SMS gateway for Netherlands: send SMS from your own Netherlands number
Published and updated
An Android phone holding a Netherlands SIM sends the messages, so the API call goes out over that SIM and recipients see the +31 number that sent it. The SIM keeps its own carrier plan, and textbee is $9.99 a month at 5,000 messages on top of it.
How it works with a local SIM
- Put a Netherlands SIM in an Android phone that stays on and on power, and install the textbee app on it.
- Register the device from the dashboard, which pairs the phone with your API key.
- Call
POST /gateway/send-smswith the recipient in E.164 form. The phone sends it over the SIM and reports the result back.
What it costs at 1K, 5K and 25K messages
| Provider | 1K messages | 5K messages | 25K messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | $115.45$114.30 messages, $1.15 number | $572.65$571.50 messages, $1.15 number | $2,858.65$2,857.50 messages, $1.15 number |
| Simyo Sim Only bundle, 400 shared minutes and SMS | Above the plan400 SMS a month for EUR 6 per month | Above the plan400 SMS a month for EUR 6 per month | Above the plan400 SMS a month for EUR 6 per month |
| Simyo Sim Only bundle, unlimited minutes and SMS | $8.14EUR 7 per month | $8.14EUR 7 per month | $8.14EUR 7 per month |
| textbee | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included |
textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.
Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026
The textbee plan is the platform fee and the SIM plan is what the carrier charges for the messages, so a local setup costs the plan price plus the SIM.
Rules for application to person SMS in the Netherlands
- The Dutch regulator ACM explains article 11.7 of the Telecommunications Act: send electronic marketing messages only to recipients who gave prior consent, show who the sender is, and give every message a fast and free way to unsubscribe. acm.nl, checked on September 4, 2026
Sender ID and OTP delivery
No official page read describes registration of alphanumeric sender names in the Netherlands. The ACM requires every marketing message to show who the sender is, for example by naming your company.
Quickstart
curl -X POST https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"recipients": ["+31612345678"], "message": "Your textbee code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes."}'On a dual SIM phone, pass simSubscriptionId to pick the SIM the message goes out on, as the send reference describes.
Format and check Netherlands numbers
The API takes E.164, which for the Netherlands looks like +31612345678, so strip any local trunk prefix before you send.
Result
Enter a phone number above.
Use E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) for textbee.dev API recipients.
Count segments
A message over one segment is sent as more than one SMS, so it draws more than once on the SIM plan.
Result
- Characters: 54
- Encoding: GSM-7
- Segments: 1 SMS
- 1 segment = 1 SMS
GSM-7: 160 chars per segment (153 for multi-part). Unicode/emoji: 70 chars per segment (67 for multi-part). Carriers may charge per segment.
Honest limits
One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Dutch rules for marketing SMS?
The ACM explains article 11.7 of the Telecommunicatiewet: send electronic marketing messages only to recipients who gave prior consent, make clear who the sender is, for example by naming your company, and give every message a fast and free unsubscribe option.
Does a Dutch prepaid SIM expire if the gateway phone sends few messages?
Simyo states that prepaid credit stays valid indefinitely only if you use the SIM yourself at least once every half year, and that otherwise the SIM, the number and the credit expire. Sending one SMS counts as use.
How much does SMS cost on a Dutch SIM?
Simyo prepaid charges EUR 0.10 per SMS from a top up such as EUR 7.50 of credit. Simyo Sim Only offers a bundle of 400 shared minutes and SMS for EUR 6 per month, valid one calendar month, or unlimited minutes and SMS for EUR 7, with a EUR 2 monthly surcharge on a contract you can cancel each month.
Sources
- SMS rules the Netherlands, acm.nl, checked on September 4, 2026
- Simyo Sim Only bundle, 400 shared minutes and SMS, checked on September 4, 2026
- Twilio SMS pricing, Netherlands, checked on September 4, 2026