News · Oct 30, 2026
SMS Marketing Needs Opt-In from November 1: 6 Steps for Cafés and Restaurants
From November 1, 2026, Presidential Resolution PP-265 allows promotional SMS only to people who have given written or electronic consent. Promotional calls and messages between 18:00 and 09:00 are banned. Here is what this means for your promos, loyalty bonuses and banquet offers, and what to do before the deadline.
From November 1, 2026, businesses in Uzbekistan can send promotional SMS only to guests who have given written or electronic consent. Promotional calls and messages over mobile networks are banned from 18:00 to 09:00. The rule comes from Presidential Resolution PP-265 of July 15, 2026. Before the deadline, cafés and restaurants need to split their phone database, start collecting consent and move their messaging schedule.
What has changed
The consent requirement itself isn’t new. The Law “On Advertising” (No. ZRU-776 of 07.06.2022) already allowed advertising via telecom services only with the subscriber’s prior consent. PP-265 adds four things:
- Form of consent. Consent must be written or electronic. A verbal “sure, send me offers” is no longer enough.
- Quiet hours. Promotional calls and messages over mobile networks are banned from 18:00 to 09:00.
- Blocking by the carrier. At the subscriber’s request, the mobile operator blocks advertising fully or partially, so a guest can opt out of only some of your messages (Gazeta.uz).
- Registry for senders. Companies that send promotional SMS and make promotional calls may operate only after registering their information systems in the state registry of personal data databases.
The consent wording in PP-265 refers to SMS. Some media report that consent is also required for promotional calls. The safer approach is to get consent for both channels at once. The resolution doesn’t specify a fine: violations will be treated as breaches of advertising and personal data laws. We won’t quote a figure until one appears in the official text on lex.uz.
What this means for your venue
The rules cover almost all standard restaurant marketing: promo codes, offers like “20% off plov on weekdays”, bonus notifications inviting guests to come in, banquet invitations and New Year corporate party offers. Last-minute evening deals are affected too. A message like “Tonight after 20:00, your second hookah is on us” can no longer go out the same evening.
| Message | Consent | 18:00 to 09:00 |
|---|---|---|
| SMS with a promo, promo code or discount | Written or electronic consent required | Not allowed |
| Promotional call (banquet, new menu) | Check against PP-265; safer to get consent | Not allowed |
| Bonus notification inviting guests to visit | Required, as it counts as advertising | Not allowed |
| Booking confirmation, order status | Not explicitly mentioned in the document | Don’t assume they’re allowed without checking; keep promo content out |
6 steps to take before November 1
- Export your phone database from your CRM, loyalty sign-up forms, booking form and call center. Split it into two lists: guests with confirmed consent and everyone else.
- Add a consent option wherever you collect phone numbers: loyalty forms, website, booking form, app. This can be a separate, unticked checkbox or an SMS confirmation. Under the Law “On Personal Data” (ZRU-547), consent must be given in a form that lets you prove it was obtained, so store the date, method and wording of each consent.
- Stop advertising to numbers without consent. Invite those guests to opt in via a form at the checkout or a QR code on the table.
- Move promotional calls and messages to 09:00–18:00. If you send booking or order updates in the evening, keep them free of discounts and promo links, and check the text of PP-265 first.
- Check your SMS provider. In your SMS service, CRM and POS, make sure there’s a sending window, a consent filter and an opt-out option. Ask your provider whether their system is registered in the personal data registry.
- Brief your hosts and call center. A phone number left for a booking is not consent to advertising. Banquet sales calls happen during the day only.
Sample checkbox text:
EN: “I agree to receive SMS and calls about [Name] promotions and offers. I can unsubscribe at any time.”
RU: «Согласен(на) получать SMS и звонки об акциях и предложениях [название]. Отписаться можно в любой момент».
UZ: «[Nomi] aksiyalari va takliflari haqida SMS va qo'ng'iroqlar olishga roziman. Istalgan vaqtda obunadan chiqishim mumkin».
What you don’t need to do
- You don’t need to delete your guest database. Just don’t send advertising to people who haven’t consented.
- You don’t need to shut down your loyalty program. Only the rules for promotional SMS and calls are changing.
- Don’t assume your existing database has consented by default. The sources we found don’t clarify whether consent collected before November 1 without written or electronic confirmation still counts. If you can’t prove consent, collect it again.
Where your POS and CRM come in
If your guest database lives in your POS system, start there: the customer data it holds makes it easier to decide whom to ask for opt-in first. In AliPos, the customer database is part of the CRM available from the Standard plan, and solutions for smaller venues are on the cafés and coffee shops page. Our manager can help you set up consent tracking to fit your workflow. For a similar breakdown of deadlines and actions, see our article on prepaying gas and electricity by November 1. For general audit preparation, check our fall 2026 checklist for cafés.
FAQ
Which document sets this rule?
Resolution PP-265 of 15.07.2026. The consent requirement for promotional SMS applies from November 1, 2026. The ban on advertising from 18:00 to 09:00 is also set by the resolution.
Can I send a promo code to someone who just left their number for a booking?
No. A number left for a booking doesn’t mean consent to advertising. You need separate written or electronic consent.
Can I confirm a booking in the evening?
The ban applies to advertising, but the publications we found say nothing about service messages. Keep such messages free of promo content and check the document text or consult a lawyer.
What’s the fine?
PP-265 doesn’t specify an amount. The resolution orders a new law to strengthen protection against promotional calls. Keep an eye on lex.uz.
Does a café need to register its database in the registry?
Message senders must register. Whether the venue itself needs to register depends on ZRU-547, so check with a lawyer.
Want to manage your guest database, loyalty program and POS in one system? See AliPos plans or request a setup, and our manager will call you to discuss your venue.
