Bulk and scheduled sends
Send to a list once, or at a future time, with per-batch pacing that protects your provider limits.
Read this article →Estimate what a send will cost
Segments × destinations × sender type is the whole formula. Here is how to work it out before the invoice arrives.
Count segments, not characters
You are not billed by characters but by segments, and a message that exceeds one segment is split — each part carries a small header, which reduces how much text fits in the parts after the first.
| Encoding | Single segment | Per segment when split |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 (Latin script, basic characters) | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| UCS-2 (Cyrillic, Arabic, CJK, emoji) | 70 characters | 67 characters |
Note. One emoji is enough to move an otherwise Latin message into UCS-2, which more than halves the characters per segment. That single character can double the cost of a send.
Multiply by destination and sender type
Cost is per segment per destination, at the rate your own provider charges you. Nothing is repriced on the way through, so the rate that applies is the one on your contract — which is exactly why estimating cost is a matter of reading your provider’s price list with the segment count in hand.
- A long code is usually cheaper per message but more heavily rate-limited than a short code.
- Some destinations bill differently for an alphanumeric sender ID.
- Concatenated segments are billed individually, not as one message.
See what actually went out
Usage is derived from the same message log the console shows, so a filtered log and a usage figure cannot disagree. After a real send, filter the log to the window and count the rows — that is the number your provider will bill.
Keep reading
Contacts and lists
Keep the people you message in one place, import them in bulk, and group them without duplicating anyone.
Read this article →Getting started
Connect a provider, issue a key, send your first message — and meet the two defaults that quietly cost money if you miss them.
Read this article →