Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging refers to SMS or MMS messages sent from a business to a person. It’s generally characterized by high-volume (bulk) 1-way or 2-way traffic sent via a communication platform (application) for informational or transactional purposes, such as appointment reminders, marketing and advertising, e-commerce, mobile-commerce, and value-added services (VAS).

Some A2P messages have a social component, such as alert services or emergency warnings used in situations like natural hazards or widespread fires, while others carry notifications for one time passwords (OTP) or two-factor authentication (2FA).

Person-to-Person (P2P) messaging refers to SMS or MMS messages exchanged between individuals, like friends or family. Traditionally, this type of 2-way communication was possible only through mobile phones equipped with SIM cards, but today, it can also occur via texting applications.

Person-to-Application (P2A) messaging refers to 2-way SMS or MMS messages where a person either replies to a message sent from an application, such as a patient confirming their appointment by replying to an automated reminder, or initiates the message, such as a client contacting customer service.

Some countries, such as the US, consider P2A part of A2P traffic, while others classify it as P2P. In the US, P2A messaging is called “business conversational messaging”. We will support your business depending on the use case and in line with each country’s regulations. For more information, please contact your Bandwidth Account Manager.