Formatting Phone Numbers
Background
LINK Mobility strongly encourages E.164 number formatting for all phone numbers both in the ‘msisdn’ and ‘PaymentEntity' fields. This format is the internationally-standardized format for all phone numbers, and it includes all the relevant information to route calls and SMS messages globally. E.164 numbers can have a maximum of fifteen digits and are usually written as follows: [+][country code][subscriber number including area code]. Phone numbers that are not formatted in E.164 may work, but it depends on the phone or handset that is being used as well as the carrier from which the call or SMS is being originated. A good reference to find a country’s calling code is this Wikipedia page that lists countries and their calling codes.
Formatting
For example, to convert a Norwegian phone number like 41 04 48 13 to E.164 format, you need to add the ‘+’ prefix and the country code (which is 47) in front of the number so it will look like +4741044813. In Sweden, and many other countries internationally, local dialing requires the addition of a '0' in front of the subscriber number. However, to use E.164 formatting, this '0' must be removed. A number such as 0770 870 800 in Sweden would be formatted as +46770870800.
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