How to Send Bulk SMS in Ghana: A Step-by-Step Guide
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To send bulk SMS in Ghana, open an account with a bulk SMS provider, register a sender ID with your business name, upload a list of customers who agreed to hear from you, write a message of 160 standard characters or fewer, and send it to the whole list at once.
Promotional messages should go out between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
The delivery report then shows which messages arrived.
At a glance
- Request your sender ID first. It has to be approved before you can use it, and it is the step that takes longest.
- Clean your list before you upload it: one format, no duplicates, no numbers that never agreed to hear from you.
- Work out how many SMS your campaign will use before you send: recipients × parts per message. A single emoji can triple it.
- The National Communications Authority's consumer guidance says promotional messages should arrive only between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., never on Sundays, with a free way to opt out.
- Read the delivery report after every send. Failed numbers should come off your list.
What is bulk SMS?
Bulk SMS is one text message sent to many phone numbers at once, from a web dashboard, a spreadsheet or your own software, instead of one by one from a phone.
Businesses in Ghana use it for promotions, reminders, payment alerts, order updates, event notices and one-time passwords.
It works on every network (MTN, Telecel and AT) and on every phone, including phones with no internet connection.
That reach matters in Ghana: DataReportal's Digital 2026: Ghana report counts 41.8 million cellular mobile connections but 8.95 million people who are not online.
What do you need before you send bulk SMS?
You need five things in place. Start the sender ID on day one, because the others can be done while it is reviewed.
| What you need | Why | Time to set up |
|---|---|---|
| A bulk SMS account | The platform that sends to all networks at once | Minutes |
| An approved sender ID | Shows your business name, which the NCA requires and customers trust | Same day on BMS Africa, usually within a few hours on a working day |
| A consented contact list | Act 843 requires consent before personal data is used for direct marketing | Ongoing; start collecting now |
| SMS credit | Each message part sent to each number uses one SMS of credit | Minutes |
| A message under 160 characters | One standard SMS holds 160 characters; longer messages cost more | Minutes |
A sender ID is the name that appears as the sender of your SMS, such as "KasoaWater" instead of a phone number. It can be up to 11 characters long and must be your own business name, not a generic word such as INFO or another company's brand.
On BMS Africa, registration is free and needs only the name and what you will use it for. Our guide to registering a sender ID in Ghana covers the rules in full.
How do you send bulk SMS in Ghana, step by step?
Seven steps take you from a new account to a delivered campaign. The steps below follow BMS Africa (by mNotify), but the same order works on any provider.
- Create an account. On BMS Africa the account is free, comes with 10 free SMS credits, and needs no card.
- Register your sender ID. Choose a short, recognisable version of your business name and submit it for approval.
- Clean and upload your contacts. Put every number in one format and remove duplicates (see the next section). Upload a CSV or Excel file, or type numbers in directly, and save them as a named group so you can send to the same list again in one click.
- Write your message. Name your business, say one thing, give one action, and keep it to 160 standard characters. Add an opt-out route if it is promotional.
- Choose the group and the sender ID. Pick the group you are sending to and the approved sender ID it should come from.
- Send now or schedule it. Schedule promotions inside the 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. window, Monday to Saturday. BMS lets you set a future date and time and sends it then.
- Read the delivery report. BMS shows delivered, failed and pending counts in real time. Remove or check numbers that failed before the next campaign.
Before step 7 on a real list, send the message to two or three staff phones first. It is the quickest way to catch a wrong name, a broken link or a message that has split into two parts.
How should you format Ghanaian phone numbers?
Use one format for the whole list, with no spaces, dashes or brackets. The two common formats are the local 10-digit format and the international format with the 233 country code, which drops the leading zero.
| Format | Example | Digits |
|---|---|---|
| Local | 0241234567 | 10 |
| International | 233241234567 | 12 |
| International with plus sign | +233241234567 | 12, plus the + |
The example number is for illustration only.
Common problems that make numbers fail:
- A dropped leading zero. Excel often turns 0241234567 into 241234567. Format the column as text before you paste numbers in.
- A doubled code, such as 2330241234567, where the 233 was added without removing the 0.
- Spaces and dashes copied from contact cards or WhatsApp.
- Two numbers in one cell, such as "0241234567 / 0201234567".
- Duplicates, which send the same customer the same message twice and charge you twice.
Do not sort or split your list by network using the first digits of the number. Ghana introduced mobile number portability in 2011, so customers can move to another network and keep their number. A bulk SMS platform routes each message to the right network for you.
How many SMS will your campaign use?
Your campaign uses one SMS of credit for each part, for each recipient. The formula is: recipients × parts per message = SMS used.
| Message | Encoding | Parts | SMS used for 2,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 characters, plain text | Standard (GSM-7) | 1 | 2,000 |
| 200 characters, plain text | Standard (GSM-7) | 2 | 4,000 |
| 140 characters with one emoji or ₵ sign | Unicode | 3 | 6,000 |
The third row is the costly surprise. A single emoji, a cedi sign (₵), a Twi letter such as ɛ or ɔ, or a curly apostrophe copied from Word switches the whole message to Unicode, which holds only 70 characters per message, or 67 per part. Write "GHS 50" instead of "₵50" and type your message directly into the platform.
Multiply the SMS used by your rate to get the cost. Current rates are on the BMS Africa pricing page; BMS credits do not expire, so you can buy for several campaigns at once.
Which way should you send: dashboard, Excel or API?
Most businesses start in the web dashboard. Move to Excel or the API when your contacts already live in a spreadsheet or your own system.
| Method | Best for | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Web dashboard | Campaigns, reminders and announcements sent by staff | A BMS account |
| Excel add-in | Lists that already live in a spreadsheet, with columns merged into each message | A v2.0 API key, entered in the add-in's settings |
| API | Automatic messages from your own website, app or system, such as order alerts and one-time passwords | A developer and an API key; see the BMS developer documentation |
| Shopify or WooCommerce plugin | Order and delivery updates from an online shop | A BMS account and the plugin |
With the BMS Excel add-in, you choose a campaign name, a sender ID and the column holding phone numbers, then write the message. Other column headers can be clicked into the message to personalise it, without re-uploading the file.
Four bulk SMS templates you can copy
Each template is in standard characters and fits in one SMS. "0XX XXX XXXX" stands for your contact number.
| Use | Template | Characters | SMS parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting notice | Accra Traders Association: our quarterly members' meeting is on Thu 26 Nov at 4pm, Kanda Community Centre. Please arrive by 3:45pm. | 131 | 1 |
| Payment reminder | Dear customer, your Kasoa Water bill of GHS 85 is due on 30 Nov. Pay by MoMo to 0XX XXX XXXX, quoting your account number. Thank you. | 133 | 1 |
| Back in stock | Tema Auto Parts: the brake pads you asked about are back in stock. We will hold a set for you until Saturday. Call 0XX XXX XXXX. | 128 | 1 |
| Service notice | Kumasi Fibre: service in Asokwa will be down for maintenance on Sun 29 Nov, 6am to 9am. We apologise for the inconvenience. | 123 | 1 |
Send the service notice a day or two before the work, not on the Sunday itself. For promotions, birthdays and more, see our SMS templates for Ghanaian businesses and the template set in our guide to SMS marketing in Ghana. To send birthday greetings without anyone remembering the dates, set them up once with our guide to automated birthday SMS.
Why are some bulk SMS messages not delivered?
Most failed messages come down to the number, not the network. Check the delivery report status first, then the cause.
| Status | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered | The message reached the phone | Nothing |
| Pending | The phone is switched off or out of coverage, and the network is still trying | Wait; most pending messages resolve once the phone is back on |
| Failed | The number is invalid, inactive or wrongly formatted | Check the format; remove the number if it fails again |
If a whole campaign fails, check three things before contacting support: that the sender ID is approved, that your account has enough credit for every part of every message, and that the numbers are in a format the platform accepts.
What catches people out?
These mistakes cost money or customers, and each is easy to avoid.
- Starting before the sender ID is approved. Plan the review time into your launch date.
- Leading zeros lost in Excel. Format the phone column as text.
- Sending the same list twice. Use saved groups instead of re-uploading, and check the schedule before pressing send.
- Scheduled promotions that land on a Sunday or after 7 p.m. Check the day as well as the time.
- Messages that split. One emoji or ₵ can triple the SMS used. Check the part count before sending.
- Ignoring opt-outs. BMS removes contacts who reply STOP from future campaigns automatically, but numbers you re-upload from an old spreadsheet can bring them back. Keep your master list up to date.
Pre-send checklist
- ☐ Sender ID approved
- ☐ Every contact agreed to hear from you
- ☐ Numbers in one format, with duplicates removed
- ☐ Message is 160 standard characters or fewer, with no ₵, emoji or curly quotes
- ☐ Promotional messages include a free way to opt out
- ☐ Scheduled Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., for anything promotional
- ☐ Enough credit for recipients × parts
- ☐ Test message received correctly on staff phones
Frequently asked questions
How do I send bulk SMS in Ghana?
Open an account with a bulk SMS provider, register a sender ID, upload a list of customers who agreed to hear from you, write a message of 160 standard characters or fewer, and send it to the list at once. Schedule promotions between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and check the delivery report afterwards.
Can I send bulk SMS without a sender ID?
You should not. The NCA requires commercial messages to identify the sender, and a registered sender ID shows your business name instead of an unknown number. Customers are more likely to read and trust a message from a name they recognise. Register your sender ID before planning your first campaign.
What is the best time to send bulk SMS in Ghana?
Promotional messages should go out between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday, under the NCA's consumer guidance. Within that window, the best time depends on your customers: send reminders a day ahead and again on the morning, and test different send times for offers and compare the results.
How do I format phone numbers for bulk SMS?
Use one format for the whole list, either the local 10-digit format starting with 0 or the international format starting with 233, with no spaces or dashes. In Excel, format the phone column as text first so leading zeros are not removed. Remove duplicates before uploading.
Can I send bulk SMS from Excel?
Yes. The BMS Excel add-in sends SMS straight from a spreadsheet. You enter a v2.0 API key in its settings, choose a sender ID and the column holding phone numbers, and write your message, clicking other column headers into it to personalise each SMS. There is no need to re-upload the file.
How much does it cost to send bulk SMS in Ghana?
Multiply the number of recipients by the number of parts in your message, then by the rate per SMS. A message of 160 standard characters is one part. Longer messages, emoji or a cedi sign increase the parts and the cost. Current rates are on the BMS Africa pricing page.
Send your first campaign this week
Sending bulk SMS in Ghana is quick once the groundwork is done: an approved sender ID, a clean list of customers who said yes, and a short message that fits in one SMS. Request the sender ID today, tidy the list while it is reviewed, and test on staff phones before you send to customers.
For the rules, campaign types and metrics behind every send, read our complete guide to SMS marketing in Ghana. Create a free BMS Africa account to register your sender ID and send your first campaign, with 10 free SMS to test with.
Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions, National Communications Authority, accessed 1 October 2026
- Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), GhaLII
- Digital 2026: Ghana, DataReportal, November 2025
- Evaluation of Mobile Number Portability Implementation in Ghana, ResearchGate
- BMS Africa bulk SMS and pricing, accessed 1 October 2026
- How to use the BMS Excel add-in, mNotify Help Center
