India DLT templates

A template refers to a Content Template registered by an Enterprise with the DLT operator. These templates are used for sender communication, and they include variables in part of the content that needs to be approved by the provider and registered on the DLT platform.

Template types

There are various categories of templates, each with specific Content Template guidelines. These categories include:

Transactional
Service Implicit
Service Explicit
Promotional

Transactional

These templates are used for sending transaction-related messages, such as order confirmations or account alerts. Any message that includes a One-Time Password (OTP) and is necessary to complete a banking transaction initiated by a bank customer typically falls under the category of "Transactional" templates. These templates are primarily used for messages related to essential and time-sensitive transactions, ensuring the security and reliability of such communications.

This applicability extends to all types of banks, including national, scheduled, private, government-owned, and multinational corporations (MNCs).

Here are some examples of Transactional templates:

Actual message	Required template format to register on DLT
824926 is the otp for trxn of inr 57.75 at zaak epayment services pv with your sbi card xx3931. otp is valid for 10 mins. pls do not share with anyone	{#var#} is the otp for trxn of inr {#var#} at {#var#} with your sbi card{#var#}. otp is valid for {#var#}. pls do not share with anyone
032456 is your OTP for fund transfer for amount Rs.3,000 to Ravi. OTP valid for 8 minutes. Do not share this OTP with anyone	{#var#} is your OTP for fund transfer for amount {#var#} to {#var#}. OTP valid for 8 minutes. Do not share this OTP with anyone.

Service Implicit

Service Implicit templates are used for service messages that are sent without explicit customer consent. Implicit Consent, as defined in the regulation, refers to a form of permission that can be reasonably deduced or inferred from the customer's behavior or the established relationship between the message recipient (Recipient) and the message sender (Sender). This type of consent is not explicitly given by the customer but can be reasonably assumed based on their actions or the existing interactions and relationships between the parties involved.

Therefore, any message that results from the customer's actions or their established relationship with the sender, is non-promotional in nature, and is not in the customer's best interest to block such communications, will be classified as a service message with inferred consent. This implies that customers are reasonably expected to be open to receiving such messages due to their ongoing interactions or relationship with the sender.

Here are some illustrations and examples of the Service Implicit template:

Confirmation messages of a Net-banking and credit/debit card transactions
Product purchase confirmation, delivery status, etc., from e-comm websites
Customer making payments through Payment Wallet over E-Commerce website/mobile app where a OTP is sent to complete the transaction
OTP’s required for e-comm website, app logins, social media apps, authentication/verification links, securities trading, account operations, KYC, e-wallet registration, etc.
TSP/ISP messages
Periodic balance info, bill generation, bill dispatch, due date reminders, recharge confirmation (DTH, cable, prepaid electricity recharge, etc.)
Delivery notifications, updates and periodic upgrades
Messages from retail stores related to bill, warranty
Messages from schools-attendance/transport alerts
Messages from hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, radiologists, pathologists about registration, appointment, discharge, reports
Confirmatory messages from app-based services
Government/DOT/TRAI mandated messages
Service updates from car workshops, repair shops, gadgets service centers
Directory services like Justdial, yellow pages
Day-end/month-end settlement alerts to securities/account holders

Actual message	Required template format to register on DLT
Thank you for using EMI Facility on your IDBI Bank Credit Card 4***3495 EMI request for Rs. 25000.00 executed on 01/07/2019	Thank you for using EMI Facility on your IDBI Bank Credit Card {#var#} EMI request for {#var#} executed on {#var#}
account: 674508 is your Samsung account verification code.	account: {#var#} is your samsung account verification code.

Service Explicit

These templates are specifically for service messages that are sent with explicit customer consent, which has been directly verified from the recipient in a robust and verifiable manner. This consent is recorded by a consent registrar. These templates are used for service messages that do not fit into the service-implicit category. In essence, they are messages where the recipient has provided clear and confirmed consent for the communication.

Check out the following illustrations and examples of Service Explicit templates:

Messages to the existing customers recommending or promoting their other products or services

Actual message	Required template format to register on DLT
Your Rs.500 exclusive voucher is UNUSED!! Redeem it on purchase of Rs.1,000 at Marks & Spencer. Use code 654321001 Valid till 31st Mar 2023! T&C	Your Rs.{#var#} exclusive voucher is UNUSED!! Redeem it on purchase of Rs.{#var#} at Marks & Spencer. Use code {#var#} Valid till {#var#}! T&C.
Bajaj Finserv Personal Loan needs Minimal Documentation. Fulfil your financial needs in one click http://m.BajFin.in/Iphr8tFE .T&C (opens in a new tab)	Bajaj Finserv Personal Loan needs Minimal Documentation. Fulfil your financial needs in one click {#var#}.

Promotional

These templates are for promotional content, including marketing messages and advertisements. They are intended to promote or sell a product, goods or service. Messages that combine service-related content with promotional content are typically considered as promotional messages. However, these messages should be sent to customers only after performing a preference and consent scrubbing process. This process involves ensuring that the recipients have provided explicit consent for receiving promotional content in addition to the service-related information. If explicit consent is not present for the promotional aspect, these messages should not be sent to customers.

NOTE

Customer consent templates should be directly associated with the content templates falling within the service explicit category. This linkage ensures that the content being sent aligns with the explicit consent provided by the customer, maintaining compliance with regulations and ensuring transparency in communication.

Best practices

In this section, you will discover recommended and not recommended practices for utilizing templates.

Use promotional category for communications to send from a numerical Sender ID only.
Use Transactional category for banking enterprises only and for OTP messages.
Service – explicit category needs to link consent template as well, without which the template will be rejected.
Choose a relevant name for templates.
Use the “TEXT” message type for all general messages and “Unicode” for regional messages.
Variable {#var#} insertion to be required against values.

DON'T

Use the same content template against multiple Headers.
Header selection against irrelevant templates.
Select the “Transactional” category for non-banking enterprises.
Use extra spaces in templates.