Short answer: if a shop sends you promotional texts after a purchase, it's almost always because you gave your number at the checkout (loyalty card, digital receipt, warranty, click-and-collect). This kind of marketing is lawful if you agreed to it, or if it concerns products similar to your purchase, but it must always offer a simple way to stop it: replying STOP to the short code indicated. If the messages keep coming, you can file a complaint with the CNIL (the French data protection authority).
Clément, 31, bought a pair of running shoes in Rennes one Saturday in September. At the till: "Would you like your receipt by text?" Yes, of course, far more convenient. Three weeks later, his phone was showing nine messages from the same chain, plus two from a brand he had never heard of, sent from a 38xxx short code. He hadn't signed anything, ticked anything, or read anything.
This scenario is no scam. It's the normal — and often entirely legal — way SMS marketing works in France. The problem is that users have no idea who is texting them, why, or how to stop it without losing their loyalty points. Let's untangle all three.
Why are you getting these texts when you never asked for them?
In the vast majority of cases, you did "ask" for something — just not what you think. A mobile number handed over at the till rarely serves a single purpose.
The four ways your number gets into a shop's system
| What you're offered at the till | Stated purpose | Purpose often added on |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty card (physical or in-app) | Collecting points, personalised offers | SMS marketing from the chain, sometimes from its partners |
| Paperless receipt | Sending proof of purchase | Creating a customer profile, follow-up marketing |
| Warranty registration | Proof of purchase, after-sales service | Offers on accessories and replacements |
| Click-and-collect / online order | "Your parcel is ready" notification | SMS newsletters, private sales |
The difference between the last two columns comes down to a tick box, often displayed on the card terminal or in a sign-up form filled in on your behalf by a rushed sales assistant. A service text (receipt, parcel ready, appointment reminder) and a marketing text are two legally distinct purposes: the first does not authorise the second.
The special case of "similar products"
Many readers are surprised to receive a promotion without having ticked anything at all. The CNIL points out that, when it comes to marketing aimed at private individuals, prior consent is the rule, with one notable exception: a business may contact an existing customer if the message concerns products or services similar to those already purchased, and provided it offered a simple way to object at the point of collection.
In other words: your sports shop is entitled to offer you running socks. An online casino or a health insurer has no right to text you on the pretext that you bought a pair of shoes. If the sender is a brand you don't recognise, either your number was passed on without a legal basis, or you accepted an "and our partners" clause that nobody ever reads.
How can you identify exactly who is texting you?
A lawful marketing text is identifiable. That's the very first thing to check: a message that doesn't say who sent it and how to stop it is suspicious by design.
Read the sender before you read the message
Three possible formats:
- An alphanumeric sender (for example the chain's name in capitals). It isn't verified technically, so it can be imitated: on its own it proves nothing, but combined with an offer consistent with your purchase, it's usually genuine.
- A five-digit short code (the 3xxxx and 2xxxx ranges). This is the typical case for professional campaigns routed through an aggregator. Our guide to SMS short codes in France sets out the ranges and how they're charged.
- An ordinary 06 or 07 mobile number. For a mass marketing campaign, that's abnormal. A genuine retail chain doesn't run marketing from a regular mobile: see what an unknown 06 or 07 number tells you.
The five details that must appear in the message
- the sender's identity (a recognisable trading name);
- a clearly commercial purpose ("offer", "promotion", "-20%");
- a means of objecting: the word STOP followed by the number or keyword to use;
- no extra charge for unsubscribing;
- a link, where applicable, pointing to the chain's official domain — not to a URL shortener or a vaguely similar domain name.
If the first three are missing, you're not dealing with a retailer: you're dealing with smishing, and the right course of action changes completely (see below).
Checking a link without clicking on it
A useful habit: press and hold the link to display the full URL, and read what comes before the first /. monenseigne.fr/promo is the retailer. monenseigne.promo-client.top is not the retailer, it's a subdomain of a third-party site. On a six-inch screen, that kind of reading is a strain; people who do a lot of it spare themselves mistakes with blue-light filtering reading glasses or simply by increasing the text size in the accessibility settings.
How do you stop these texts without losing your loyalty card?
That's the real question, and the answer is reassuring: the two are separate. Unsubscribing from marketing doesn't delete your customer account or your points.
The method that works, in order
- Reply STOP to the message, exactly as indicated (sometimes "STOP" alone, sometimes "STOP PROMO" or a specific keyword). The reply is charged as a standard text from your plan, so usually included. Keep the confirmation message.
- Wait 48 to 72 hours. Campaigns are prepared in advance: a message sent before your objection was processed may still arrive. Beyond a week, it's no longer a technical lag.
- Untick the option in your customer account (the chain's app or web portal): look under "My communication preferences" or "Notifications". That's the source; STOP is only the downstream tap.
- Exercise your right to object in writing with customer services or the chain's data protection officer, citing the GDPR. A simple email is enough, but a letter sent by recorded delivery is sturdier if you're thinking of taking it further; an all-in-one printer with scanner makes the exercise far less tedious when you have to attach supporting documents.
- Block the sender if nothing changes. On both iPhone and Android, the message details screen lets you block the number and filter unknown senders. Our blacklist and blocking page covers the steps for each system.
And if the retailer carries on regardless?
The right to object to marketing is unconditional: it doesn't have to be justified, and the organisation must respond to it. After a month with no effect, you can file an online complaint with the CNIL, which has a dedicated form for unwanted marketing. Keep three things: screenshots of the messages with their dates, proof of your STOP request, and a copy of your objection email.
For telephone cold calling (calls, not texts), the complementary scheme is Bloctel, the opt-out register managed on behalf of the French Ministry of the Economy. It does not handle advertising texts: don't count on it for that.
How do you tell a genuine retail campaign from a scam?
Fraudsters have worked out that the post-purchase text is socially accepted. The fake "loyalty programme" has become a classic.
Warning signs, from the most to the least obvious
| Signal | Legitimate campaign | Attempted fraud |
|---|---|---|
| Information requested | None, or a login to your usual account | Bank card, date of birth, social security number |
| Urgency | Standard offer dates (sales, weekend) | "Expires in 2 hours", "final reminder" |
| Gift | Discount on a product the chain actually sells | "You've won an iPhone", "gift parcel for €1.99 postage" |
| Link | The chain's official domain | Foreign subdomain, URL shortener, misspelt name |
| Unsubscribing | STOP clearly indicated | Absent, or "reply YES to stop" |
The most effective trap remains the "small payment": €1.99 in postage to receive a loyalty gift. It isn't the amount the fraudster is after, it's your bank details and the recurring mandate set up behind them.
The reflex: report it to 33700
Any unwanted or fraudulent text can be reported free of charge to 33700, the cross-industry scheme run with French mobile operators. Forward the message to 33700, then send the sender's number in a second text when prompted. Our guide to reporting SMS spam to 33700 describes each step and what happens next. In the case of a clear phishing attempt, the cybermalveillance.gouv.fr platform points you towards filing a complaint and dealing with your bank.
Be careful not to confuse the two reflexes: STOP is addressed to an identified business that complies with the legal framework; 33700 is addressed to the network, to get an abusive or fraudulent sender cut off. Replying STOP to a fraudster does only one thing: confirms to them that your number is active.
How do you stop it happening again on your next purchase?
Reduce your exposure
- Give your email address rather than your mobile number when both are offered. A promotional email can be filtered; a text buzzes in your pocket.
- Use a second number for loyalty schemes and deliveries. It's the most effective approach in the long run; we cover it in a second number for everything that isn't your family and friends.
- Decline the text receipt when a paper receipt will do. For purchases with long warranties (appliances, power tools), a document folder for invoices saves you depending on a 2026 text message you'll never find again in 2031.
- Read the tick box on the terminal. It's normally pre-unticked for marketing consent: if it's pre-ticked, that in itself is an irregularity worth reporting.
Switch on your phone's filters
Both systems offer native filtering, with no third-party app needed:
- iPhone: Settings → Apps → Messages → Filter Unknown Senders. Messages from strangers go into a separate tab, with no notification.
- Android (Google Messages): profile menu → Settings → Spam protection, and Blocked numbers for repeat senders.
- On the operator side: Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile offer filtering or blocking options in their customer portals; the list changes, so check your operator's official page.
If you're sifting through a lot of messages every day on a small screen, a desk phone stand simply helps you avoid skim-reading — and skim-reading is exactly when you tap on the thing you shouldn't.
Do a clear-out once a year
Take twenty minutes, once a year, to open the three or four retailer apps you actually use and review their communication preferences. Settings are sometimes reset when a loyalty programme is overhauled, and a new purpose can appear alongside a new partner. A paper password notebook, kept out of sight, is enough to make the exercise feasible without having to reset three accounts along the way.
Key takeaway: a legitimate marketing text is recognisable by three things — an identifiable sender, an offer consistent with a real purchase, and a STOP that works. If any one of the three is missing, don't reply: report it.
Updated 13 October 2026. Unsubscribe procedures, operator filtering options and CNIL forms may change: check the relevant official page before taking any action.
Frequently asked questions
Does replying STOP to a marketing text cost money?
No, unsubscribing must be free of any extra charge. The reply is billed as an ordinary text, so it's included in virtually every plan. A message that requires a premium-rate number to unsubscribe is non-compliant.
Will I lose my loyalty points if I unsubscribe from the texts?
No. The loyalty programme and consent to marketing are two separate things. Making access to the programme conditional on accepting advertising would be questionable under the GDPR; your points remain yours.
How can I find out which retailer passed on my number?
Exercise your right of access with the sender: it must tell you the source of your data and who it was disclosed to. If the message doesn't allow you to identify the sender, report it to 33700 rather than replying.
Can a shop send me a promotion without my agreement?
Yes, in one specific case: if you are already a customer and the offer concerns products similar to your purchase, with a simple way to object. Outside that exception, prior consent is required.
Should I tell my bank if I clicked on a fake loyalty text?
Yes, immediately, if you entered any banking details: block the card, keep the screenshots and file a complaint. The right steps are set out on cybermalveillance.gouv.fr and in our SMS scams section.
