SMS marketing Canada: complete beginner’s guide for 2025

Lots of good things come from Canada…

Maple syrup. Hawaiian pizza. Copywriting guru Joanna Wiebe (shout out to the fabulous training at Copyhackers!).

And like anywhere else, the country that has given us these good things is full of people who want or need the products and services that you are selling.

And also like anywhere else, the people in this beautiful country almost ubiquitously communicate with each other via one particular medium…

Texting.

In fact, billions upon billions upon billons of text messages are sent in Canada per year.

So how can you use SMS to really reach people in Canada? To get in front of them with messages that they’ll actually see?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll go through all the in’s and out’s of SMS marketing in Canada.

Read on!

SMS marketing Canada: how it works

So how does SMS marketing in Canada actually work?

The process for SMS marketing is very similar to the process for email marketing.

Here’s what it looks like…

1. Find an SMS platform that supports Canada

It may surprise you to know that SMS marketing platforms don’t necessarily allow you to send to all countries across the world.

That’s because international SMS marketing is actually a very complex thing with different messaging routes and sender ID options and carrier fees and registration requirements…

In other words, it’s almost impossible to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution that accounts for every country across the world.

So you’ll need to make sure that you find an SMS platform that supports Canada specifically.

Thankfully, Canada is probably the second most commonly supported country in the world for SMS marketing (after the United States). Most major SMS platforms will support sending messages to Canada.

2. Register your brand with the Canadian carriers

Your next step after finding an SMS platform is to register your brand with the Canadian carriers.

Registering your brand helps you “pre-approve” messaging traffic with the mobile carriers in Canada so that they don’t filter out your messages as spam.

The SMS platform that you choose should have an easy form you can fill out with some basic questions about your business and your intention for using SMS.

Once that form is submitted, the SMS platform will submit the form to the mobile carriers on your behalf so that they can review.

The mobile carriers will then (hopefully) approve your registration, leading to fewer message delivery issues.

3. Get consent

In Canada you’ll need to make sure to get consent from recipients before sending them messages in order to remain compliant with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

We’ll talk more about CASL later, but for now the important thing to keep in mind is that you need to have a plan in place to get consent from recipients.

This consent needs to be clear enough that you could prove it in case of a dispute, so keep that in mind as you’re planning.

(You won’t necessarily be able to just import lists into your SMS database willy-nilly.)

Once you have a plan in place to collect consent from your potential subscribers, you’re able to start adding subscribers to receive your text messages.

4. Add subscribers

SMS platforms offer several ways to add your Canadian subscribers into your database.

These methods can be broken up into user-initiated methods and audience-initiated methods.

Not all of these methods work for every country, but they do work for both the US and Canada.

User-initiated methods

A “user-initiated” method refers to methods that you as the user can implement to add subscribers on your end.

Some of the primary user-initiated methods include:

• Adding subscribers via an SMS API
• Adding subscribers by importing a spreadsheet of contacts (this often involves exporting a list of contacts from, say, your CRM, and then taking that list and importing it into the SMS database)
• Adding subscribers individual one by one

Audience-initiated methods

An “audience-initiated method” refers to methods that your audience—rather than you—initiate on their end in order to add themselves to your text alert subscription list.

Some of the primary audience-initiated methods include:

• Your audience texting in a particular “opt-in keyword” to your SMS platform account’s phone number
• Your audience filling out a custom web form or web banner that’s connected to your SMS platform account
• Your audience scanning a QR code that’s automatically generated in your SMS platform account

5. Create campaigns

The next step is to create campaigns to Canada within your SMS platform online account (or to create the campaigns via SMS API).

There are a few different ways to create campaigns within SMS platforms such as Mobile Text Alerts:

• If you have developer resources, you can tap into the SMS platform’s SMS API and build out your Canadian campaigns exactly the way you want it.
• You can manually type out individual campaigns within your SMS platform account and schedule the time that you’d like it to send (or send it immediately).
• You can build out a workflow of messages (with corresponding delays) within your SMS platform account.

SMS marketing Canada examples

How can you make SMS marketing relatable and actionable for Canadian businesses?

Here are some examples across different industries.

(Note that this is just a sampling because the actual use case possibilities are almost limitless!)

1. Retail store: flash sales and exclusive promotions

Example message:

“

Hi [Name]! 🚨 24-Hour Flash Sale! Save 20% on all items in-store and online. Show this text at checkout or use code FLASH20 online. Sale ends at midnight! Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

How It Works:

Retail businesses can use SMS to promote flash sales or exclusive discounts because texts create a sense of urgency—therefore driving almost immediate traffic.

Sending these messages just before peak shopping hours or Canadian holidays (like Canada Day or Canadian Thanksgiving) can yield even higher engagement.

2. Restaurants and cafés: limited-time specials

Example Message:

“

Hi [Name]! 🍁 Warm up this fall with a free latte upgrade. Visit us in [City Name] this week and show this message to redeem. Available through Sunday. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

How It Works:

Restaurants can use SMS to promote limited-time deals or seasonal items—which can be particularly effective when combined with local events or themes, like a pumpkin spice offer in October or maple-flavored (of course!) items during the fall.

3. Healthcare clinics: appointment reminders and health tips

Example Message:

“

Hello [Name], just a reminder of your appointment at Maple Health Clinic on [Date] at [Time]. Reply CONFIRM to confirm or RESCHEDULE to choose a new date. Questions? Call us at [Phone Number].

How It Works:

SMS reminders for healthcare appointments help reduce no-shows (which is important because some report a no-show rate of up to 25% in Canada). Clinics can also use SMS to share health tips, seasonal vaccine reminders, or wellness campaigns to help encourage more patient engagement.

4. Nonprofits: fundraising and event reminders

Example Message:

“

Hi [Name]! Join us for a virtual fundraiser this Friday to support families in need across Canada. Text BACK to RSVP, or visit [Link] to learn more. Together, we make a difference. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

How It Works:

Nonprofits can use SMS to allow people to donate via text message. They can also use SMS reminders to help boost attendance to (and engagement at!) events.

5. Ecommerce: abandoned cart reminders

Example Message:

“

Hi [Name]! You left something behind! Complete your purchase today and use code WELCOME10 for 10% off your first order. Shop now: [Link] Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

How It Works:

Abandoned cart messages remind customers to complete their purchase—and SMS is the perfect avenue to communicate urgency for this type of notification. Also, you can pair your SMS with a discount code for an added punch.

6. Real estate: new property listings and open house invitations

Example Message:

“

Hi [Name], a new listing just hit the market in [City/Neighborhood]! 🏡 Join our open house on Saturday from 12-4 p.m. at [Address]. Contact [Agent Name] at [Phone Number] for details. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

How It Works:

Real estate agents can use SMS to send updates on new listings, invite potential buyers to open houses, or share time-sensitive market insight. More engagement with potential buyers means more sales!

Why should you use SMS marketing in Canada?

We’ve seen how SMS marketing can work and how it can look in Canada.

But there is a question of why…

Why should you even bother using SMS marketing in Canada?

Ubiquitous

Here’s an interesting word for you… SMS is ubiquitous.

You’re probably smarter than me, so you know what that word means without having to look it up like I did a while back.

But in case you’re like me, ubiquitous means that something shows up everywhere.

And that’s what we see with SMS, as mentioned above, with billions upon billions of text messages being sent in Canada each year.

From teenagers to great-grandparents and everyone in between, SMS is a universal language across the board.

This ubiquitousness makes SMS marketing a natural channel for you to use in Canada.

High engagement

SMS has a pretty outstanding read rate / view rate.

The read rate is up to 55%, which is definitely worth singing about!

But the “view rate” (the rate of people who at least see the messages, even if they don’t actually open it) is incredible.

That “view rate” is…

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Wait for it…!

100%.

Can’t get much better than that!

Versatility

SMS is as flexible of a communication channel as email.

Which means you can use it for a plethora of campaigns—whether marketing or otherwise.

Practically any campaign approach you can think of can benefit from incorporating SMS at some level or another.

Engagement campaigns? Yep.

New customer onboarding? Yep yep.

Even customer service? Yep yep yep!

That level of versatility makes it very useful as a marketing tool and beyond.

What challenges are there with using SMS marketing in Canada?

SMS is certainly a valuable solution for marketing in Canada.

But it’s not without its share of challenges.

Here are a few of the issues you’ll need to navigate in order to purpose SMS marketing in Canada.

1. Strict compliance with CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation)

When it comes to SMS, Canada’s Ant-Spam Legislation is stricter than regulations in the US.

You’ll need to make sure you adhere to the compliance rules so that you don’t get into any legal trouble.

(A bit more on what this means later…)

2. Issues with deliverability across carriers

SMS message delivery may run into unique issues with successful delivery to some carriers.

Some deliverability issues can be resolved ahead of time by submitting appropriate registrations. SMS platforms can help you navigate through which forms you need and what you need to do to get the best delivery rates possible.

Make sure that the SMS platform you choose is knowledgeable about what needs to be done as far as registration forms or best practices to avoid deliverability issues with Canadian mobile carriers.

3. Costs of SMS marketing in Canada

Many marketers and business owners have misconceptions about how much SMS marketing should cost.

They compare (either consciously or unconsciously) SMS marketing to the most similar other form of marketing out there—email.

Now, email marketing is dirt cheap. It costs next to nothing to send a marketing email to a single user.

However, SMS, though similar to email in a lot of ways, is actually a whole separate animal. The back end costs associated with sending SMS in Canada are significantly higher than emails, and thus SMS providers must charge more than email providers.

What all of that means is that SMS isn’t quite as scalable as email in regard to the amount of messages you can send. But this is not an altogether bad thing, because of a couple of reasons:

1. You don’t need to send as many SMS in order to make an impact because people actually pay attention to them
2. People are less tolerant of receiving a large number of SMS

4. Subscriber fatigue

Related to the last point, you’ll need to be careful about managing “subscriber fatigue.”

People aren’t used to—nor do they have a desire to—receive multiple text messages per week from brands.

They may be good with a few text messages per month, and may even find that useful. But in most cases, sending more than one per week is likely to cause consternation.

Combat subscriber fatigue by sending your SMS sparingly.

(I just had visions of the food pyramid and the instructions to eat fats, oils, and sweets “sparingly”—mmhmm, yeah, good luck with that.)

5. Cultural and regional considerations

Canada has a complex cultural landscape with British, French, and American influences—and, in fact, two official languages (English and French, in case you weren’t aware).

Just as in any country, but particularly in vast countries such as the US and Canada, the people are not monolithic. They don’t all talk the same way, value the same things, or even speak the same language.

This fact could potentially be challenging for people engaging in SMS marketing. Just imagine not even knowing what language you should send your message in!

You’ll need to make sure you know how to navigate those complex issues.

SMS marketing laws in Canada

SMS marketing in Canada must follow fairly strict laws that are in place to help protect people from spam.

So what are these laws and what do you need to know about them?

Let’s go over all of that here.

First off, is SMS marketing even legal at all??

Can I use SMS marketing in Canada?

Yes, you can(ada) use SMS marketing in Canada.

You just need to make sure you’re following Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation.

Essentially, this legislation involves:

1. Getting express consent from all recipients (preferably written consent so that you’ll be able to prove the consent later on if any issue arises)
2. Including identification in your messages—note that with SMS, this would mean including a link to a site with more identification information (such as your company’s address)
3. An “unsubscribe” mechanism must be included in your messages (with Mobile Text Alerts, people can reply STOP in order to automatically opt out)

As long as you follow those guidelines, you’ll be A-OK to send SMS marketing messages in Canada!

How can I collect a number for SMS marketing?

As long as you’re legitimately getting clear consent from people to send them messages, you’ll be OK.

Now, you’ll want to have proof that the consent was collected in case it’s contested at some point in the future. So with that in mind, it’s best if you collect phone numbers in a way that leaves a paper trail showing that these recipients actually opted in to receive messages.

This could take the form of a physical sign-up sheet, an online form people fill out, or an “opt-in keyword” that people text in which automatically subscribes them.

SMS marketing platforms in Canada

While not a lot of SMS marketing platforms are physically located within Canada, there are many SMS marketing platforms that offer services to Canada.

Here are a few.

Mobile Text Aerts

Mobile Text Alerts is an out-of-the-box SMS platform and API that allows you to manage a database of phone numbers, create automated SMS campaigns, and send out mass text messages.

Plus you can get access to quarterly coaching calls for your first year to help you get off on the right foot with your SMS efforts.

Mobile Text Alerts offers SMS services globally, to almost any country across the world. But at its heart is offering services to the United States and Canada.

Reviewers give Mobile Text Alerts 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Some of the elements that reviewers highlight are:

• How easy the product is to use
• The simplicity of the process
• The quality of the customer support

A couple of the negative aspects mentioned by reviewers include:

• Some issues with people not receiving messages
• Some limitations in the functionality

Twilio

Twilio is a prominent SMS API provider that is built so that developers can use the services to create their own SMS process. (They also offer other communication APIs and services.)

Twilio is actually publicly traded and is very prominent in the SMS space.

Twilio is known for its robust APIs that give developers flexibility for building the messaging solution that fits their needs.

Twilio offers services across the world, including Canada.

Reviewers give Twilio 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Some of the elements that reviewers highlight are:

• How easy the service is to use and integrate
• The quality of the APIs

Some of the negative aspects mentioned by reviewers include:

• Experiences with low-quality customer support
• Complaints about cost being too high
• Some issues with people not receiving messages

SlickText

SlickText is an out-of-the-box SMS platform and API. Like Mobile Text Alerts above, it allows you to manage a database of contacts and send out automated texts or text blasts.

SlickText is one of the more well-known SMS platforms of this caliber with over 1,500 reviews on G2.

They offer services to Canada.

Reviewers give SlickText 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Some of the elements that reviewers highlight are:

• How easy the product is to use
• The quality of the customer support

Some of the negative aspects mentioned by reviewers include:

• Complaints about cost being too high
• Issues with sending SMS
• A difficult learning curve

SimpleTexting

SimpleText is one more out-of-the-box SMS platform and API. Just as with SlickText and Mobile Text Alerts, you can use SimpleTexting to manage a database of contacts and SMS campaigns.

SimpleTexting presents itself as a solution for small businesses in particular.

They offer services to Canada.

Reviewers give SimpleTexting 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Some of the elements that reviewers highlight are:

• How easy the product is to use
• The simplicity of the process
• The quality of the customer support

A negative aspect mentioned by reviewers is some issues with people not receiving messages.

Attentive

Attentive is both an email and SMS marketing platform, and is primarily geared toward ecommerce businesses.

Attentive has also now branded itself as an “AI-powered” platform, so you can use AI to customize and personalize your messages and messaging process.

Attentive has a good reputation and does offer services in Canada.

Reviewers give Attentive 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Some of the elements that reviewers highlight are:

• The quality of the customer support
• How easy and user-friendly the product is to use

Some of the negative aspects mentioned by reviewers include:

• Complaints about cost being too high
• A lack of desired features
• Issues with the platform’s reporting tools

SMS marketing Canada pricing

No matter how useful a tool is, if it doesn’t work in your budget (or if you can’t get a positive ROI!) you won’t be able to use it.

So how much does SMS marketing cost in Canada?

The answer is… it depends.

Most online services start with plans around $29/month. But prices can vary greatly depending on a number of factors…

Message volume

The primary factor in how much SMS marketing will cost in Canada is the amount of messages you plan on sending.

Most SMS services and platforms are priced according to how many messages you send or that you want to have access to send.

You also usually get a lower rate per message if you purchase access to more messaging credits at a time.

For example, if you purchase a plan for 500 messages per month, you may be paying $.03–$.05 per message, but if you purchase hundreds of thousands or millions of messages at a time, you may pay less than a cent per message.

Message type

Sending a “regular” SMS (containing only text) generally costs less than sending an MMS (picture message).

Usually, sending MMS ends up costing three times more than SMS. So you’ll need to consider this when you’re deciding what plan to go with or thinking about how many messages you need.

Subscription vs. contract

Many SMS services are subscription-based services. These automatically renew every month or year and tend to be more expensive on a per-message basis.

But if you’re willing to enter into a contract with an SMS platform for a high number of messages (and for a fixed period of time), you’ll likely get offered better rates.

Also keep in mind…

If you’re actually located in Canada, you also want to keep in mind that most SMS services are priced in USD, not CAD. So the prices you see when you’re researching different providers is the cost for US dollars.

So if it says $29 per month (USD), that’s the equivalent of of $40.35 in CAD.

How do you get started with SMS marketing in Canada?

The first step to getting started with SMS marketing is to find a service you’d like to try out (such as Mobile Text Alerts 😉).

• Most services will allow you a free trial period, so you can sign up for the free trial. That way, you can get a feel for how things work and what all you can do with your platform.
• Make sure you have express consent from your subscribers, in order to adhere to Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) regulations.
• Get your contacts loaded into the SMS platform (or allow them to sign themselves up by texting in a keyword or using a web sign-up form).
• Set up your SMS campaigns in the online platform or using the SMS service’s API.
• Include opt-out instructions and business identification info in your message, in order to adhere to CASL regulations.

Other special considerations for SMS marketing in Canada

What else should you keep in mind when engaging in SMS marketing in Canada?

Consider bilingual messaging (depending on the location of your audience)

There are enough people in Canada who speak French that you could consider making your messages bilingual—especially if you’re messaging people in Quebec or one of the territories.

Indeed, almost 23% of people in Canada claim French as their mother tongue, compared to the 56% that speak English.

Be attuned to Canada’s special days

If you’re not native to Canada but have a Canadian audience, you’ll want to make sure you’re attuned to their special cultural days and tailor your campaigns to those.

The core holidays in Canada are:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)—celebrates the first day of the new year
• Family Day (3rd Monday in February)—also known as Louis Riel Day, Islander Day, and Heritage Day; purpose for celebration may vary depending on location
• Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday—commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ
• Victoria Day (Monday before May 25)—celebrates the birthday of the ruling British monarch
• Canada Day (July 1)—celebrates the confederation of Canada in 1867
• Civic Holiday (1st Monday in August)—also known as British Columbia Day, New Brunswick Day, Saskatchewan Day, Heritage Day, Natal Day, Terry Fox Day, Simcoe Day, John Galt Day, and Colonel By Day
• Labour Day (1st Monday in September)—celebrates the achievements of workers
• Truth and Reconciliation Day (September 30)—memorializes the impact of the Canadian Indian residential school system
• Thanksgiving Day (2nd Monday in October)—a day of gratitude and feasting
• Remembrance Day (November 11)—commemorates Canadians who have died in war
• Christmas Day (December 25)—celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ
• Boxing Day (December 26)—an extension of sorts to Christmas activities, known for retail sales and promotions

There are others as well, of course, such as Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, and Halloween.

Don’t view the Canadian audience as monolithic

Though this might seem obvious, and it’s likely something you already know if you’re reading this, it’s worth mentioning as a reminder...

Canada is a vast area of land filled with all kinds of diverse populations.

Canadians are not monolithic—they come from different backgrounds, climates, languages, and cultures.

Don’t assume they’re all the same or that they’ll resonate with the same SMS marketing approaches.

Get started with SMS marketing in Canada now

That was a lot, eh?

(Sorry, just had to throw that in there!)

The good news is that now you’re armed with the knowledge you need to take the first step toward SMS marketing in Canada.

So what’r ya waitin’ for?

Get a free trial account now to see how you can use SMS to really reach your Canadian audiences.