Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 29 October 2026

1. About us and these Terms

1.1 Orbis SMS is provided by Orbis Digital Ltd ("we", "us", "our"), a private limited company registered in England and Wales with company number 17116737. Our registered office is 66 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NA.

1.2 You can contact us by email at support@orbisdigital.co.uk or by phone on 0330 223 7919. We give this information in line with the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 and the Companies Act 2006.

1.3 These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") form a contract between us and the business that opens an Orbis SMS account ("you", "your", the "Customer"). They apply to your use of the Orbis SMS website, the customer portal and the API.

1.4 You accept these Terms when you tick the acceptance box at sign-up, or when you first use the Service, whichever is earlier. If you accept on behalf of an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind it.

1.5 The following documents also form part of these Terms: our Acceptable Use Policy, our Anti-Spam Policy and our Data Processing Agreement. If there is a conflict, the Data Processing Agreement takes priority on data protection matters, and otherwise these Terms take priority.

1.6 These Terms are available in English only. You can save or print them from this page at any time.

2. Definitions

In these Terms:

• "Account" means your Orbis SMS customer account, including all users you add to it.
• "API" means our application programming interface, which lets you send messages from your own systems.
• "API Key" means a key you create in the Portal to access the API.
• "Content" means everything you or your users submit to the Service, including message text, contact lists, contact details, tags, templates and sender ID requests.
• "Credits" means prepaid units that you buy in the Portal and use to send messages.
• "Data Protection Law" means the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 ("PECR"), each as amended (including by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025).
• "Policies" means our Acceptable Use Policy and Anti-Spam Policy.
• "Portal" means our browser-based customer portal at app.orbissms.co.uk.
• "Recipient" means a person to whom a message is sent through the Service.
• "Segment" means one standard SMS part, as described in clause 6.3.
• "Sender ID" means the name or number shown to Recipients as the sender of a message.
• "Service" means the Orbis SMS website, Portal, API and messaging service described in section 5.
• "Working Day" means Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England.

3. Business customers only

3.1 The Service is offered only to businesses. It is not offered to consumers. You must be a company, partnership, sole trader acting in the course of business, charity or public body.

3.2 By accepting these Terms you confirm that you are acting for purposes relating to your trade, business, craft or profession. Consumer rights that apply only to consumers, including cancellation rights under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, do not apply to this contract.

4. Eligibility, accounts and approval

4.1 Each person who opens or uses an Account must be aged 18 or over.

4.2 You must give us accurate, complete information about your business when you register, and keep it up to date. We may ask for further information to verify your identity, your business and your intended use of the Service.

4.3 Every new Account is reviewed manually by a member of our team before it can send messages. We may approve or decline an Account at our discretion, and we do not have to give reasons. If we decline an Account before you have bought Credits, no charge is made.

4.4 You are responsible for everything done under your Account, by you, your users or anyone using your login details or API Keys. You must make sure that your users comply with these Terms.

5. The service

5.1 The Service lets you:

• send one-off and bulk SMS messages to mobile numbers;
• send campaigns to contact groups and schedule messages for later;
• store contacts and groups, including by CSV import;
• create and reuse message templates;
• request alphanumeric Sender IDs, subject to approval;
• send one-time passcode (OTP) messages;
• view delivery information, where available, and reports;
• handle opt-outs, including automatic processing of STOP replies;
• create API Keys to send messages from your own systems; and
• raise support tickets.

5.2 The Service is an SMS service only. We deliver messages through UK messaging network providers and SMS aggregators.

5.3 We may improve or change features of the Service from time to time. We will not make a change that materially reduces the core SMS sending service without notice under section 21.

6. Credits, prices and payment

6.1 There is no monthly platform fee and no minimum term. You pay for the Service by buying prepaid Credit bundles in the Portal. Current bundles are shown on our pricing page.

6.2 Prices may change. The price that applies to a purchase is the price shown at checkout when you place the order.

6.3 One Credit pays for one Segment sent to a UK mobile number. The following rules apply:

• a message of up to 160 GSM-7 characters is one Segment;
• a longer GSM-7 message is split into parts of up to 153 characters, and each part is one Segment;
• a message containing Unicode characters (such as emoji or some special characters) is one Segment if it has up to 70 characters, and is otherwise split into parts of up to 67 characters, each of which is one Segment.

6.4 The Portal shows you how many Credits a message or campaign will use before you send it. You are responsible for checking this.

6.5 Card payments are processed by Stripe through Stripe Checkout. Stripe is our payment processor. We never see or store your full card number. Your payment is also subject to Stripe's own terms.

6.6 Credits are added to your Account once payment is confirmed. Where we agree a manual or bank payment order with you, Credits are added once an administrator has confirmed receipt of payment.

6.7 Credits do not expire while your Account remains open. If we ever change this, the change will apply only to Credits bought after the change, and we will show it to you before you buy.

6.8 Credits have no cash value, cannot be transferred to another account and may be used only for the Service.

6.9 You must not dispute or reverse a card payment for Credits you have received, except where you have a genuine claim that we have not resolved under section 23. If a payment is reversed, we may remove the related Credits and suspend your Account until the matter is settled.

7. Refunds

7.1 Credits are non-refundable once purchased, except:

1. where we charged you in error, or the Service failed through our fault;
2. where we close or suspend your Account and you were not in breach of these Terms, in which case we will refund your unused Credits; or
3. where the law requires a refund.

7.2 Credits used for messages that were sent are not refunded, even if a message was not delivered because the handset was switched off, out of coverage or otherwise unreachable.

7.3 If we reject or block a message before it is sent, the Credits for that message are returned to your Account.

7.4 If you close your Account, or we close it because you breached these Terms or the Policies, any unused Credits are forfeited.

7.5 Refunds are made to the original payment method where possible.

8. Your obligations

8.1 You must use the Service lawfully, in line with these Terms and the Policies. The Acceptable Use Policy and Anti-Spam Policy form part of these Terms, and a breach of either is a breach of these Terms.

8.2 For every Recipient, you must:

• have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR to use their mobile number and any other details;
• for marketing messages, have the consent PECR requires, or be able to rely on the soft opt-in where it lawfully applies;
• keep records of consent (including when, where and how it was given) and provide them to us promptly on request;
• honour every opt-out, including STOP replies, and not re-add opted-out numbers without fresh consent.

8.3 You must identify yourself accurately in every message. You must not conceal or disguise your identity, and you must not impersonate any other person or organisation. Every marketing message must include a simple, free way to opt out.

8.4 You must not use the Service for spam, fraud, scams, phishing or any activity that would breach the Fraud Act 2006, the Computer Misuse Act 1990 or any other law.

8.5 You must keep passwords and API Keys secure and confidential. You must not share API Keys publicly or include them in client-side code. You must revoke any API Key you believe is compromised and tell us promptly about any suspected unauthorised access to your Account. We store API Keys in hashed form, so we cannot show you a key again after it is created.

8.6 You must not try to gain unauthorised access to the Service, interfere with its operation, test its security without our written permission, or overload it.

8.7 You must co-operate with reasonable requests from us about your use of the Service, including requests made because of a complaint, a network provider enquiry or a regulator's enquiry.

9. Sender IDs

9.1 Alphanumeric Sender IDs must be requested in the Portal and approved by us before use. We may ask for evidence that you are entitled to use the name.

9.2 You must only use a Sender ID that identifies you, or a business you are authorised to act for. Sender IDs registered on the MEF SMS SenderID Protection Registry may be blocked unless the owner has authorised your use.

9.3 We may refuse, suspend or withdraw a Sender ID at any time if we reasonably believe it is misleading, infringes another person's rights, or is required by a network provider, regulator or law.

10. Content screening and sending limits

10.1 To prevent fraud and protect Recipients and networks, message content is automatically screened against risk rules. These rules look for keywords and patterns linked to spam, scams and phishing.

10.2 A flagged message may be held for review by a member of our team, or blocked. Credits for blocked messages are returned under clause 7.3. Decisions about your Account are made by a person, not solely by an automated system.

10.3 Screening is a safeguard for us and the networks. It does not check that your messages are lawful and does not reduce your responsibilities under section 8.

10.4 New Accounts may be subject to daily sending limits. We may raise or lower limits based on your sending history and risk.

11. Suspension

11.1 We may suspend sending, specific features or your whole Account immediately, without prior notice, where we reasonably suspect:

• spam, fraud or a scam;
• unlawful content or a breach of these Terms or the Policies;
• a security risk to the Service, your Account or Recipients;
• non-payment or a reversed payment; or
• where a network provider or regulator instructs us to.

11.2 Where we can, we will tell you the reason for a suspension and what you need to do to have it lifted. We will lift the suspension once the reason no longer applies.

11.3 Your Credits remain on your Account during a suspension. If a suspension ends with the closure of your Account, section 12 applies.

12. Termination

12.1 You may close your Account at any time through the Portal or by contacting us. There is no notice period or closure fee.

12.2 We may close your Account:

• immediately, by notice, if you materially or repeatedly breach these Terms or the Policies, or if any reason in clause 11.1 applies and is not resolved;
• immediately, if you become insolvent, enter administration or liquidation, or stop trading; or
• for any other reason, by giving you at least 30 days' notice.

12.3 The effect on your Credits is set out in section 7. In summary: if we close your Account without you being in breach, we refund unused Credits; if you close it, or we close it for breach, unused Credits are forfeited.

12.4 When your Account closes, your right to use the Service ends. We will delete or return customer data as set out in the Data Processing Agreement and our Privacy Policy. You should export any data you need before closing.

12.5 Sections and clauses that by their nature are intended to continue after termination survive it. These include sections 7, 14 to 19, 22, 23 and 24.

13. Delivery, availability and maintenance

13.1 We do not guarantee that any message will be delivered, or delivered within a particular time. SMS delivery depends on mobile networks, routing and Recipients' handsets, which are outside our control.

13.2 We provide delivery reports where they are available from the networks. Delivery reports may be delayed, incomplete or unavailable for some messages.

13.3 We use reasonable efforts to keep the Service available, but we do not guarantee any level of uptime or that the Service will be free from interruption or error.

13.4 We may need to carry out maintenance. Where possible, we will give you advance notice of scheduled maintenance and carry it out at times that minimise disruption. Urgent maintenance may be carried out without notice.

14. Intellectual property

14.1 We and our licensors own all intellectual property rights in the Service, the Portal, the API, our website and our documentation. Nothing in these Terms transfers those rights to you.

14.2 We grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence, for as long as your Account is open, to use the Portal and API for your internal business purposes in line with these Terms.

14.3 You must not copy, modify, resell, sublicense, reverse engineer or create derivative works from the Service, except as allowed by law.

14.4 You keep all rights in your Content. You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, copy, process and transmit your Content only as needed to provide the Service, to comply with law and to protect the Service, Recipients and networks.

14.5 You confirm that you have all rights needed to use your Content with the Service, and that our use of it under clause 14.4 will not infringe anyone's rights.

14.6 If you send us feedback or suggestions, we may use them freely without any obligation to you.

15. Data protection

15.1 Each party must comply with Data Protection Law.

15.2 For your Recipients' data and your message content, you are the controller and we are your processor. Our Data Processing Agreement forms part of these Terms and applies to that processing. By accepting these Terms you also accept the Data Processing Agreement.

15.3 For data about you, your users and your Account (such as names, contact details, login and billing records), we are the controller. Our Privacy Policy explains how we use that data.

15.4 When a Recipient opts out, we keep their number on a suppression list for your Account so that no further messages are sent to them. The list is kept for as long as your Account exists.

16. Confidentiality

16.1 Each party must keep confidential any information it receives from the other that is marked confidential or would reasonably be considered confidential. This includes technical information about the Service, your Content and business information of either party.

16.2 A party may use the other's confidential information only to perform or receive the Service. It may share it only with its employees, contractors, professional advisers and subcontractors who need to know it and are bound by similar duties of confidence.

16.3 These duties do not apply to information that is or becomes public through no fault of the receiving party, that the receiving party already had or develops independently, or that must be disclosed by law, a court or a regulator. Where lawful, the receiving party will tell the other party before making a required disclosure.

16.4 This section continues for five years after your Account closes.

17. Warranties and disclaimers

17.1 We will provide the Service with reasonable care and skill.

17.2 You warrant that the information you give us is accurate, that you have authority to accept these Terms, and that your use of the Service and your Content will comply with the law and the Policies.

17.3 Except as set out in these Terms, and to the extent the law allows, all other warranties, conditions and terms, whether express or implied by statute, common law or otherwise, are excluded.

17.4 We do not warrant that the Service will meet your particular requirements, that it will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that using it will make your messaging lawful. Responsibility for the legality of your messaging stays with you.

18. Limitation of liability

18.1 Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes either party's liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
• any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

18.2 Subject to clause 18.1, we are not liable to you, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, for any:

• indirect or consequential loss;
• loss of profit;
• loss of revenue;
• loss or corruption of data; or
• loss of goodwill.

18.3 Subject to clause 18.1, our total liability to you arising out of or in connection with these Terms and the Service, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, is limited to the greater of £100 and the total amount you paid us in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

18.4 Clauses 18.2 and 18.3 do not limit your obligation to pay for Credits or your liability under section 19.

18.5 You acknowledge that our prices reflect these limits, that the Service is a low-cost, prepaid service, and that the limits are reasonable for the purposes of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.

19. Your indemnity

19.1 You will indemnify us against all claims, losses, damages, fines, penalties, costs and reasonable legal fees we suffer arising from:

• your Content;
• any message sent without the consent or lawful basis required by Data Protection Law; or
• your breach of any law or of the Acceptable Use Policy or Anti-Spam Policy.

19.2 We will tell you promptly about any claim covered by this section, give you reasonable information about it and take reasonable steps to limit our loss.

20. Force majeure

20.1 Neither party is liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations caused by events beyond its reasonable control. These include failures of mobile networks or the internet, power cuts, cyber attacks we could not reasonably prevent, fire, flood, epidemic, war, terrorism, industrial action of third parties and acts or orders of government or regulators.

20.2 The affected party must tell the other party promptly and take reasonable steps to limit the effect. This section does not excuse your obligation to pay for Credits.

21. Changes to these Terms and prices

21.1 We may change these Terms, the Policies or our prices. We will give you at least 30 days' notice of any material change by email or in the Portal.

21.2 If you continue to use the Service after a change takes effect, you accept the change. If you do not agree, you may close your Account before the change takes effect.

21.3 A price change does not affect Credits you have already bought. Every purchase is made at the price shown at checkout.

21.4 We may make changes with less notice where needed to comply with law, a regulator's or network provider's requirement, or to deal with a security risk. We will give as much notice as we reasonably can.

22. General

22.1 Assignment and subcontracting. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign or transfer them to another organisation, for example as part of a sale of our business, and will tell you if we do. We may use subcontractors to provide parts of the Service, but we remain responsible for their performance under these Terms.

22.2 Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the documents listed in clause 1.5, are the entire agreement between us about the Service and replace any earlier agreement or understanding. Each party confirms that it has not relied on any statement that is not set out in these Terms. Nothing in this clause limits liability for fraud.

22.3 Severance. If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the rest remains in force. The affected part will apply with the minimum change needed to make it valid.

22.4 Waiver. If a party does not enforce a right, or delays in doing so, it does not lose that right. A waiver is effective only if it is in writing.

22.5 Third-party rights. No one other than you and us has any right to enforce these Terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

22.6 Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture or agency between the parties.

22.7 Notices. We will send notices to the email address registered on your Account or display them in the Portal. You must send notices to us by email to support@orbisdigital.co.uk or by post to our registered office. An email notice is treated as received on the next Working Day after it is sent, unless the sender receives a delivery failure message. Notices of legal proceedings must be served by post or by hand.

23. Complaints and disputes

23.1 If you are unhappy with the Service, please email us at support@orbisdigital.co.uk with details of your complaint. We will acknowledge it within 2 Working Days and aim to resolve it within 10 Working Days. If we need longer, we will tell you why and when you can expect a response.

23.2 If a dispute arises, both parties will first try in good faith to resolve it through discussion between senior representatives. Neither party will start court proceedings until 30 days after the dispute was first raised in writing, except to seek urgent relief or to protect its intellectual property or confidential information.

24. Governing law and jurisdiction

24.1 These Terms, and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with them, are governed by the law of England and Wales.

24.2 The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any such dispute or claim.

25. How to contact us

Orbis Digital Ltd
Registered office: 66 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NA
Company number: 17116737 (registered in England and Wales)
Email: support@orbisdigital.co.uk
Phone: 0330 223 7919