opting out that apply to marketing messages.

Before you send: the rules for bulk SMS in Ghana

The DPC sets the consent standard for using customer data, and the NCA publishes rules for promotional messages. For a fuller walk-through, see our guide to the legal and regulatory rules for bulk SMS in Ghana.

Consent comes first

According to Ghana’s Data Protection Commission, a data controller may not use a person’s information for direct marketing without that person’s prior written consent.

The NCA’s Code of Conduct on Unsolicited Electronic Communications takes the same line: marketing messages must be permission, subscription or consent based. The same Code says service providers may not use an existing list of phone numbers unless the people on it gave explicit consent to join the messaging service.

Before you import a list you bought, inherited or copied, confirm that every number on it opted in.

The DPC also says all organisations that collect or process personal data in Ghana must register with it. If you keep a customer list, check whether that applies to your business.

Every message needs a way out

The UEC Code requires a way to unsubscribe in all commercial electronic communications. On the consumer side, the NCA’s FAQ tells people they can send STOP to the short code a promotional message came from, and that opting out costs them nothing.

In practice, add a clear opt-out line to every promotional message, remove anyone who opts out before your next send, and record when and how each person opted in and out.

Not sure whether a message counts as promotional or transactional? Our guide on how to tell promotional and transactional SMS apart explains how to classify it.

What hours can you send promotional SMS in Ghana?

The NCA’s consumer FAQ says promotional messages should reach phones only from 8.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., and that promotional messages should not be sent on Sundays.

The FAQ applies this to promotional messages from third-party providers as well as the networks’ own promotions, so it covers a campaign you send through a bulk SMS provider. Plan around both limits: Monday to Saturday, between 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m.

Weekly chart of when promotional bulk SMS can be sent in Ghana: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, with no promotional messages on Sundays, per the NCA consumer FAQ

How do you send bulk SMS on MTN Ghana?

Here is how to send bulk SMS on MTN: subscribe to MTN’s own bulk SMS service, or send through a bulk SMS provider that reaches MTN customers along with the other Ghanaian networks. If you searched for an MTN bulk SMS code, MTN’s bulk SMS page does not list one. It describes a subscription process instead.

Going direct to MTN

MTN Ghana’s bulk SMS page lists the steps for subscribing directly, including sharing company details and certification from the NCA. The page points smaller requests, those under 100,000, to its MTN Messenger portal. It does not explain what the NCA certification involves, so ask MTN before you start down this route.

Going through a bulk SMS provider

A bulk SMS provider connects to the networks for you. You get your sender ID approved through the provider, upload one list and send to MTN, Telecel and AT customers from the same account.

The right route depends on the paperwork you hold, your volume and how you want to manage sending.

What to check when choosing a bulk SMS provider in Ghana

Use this checklist to compare bulk SMS companies in Ghana:

Coverage of every Ghanaian network. Confirm the provider sends to MTN, Telecel and AT from one account.
Sender ID handling. Ask how the provider submits your sender ID to the networks, and what it needs from you.
Delivery reports by network. Delivered, pending and failed counts per network show a problem on one route.
API and developer documentation. To send from your own app or website, look for a REST API with public documentation and code samples.
Local support and clear pricing. Look for support that knows Ghana’s rules, and a pricing page that shows how long messages are charged.

For a side-by-side view, see our comparison of bulk SMS providers in Ghana and our breakdown of bulk SMS pricing in Ghana.

Arkesel’s bulk SMS service for Ghana gives you one account for MTN, Telecel and AT, real-time delivery tracking, and a REST API with public developer docs.

Step 1: Get your sender ID approved

Your sender ID is what recipients see as the sender. You have two options:

Type	What recipients see	Best for
Alphanumeric sender ID	Your business name, for example `MYSHOP`	Brand recognition on one-way campaigns
Short code	A short number	Messages you want people to reply to, such as polls or STOP requests

Choose an alphanumeric sender ID when you mainly broadcast, and a short code when replies matter.

Sender ID approval is a network and provider step. You submit the sender ID through your bulk SMS provider, and the networks review it before you can send with it.

It is not a registration you file with the NCA: the NCA’s Code of Conduct on unsolicited messages sets no sender ID registration requirement. If you send with Arkesel, Arkesel submits your sender ID to the networks and handles the carrier follow-up for you.

Approval takes time, so submit a name that clearly identifies your business well before your first campaign date. Our guide to getting your sender ID approved covers the process in full.

Step 2: Build an opt-in contact list

Every number on a marketing list needs that person’s consent. Collect numbers where people actively agree to hear from you:

Website and checkout forms. Use an opt-in box the customer ticks themselves, and say what messages they will receive.
In store. Ask for the number and for permission at the counter, and note the date.
Keyword sign-up. Customers text a keyword to your short code to join.

With a double opt-in, you send a confirmation text and add the number only after the person replies, which records that they asked to join.

Step 3: How do you format Ghana numbers with +233?

Write every Ghana number as +233 followed by the subscriber number, with no leading 0, spaces or dashes. Ghana’s numbering plan sets the country code as +233 and fixes a Ghanaian number at 9 digits long excluding the country code.

To convert a local number:

Start with the number as the customer gave it, for example 020 000 0000.
Remove spaces, dashes and brackets: 0200000000.
Drop the leading 0: 200000000, which leaves 9 digits.
Add the country code: +233200000000.

Four steps to format Ghana numbers for bulk SMS with +233: 020 000 0000 becomes 0200000000, then 200000000, then +233200000000, plus two common import mistakes

Common import mistakes

A clean +233 bulk SMS list starts with catching these:

Lost leading zeros. A spreadsheet can treat a phone number as a plain number and strip the leading 0. Format the phone column as text before you paste numbers in. If the 0 is already gone and 9 digits remain, just add +233.
The 0 left in. +2330200000000 keeps the local 0 after the country code, which gives 10 digits instead of 9.
Mixed formats. Some rows start with +233, some with 0 and some with 233 and no plus sign. Convert every row to one format, and check which form your provider’s upload asks for.
Wrong length. After the country code there must be exactly 9 digits. Anything shorter or longer is a typo to fix before you send.

Keep the list clean

Before you remove anything, save a copy of your full list. Then work in this order:

Convert every number to +233 format using the steps above. A local number that starts with 0 is valid, so convert it rather than delete it.
After converting, if a number still does not have exactly 9 digits after +233 and you cannot correct it, remove it.
Where the same number appears more than once, keep one and remove the rest, so nobody gets the same message twice.
Where a person has opted out, remove their number.
Where a number has kept failing across several campaigns, remove it.

Step 4: Write the message so it fits

GSM-7 vs UCS-2 encoding

Encoding is the character set your message is sent in. The GSM alphabet specification, 3GPP TS 23.038, sets how much fits in one SMS:

Encoding	Used for	Fits in one SMS
GSM-7 (the standard text alphabet)	Standard Latin letters, digits and common punctuation	Up to 160 characters
UCS-2 (Unicode)	Any character outside GSM-7, such as emoji or the Twi letters ɛ and ɔ	Up to 70 characters

Under the specification, a single SMS in the GSM 7-bit alphabet can hold up to 160 characters, while a UCS-2 message holds up to 70 characters. Some symbols come from an extension table, and each one reduces the number of displayable characters by one.

A longer message is split into parts. Each part gives up some space to a header that lets the phone join the parts back together, so a two-part message holds less than twice a single one. Arkesel bills per part, so a message that splits is charged as more than one message.

The Twi-letter trap

One character outside GSM-7 switches the whole message to UCS-2. A single Twi letter such as ɛ or ɔ drops your limit from 160 characters to 70.

GSM-7 versus UCS-2 bulk SMS encoding: an English message fits 160 characters in one SMS, but adding one Twi letter such as ɛ or ɔ drops the limit to 70

English only: Akwaaba! Half price on all shoes at our Osu branch this weekend. Text STOP to opt out. This stays in GSM-7 and fits in one part.
With one Twi letter: Yɛda wo ase! Half price on all shoes at our Osu branch this weekend. Text STOP to opt out. The ɛ switches it to UCS-2, and at that length it goes out in two parts.

The fix: spell Twi words without the special letters where your customers will still read them easily, or keep local-language messages within 70 characters.

Step 5: Schedule inside the sending hours

Set promotional sends for Monday to Saturday, between 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m., in line with the NCA rules above.

Start large sends early. Leave enough of the day for the whole list to go out before 7.00 p.m.
Test your timing. Compare mid-morning against early afternoon sends, and keep what works.
Watch opt-outs after each send. If they climb, message less often.

Step 6: Send to MTN, Telecel and AT

AT is the former AirtelTigo: as reported by MyJoyOnline, citing AT’s announcement, AirtelTigo changed its brand name to AT on June 22, 2023.

When you send through a provider, you upload one list and the provider routes each number to its network. The +233 format is the same for every Ghanaian number, so you do not need a separate list per network. Arkesel’s SMS Platform routes Ghana traffic over direct connections to the MTN, Telecel and AT networks.

After each send, compare delivered and failed counts for MTN, Telecel and AT separately. If one network shows failures and the others do not, ask your provider whether your sender ID is active on that network. Failures can also come from badly formatted or outdated numbers, so rerun the Step 3 checks.

Step 7: Read the delivery report

Delivery reports show what happened to each message. Common statuses include:

Status	What it means	What to do
Delivered	The network reports the message reached the phone	Nothing
Pending	The network accepted the message but has not confirmed delivery yet	Wait, then check again
Failed	The message was not delivered	Check the number format, your sender ID status and your opt-out list
Expired	Delivery was not confirmed before the message’s validity period ran out	Check the number, then resend inside the sending hours

Track these after every campaign:

Delivery rate. Compare with previous campaigns, and investigate any drop by network and status.
Opt-outs. A rising count means reviewing your content or frequency.
Parts against messages. Far more parts than messages means your texts are splitting. Go back to Step 4.

Arkesel’s SMS Platform gives you real-time delivery tracking in your dashboard. For more on reading the data, see our guide to SMS delivery reports and tracking.

Sending bulk SMS through the API

A dashboard suits campaigns you set up by hand. When messages such as order confirmations or one-time passwords must go out from your own systems, an API integration lets you send when an event happens, add contacts to groups automatically, and pull delivery reports into your own reporting.

Arkesel’s SMS API is a REST API with code samples in cURL, Python, Node.js and PHP. See the Arkesel developer docs for endpoints and authentication, and our bulk SMS API guide for developers for a full integration walkthrough.

FAQs

How do I send bulk SMS in Ghana?

Get a sender ID approved through your provider, build a list of people who opted in, and format every number as +233 followed by 9 digits. Write a message that fits one part where you can, schedule promotional sends between 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, then send to MTN, Telecel and AT and read the delivery report.

How do I send bulk SMS on MTN?

Subscribe to MTN’s bulk SMS service directly, which asks for company details and certification from the NCA, or send through a bulk SMS provider that reaches MTN customers from your account.

What time can you send promotional SMS in Ghana?

The NCA’s consumer FAQ says promotional messages should reach phones only between 8.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m., and not on Sundays.

Do I need a sender ID to send bulk SMS in Ghana?

Yes. Bulk messages go out from an alphanumeric sender ID or a short code, and approval runs through your provider and the networks, not the NCA.

How should Ghana phone numbers be formatted for bulk SMS?

Use +233 followed by the 9-digit subscriber number. Drop the leading 0 and remove spaces and dashes, so 020 000 0000 becomes +233200000000.

Is bulk SMS legal in Ghana?

Yes, when you follow the rules. Get prior consent, include a way to unsubscribe in every message, and keep promotional sends inside the NCA’s sending hours.

Why did my SMS split into two messages?

Either it ran past the single-message limit, or it contains a character outside the GSM-7 alphabet, such as the Twi letter ɛ or an emoji. That switches the message to UCS-2, which fits up to 70 characters instead of 160, and anything longer goes out in parts.

How much does bulk SMS cost in Ghana?

Rates depend on your provider and your volume. Arkesel bills per message part, so a message that splits costs more than one that fits. See current Arkesel pricing for today’s rates.

Start sending bulk SMS in Ghana

Get your sender ID approved, clean your list, and send your first campaign inside the NCA’s sending hours.

Create an Arkesel account to send your first Ghana campaign, or explore the complete guide to SMS marketing in Ghana for campaign strategy beyond the workflow. For how Ghana SMEs drive revenue through SMS campaigns, read how to boost sales with bulk SMS.

How to Send Bulk SMS in Ghana: Step-by-Step Guide for MTN, Telecel and AT

How to Send Bulk SMS in Ghana: Step-by-Step Guide for MTN, Telecel and AT

What is bulk SMS?