Malta is a heavily mobile market. DataReportal counted 781,000 cellular mobile connections at the start of 2025, equivalent to 144% of the population, as many people carry more than one SIM or a work phone. A text message is often the fastest way to reach a customer, a guest or a patient, and Mailpro lets you send SMS from the same account as your email campaigns.
Getting the numbers right
Maltese phone numbers have eight digits and no area codes. Mobile numbers typically start with 7 or 9 (for example 79, 77 or 99), though number portability means the prefix no longer reliably shows the network. For SMS, always store numbers in international format: +356 followed by the eight digits, such as +356 7912 3456. Visitors’ numbers use their own country code. Mailpro’s country code list helps when cleaning an international guest list.
Maltese characters and message length
A standard SMS holds 160 characters using the GSM 7-bit alphabet. Maltese letters such as ċ, ġ, ħ and ż are not part of that alphabet, so including them switches the message to Unicode, which allows 70 characters per segment. A message greeting customers with “Il-Milied it-Tajjeb” may therefore cost more segments than the English “Merry Christmas”. Check the counter before sending and see the SMS character limit FAQ.
The law: SMS counts as electronic mail
Malta’s S.L. 586.01 defines “electronic mail” to include any text message stored on the network or handset until collected. That means marketing SMS needs the same prior written consent as marketing email, for both individuals and companies, with the same soft opt-in exception for existing customers buying similar products. Each marketing text should identify the sender and offer an easy way to stop, such as “Reply STOP”. The Information and Data Protection Commissioner enforces these rules. For a wider view, see laws and restrictions on SMS campaigns.
Sender name
You can configure an alphanumeric sender name so your brand appears instead of a number. Keep it short and recognisable. How sender names display can depend on the receiving network, so send a test to phones on the main Maltese networks (GO, Epic and Melita) before a large campaign.
Where SMS works well in Malta
- Tourism: arrival-day messages with check-in details for guests who have not yet found Wi-Fi.
- Restaurants: same-day offers on quiet evenings, or table reminders on busy festa weekends.
- Clinics and salons: appointment reminders that reduce no-shows.
- Retail: flash sales around Black Friday or the Christmas shopping season.
- Finance and gaming: security codes and account alerts (service messages, not marketing).
Timing
SMS is intrusive if badly timed. Schedule marketing texts during reasonable hours in Malta’s time zone (CET/CEST), and avoid early mornings and late evenings. Mailpro lets you schedule SMS in advance.
Why Mailpro for SMS
SMS deliverability is rated 9.8/10 in Mailpro’s own customer survey. Messages can be personalised, sent via the web interface or API, and tracked with delivery reports. Contact data stays on private Swiss infrastructure. See SMS pricing, or read whether SMS campaigns are effective in Malta.