What are SMS credits?

How SMS Credits Work with Texty Pro

SMS credits are the units used to send text messages through Texty Pro. Each plan includes a set number of SMS credits per month, which are used depending on the type and length of message you send. Understanding how SMS credits are calculated can help you manage your usage and avoid unexpected overages.

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Here’s a breakdown of how SMS credits are used:

• Sending SMS Text Messages:
  Each outgoing text message of 160 characters or fewer uses 1 SMS credit. If your message exceeds 160 characters, it will be split into multiple segments, each using an additional credit.
  Example: A 300-character message will be divided into two parts and will use 2 SMS credits.
• Receiving SMS Text Messages:
  Incoming text messages do not use any SMS credits, so you won’t be charged for messages your customers send to you.
• Sending Picture Messages (MMS):
  Each outgoing picture message costs 3 SMS credits per image, regardless of size or content.
• Receiving Picture Messages (MMS):
  Each picture message you receive also costs 3 SMS credits per image.
• Emojis and Special Characters:
  ‍Using emojis or certain special characters changes the message encoding from GSM-7 to Unicode. This reduces the maximum characters per message from 160 to 70 characters per segment. If your message exceeds 70 characters with emojis, it will be split into multiple parts, each using an additional SMS credit.

By keeping track of your message types and lengths, you can better manage your monthly SMS credit allowance. You can view your current credit usage and remaining balance anytime by logging into your Texty Pro account and going to the Account > Subscription section.

If you find that you regularly exceed your monthly credit limit, consider upgrading to a higher plan for more included credits and better value.

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Why SMS Messages Are Limited to 160 Characters

‍The SMS protocol was originally designed with a limit of 160 characters per message due to technical constraints and the way mobile networks handled data. This limit helped ensure reliable and fast delivery of messages.

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Combining Multiple SMS into One

Before modern technology, longer messages that exceeded 160 characters were sent as multiple separate SMS segments, often arriving out of order or as distinct messages. Today, phones and networks use a process called concatenation, which links these multiple 160-character segments together so they appear as a single, continuous message on your device. Even though it looks like one message, each 160-character segment still counts as a separate SMS credit.