Understanding SMS Usage Charges

    CategoryAccount and Billing
    Article typeDocumentation
    Estimated reading time 6 min read
    Last reviewedRecently reviewed
    Applies toGEVADE CRM accounts where the feature is enabled
    Access requiredAccess may depend on your user permissions
    Plan/configuration noteFeature availability may depend on your selected plan and account configuration

    Summary

    SMS messages are billed per segment (typically 160 characters). Sending long messages or using emojis reduces the segment limit to 70 characters, meaning a single text could cost 2 or 3 times the base rate.

    Who this article is for

    This article is for marketers and account owners.

    Overview

    SMS is one of the most effective marketing channels, but understanding how carrier billing works is crucial to managing your campaign costs. GEVADE CRM deducts SMS costs directly from your prepaid wallet. The global telecommunications network operates on an old standard called 'segments'. While modern smartphones stitch these segments together seamlessly so the user sees one long message, the carriers still bill the software provider (and therefore you) for each individual segment.

    Before you begin

    • Keep promotional SMS messages under 160 characters if possible.
    • Avoid emojis if you want to maximize the 160-character limit.
    • Ensure you have registered for A2P 10DLC if sending to the US.

    Step 1: The Segment Rule

    Carriers do not bill per 'message'; they bill per 'segment'. A standard text segment is 160 characters. If your message is 165 characters, you are billed for two segments. Always watch the character counter in the workflow builder.

    Step 2: The Emoji Penalty

    If you include a single emoji or special unicode character in your SMS, the carrier changes the encoding from GSM-7 to UCS-2. The segment limit immediately drops from 160 characters to just 70 characters. A 150-character message with an emoji will be billed as three segments.

    Step 3: MMS (Picture Messages)

    Sending an MMS (a text with an image or GIF attached) incurs a higher flat rate per message, but the character limit for the accompanying text is significantly higher (often up to 1600 characters). MMS is great for visual marketing but costs more per send.

    Step 4: Carrier Surcharges

    In the US, major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) apply small surcharges to A2P (Application-to-Person) traffic. These fractions of a cent are added to the base segment cost and are passed through directly from the carrier.

    Configuration note

    Always test your SMS campaigns. The workflow builder will show you an estimated segment count as you type your message. Pay close attention to this number before hitting send on a list of 10,000 contacts.

    Important clarification

    Copying and pasting text from Microsoft Word into the SMS builder often carries over hidden 'smart quotes' or special dashes. These are unicode characters and will instantly trigger the 70-character segment limit without you realizing it.

    Resolution guidance

    My SMS campaign cost twice what I budgeted

    Review your sent messages. It is highly likely your message exceeded 160 characters or contained an emoji, resulting in multiple segments being billed per contact.

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    If your question requires account access, billing review, workflow inspection, message delivery diagnosis, AI response review, or private configuration review, submit a support request with examples and screenshots.