Programmable SMS Text Messaging generally falls within one of two categories: A2P and P2P messaging. 

A2P Messaging

A2P or Application-to-person messaging, as the name suggests, refers to messages a person receives from an application. All messaging traffic from automated messages, appointment reminders, chat bots, virtual assistants, one-time-password (OTP) and PIN codes fall into the category of A2P messages. 

A2P messages are subject to local country regulations. Customers need to be aware that these regulations have implications for their business. In some cases, messages may be filtered by recipient carriers. In other cases, the delivery of messages may be delayed. 

P2P Messaging

P2P or Person-to-Person messaging is defined as a two-way conversation between two humans. Any messaging traffic between two people using their phones to send messages falls into the category of P2P messages. 

According to the telecom regulations of Canada and the United States, P2P messaging has a very narrow definition, and cannot consist of any application-mediated messaging.