Do you still receive SMS and MMS when you are overseas?

In this article: ► With international voice roaming enabled, SMS and MMS can be received ► Note: downloading images may incur data roaming charges

Business clients often ask: when a Hong Kong-registered (+852) mobile number connects to an overseas carrier while travelling or on a work trip, can the user still receive SMS or MMS sent from Hong Kong merchants? And if so, does it cost anything?

As long as the user has successfully enabled international voice roaming with their original carrier, so the phone can connect to the local network abroad, they can generally receive SMS or MMS sent from Hong Kong. Most countries’ carriers charge one-way — only the sending party pays — and the receiving party normally pays nothing. So why do we keep hearing about users being charged? It does happen, usually because the user tapped a URL inside an SMS or downloaded an MMS image, which generates data roaming charges, or because they accidentally hit reply.

Because cross-border SMS or MMS frequently involves several international carriers to complete inter-carrier delivery, the transmission path lengthens and the message may reach the user later than a local send would. There is another effect business clients need to understand: inter-carrier delivery often breaks status tracking, which limits the send records and progress information that can be collected.

It is not hard to picture businesses running VPN apps, blockchain apps, banking and securities whose users and counterparties are spread worldwide — from Hong Kong to the United States and as far as Greenland near the Arctic Circle. Cross-border SMS and MMS are exactly how they reach and stay connected to those users.

Is sending cross-border SMS or MMS any different?

Even for cross-border sending, the interface is just as simple and quick. Log into the system and enter the correct country code with the recipient number. The system automatically identifies the most suitable, stable and reliable route, and our team then helps business clients adjust their use of Sender ID, virtual number, short code and so on to match each country’s policy.

See Do you want to reach customers worldwide by SMS? for more.