Germany (DE)

Locale name

Germany

ISO code
The International Organization for Standardization two character representation for the given locale.

DE

Region

Europe

Dialing code
The dialing prefix used to establish a call or send an SMS from one locale to the given locale.

+49

Use Cases

Short codes are ideal for high-throughput programmatic messaging.

Short codes are approved for specific use cases, so if you are experiencing carrier filtering on long codes you may be a good candidate for short codes.

Some of the most common use-cases for short codes in Germany include:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA) or one-time passwords (OTP)
• Promotional or marketing alerts
• Account alert notifications
• Reminders (appointments, upcoming payments, etc.)

Restrictions

Short codes can only message users on carriers within the countries in which they are provisioned. Although Twilio can provision short codes in multiple countries, if your customers are not located in Germany, you should not obtain a German short code.

Short codes require express consent from end users before any SMS can be sent; if you cannot obtain consent you should not use a short code. Twilio and/or the carriers will not support certain types of campaigns, including but not limited to:

• Those in which express end-user consent cannot be obtained. This includes friend-to-friend invite-based campaigns, as well as opt-ins obtained through lead generation.
• Campaigns containing sexual/adult content (which are prohibited by Twilio’s AUP).

FTEU (Free to End User) Short Codes are not supported for this country.

Minimum term commit for the Short Code is 3 months.

The notice period for returning the Short Code is 3 months (provided minimum term commit has been fulfilled).

If the Short Code does not have any traffic for a while, there is a possibility for it to be withdrawn due to the absence of usage.

Refer to this article for detailed explanation on Germany Short Code Best Practices.

Other Options

Requirements

To apply for German Short Code the following details are needed:

• Short Code Type 
  • Random/Vanity (unique)
• Brand/Company
  • Name of the end user
• Monthly Volume 
  • Expected amount of messages sent monthly
  • Estimated traffic start date
• Use case
  • Specification for the main purpose of the Short Code, i.e notifications/marketing
• Examples of SMS Texts
  • If applicable, please include URL as it must be pre-approved by the vendor
• Preferred Billing Method:
  • Quarterly or Yearly (prices can be reviewed from here)

Timeframe

• 6-8 weeks, once all required information and documentation has been submitted.

Please expect delays on any applications submitted from November through mid January and from July through mid September, as the wireless carriers often have an annual provisioning freeze during this time. 

Regulatory Bodies

Bundesnetzagentur

Pricing

Please refer to How Much Does A Short Code Cost? for further pricing details.

Next Steps

To apply for German Short Code please follow these steps:

• Check all the requirements above and collect all the needed details.
• Send the application including all the requirements to sc@twilio.com.