Person-to-Person (P2P)

Author: Anagha Ravi
Published: April 10, 2020
Updated: August 24, 2026

Person-to-person SMS (P2P) is text messaging traffic that is typical of human-to-human communications. P2P should not exceed one (1) message-per-second (MPS), and the balance of messages sent versus received should be approximately one-to-one.

P2P SMS is defined as:

  • Messaging throughput of no more than 1 message per second
  • Messaging volume of no more than 1,000 per day
  • A unique sender with only one telephone number assigned to or used by a single consumer.
  • Unique recipients with no more than 100 distinct receiving telephone numbers per message
  • A balance of a roughly 1:1 ratio for outgoing and incoming messages per telephone number
  • Sending 25 or more substantially identical messages flags traffic as A2P instead of P2P
  • Industries that were previously accepted for P2P use, including non-profits, political, and education services, are now classified as A2P
  • Messages are strictly for use between consumers. Agents and businesses that demonstrate P2P traffic patterns are classified as A2P under these guidelines.

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The information provided in this glossary definition does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice, nor does it necessarily represent Bandwidth's products or business practices. This page is for general informational purposes only.
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