Every bulk SMS you send in Kenya is either transactional or promotional, and the difference matters more than most businesses realise. Get it right and your receipts and reminders arrive reliably; get it wrong and messages get blocked, customers complain, or your Sender ID gets suspended. This guide explains transactional vs promotional SMS in Kenya: what each is, the rules for each, examples, and how to choose.
Short answer: transactional SMS are messages a customer expects because of something they did: OTPs, payment receipts, loan and fee reminders, delivery updates. Promotional SMS are marketing: offers, new products, events. Promotional messages need the customer's consent and an opt-out, and customers who blocked marketing won't receive them. Never put marketing inside a transactional message.
The difference at a glance
| Transactional SMS | Promotional SMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Inform about an action or account | Market products or offers |
| Examples | OTP, M-Pesa receipt, loan reminder, order update | Discounts, launches, events, holiday greetings |
| Triggered by | Something the customer did | Your marketing calendar |
| Consent | Part of the service the customer signed up for | Explicit opt-in needed |
| Opt-out | Not required | Required in every message |
| Blocked by customer DND choices | No | Yes, if they opted out of marketing |
| Timing | Immediately, any time it's needed | Daytime; can be scheduled and repeated |
What counts as transactional
A message is transactional when it is about the customer's own account or action and would make sense even if you never sold them anything again:
- One-time passwords and login codes (OTP SMS in Kenya)
- Payment and contribution receipts
- Loan approvals, disbursements, repayment and overdue reminders
- School fee balances and exam results to parents
- Order, booking and delivery confirmations
- Security alerts and account changes
The test: if you removed every selling sentence, would the message still have a reason to exist? If yes, it's transactional.
What counts as promotional
Anything whose main purpose is to sell or promote:
- "20% off this weekend only"
- New product or service launches
- Event invitations and holiday campaigns
- Win-back messages to inactive customers
- Referral and loyalty offers
The mistake that gets Sender IDs suspended
The most common mistake is sending marketing as transactional so it skips opt-outs and blocks, for example adding "Get 10% off your next order!" to a payment receipt, or sending a whole promotion with the transactional type. Networks treat this as a rule breach, customers report it as spam, and the Sender ID can be suspended or blocked.
Keep them separate: receipts and reminders stay purely informational, and offers go out as promotional campaigns.
Rules for promotional SMS in Kenya
- Get opt-in consent and record when and how each customer agreed, as the Data Protection Act requires for personal data used in direct marketing.
- Include an opt-out in every promotional message, and honour it.
- Identify your business with a registered Sender ID.
- Send at reasonable hours. Daytime is best for results and for goodwill.
- Don't buy contact lists. People who never agreed to hear from you complain, and complaints put your Sender ID at risk.
Bulk SMS in Kenya is overseen by the Communications Authority of Kenya.
How to choose the type when sending
In the Brilio portal you pick transactional or promotional for each message; in the API it's the sms_type field ("transactional" or "promotional", see the bulk SMS API guide).
A few things work differently by type:
- Scheduling and repeats are for promotional campaigns. You can schedule a promotional message for a later date and set it to repeat daily, weekly or monthly. Transactional messages go out immediately, because they respond to something happening now.
- Promotional messages respect customers' marketing opt-outs, so expect slightly lower delivery on promotional campaigns than on transactional ones. That's the system working, not a fault; see delivery reports explained.
Examples: transactional or promotional?
| Message | Type |
|---|---|
| "Your code is 482913. It expires in 5 minutes." | Transactional |
| "Dear Mary, we received KES 2,000. Balance KES 48,500." | Transactional |
| "Brian's fee balance is KES 4,500, due 15 Nov." | Transactional |
| "Dear Mary, we received KES 2,000. Get 10% off loans this month!" | Mixed: not allowed. Split it |
| "Black Friday: 30% off all phones this weekend. To opt out, SMS STOP to 22123." | Promotional |
| "Our AGM is on 20 Dec at the Mombasa office." (to members) | Transactional (a member notice) |
Related guides: Bulk SMS in Kenya · Bulk SMS for SACCOs · Sender ID rejected? 9 fixes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between transactional and promotional SMS?
Transactional SMS inform customers about their own account or action, such as OTPs, receipts and reminders. Promotional SMS market products or offers. Promotional messages need opt-in consent and an opt-out; transactional ones don't.
Is an OTP transactional or promotional?
Transactional. The customer requested it to log in or verify, so it should always be sent with the transactional type and never include marketing.
Can I add an offer to a payment receipt?
No. Adding marketing turns the message into promotional content sent as transactional, which breaks network rules and can get your Sender ID suspended. Send the receipt alone and the offer as a separate promotional campaign.
Why didn't some customers receive my promotional SMS?
Customers who opted out of marketing messages through their network won't receive promotional SMS. Check the failure descriptions in your delivery report.
Can I schedule transactional SMS?
Scheduling and repeating are for promotional campaigns. Transactional messages are sent immediately, because they relate to something happening now, like a payment or a login.
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