{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"9mkvzsj9j6","tenantuid":"d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2","projectuid":"239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0","title":"Understanding Text Messaging Costs","slug":"article/9mkvzsj9j6-understanding-text-messaging-costs","html":"\u003Cp\u003EText Message, unlike emails which are relatively inexpensive, telecommunication companies charge per-text message (160 characters). It\u0027s important to understand how this cost impacts you.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cost to send a text message through the DailyStory platform varies per-message depending upon your \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.dailystory.com/pricing/\u0022\u003Elicense plan\u003C/a\u003E. This includes all additional carrier fees.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022warning\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003EWarning\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe costs above reflect costs for the United States. If you are sending messages outside of the United States your costs will be different.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDailyStory additionally supports multimedia text messages (MMS) which allow for images to be included with your text message. However, MMS also is billed at a higher cost by the phone carriers.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022warning\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003EWarning\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn MMS text message is about 3x the cost of a single SMS message.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ERecommended\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can review a tutorial on SMS/MMS costs or keep scrolling for a step-by-step:\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\u0022https://player.vimeo.com/video/841232031\u0022 width=\u0022640\u0022 height=\u0022360\u0022 frameborder=\u00220\u0022 allowfullscreen=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003C/iframe\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022character_count_and_segments\u0022\u003ECharacter count and segments\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Text Message is considered 1 credit up to 160 characters. Think of characters like letters and numbers. However, if the message exceeds 160 characters it is counted as multiple credits (even though it is delivered to the device as one message).\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, this message contains 350 characters and requires 3 message credits:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-width=\u0022914\u0022 data-height=\u0022459\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0/efc892e9299c3709a2a5c43cc0e08981.png\u0022 style=\u0022\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022/\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ERecommended\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDailyStory provides some helpful information below the message for the approximate character count and number of segments required to send the message. However, this is provided as guidance only as there are a variety of factors that contribute to message size: personalization, custom URLs, and more.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022text_message_cost_calculator\u0022\u003EText Message Cost Calculator\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo help you manage the cost of your text messages, DailyStory provides a text message cost calculator:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-width=\u0022914\u0022 data-height=\u0022493\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0/05888ccd612981783fdf75f72dbd0937.png\u0022 style=\u0022\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can use this text message cost calculator to calculate the cost of sending a given text message based on the number of segments and total recipients.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022using_nonstandard_characters\u0022\u003EUsing non-standard characters\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the character counts for a Text Message is limited to 160 characters, not all characters are created equal.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, because emojis (\u2764\uFE0F, \uD83D\uDE0D,\u2728, etc.) use special character sets, a single emoji may require multiple segments to send the message.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022common_nonstandard_characters\u0022\u003ECommon non-standard characters\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen creating text message content it\u0027s important to be mindful of the characters used. It is possible to unintentionally use a special Unicode character such as \u003Ccode\u003E\u2019\u003C/code\u003E . This apostrophe is common when editing content in a Apple text editor. In addition to this special character there are a number of other special Unicode characters.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen editing in the DailyStory text message editor we will proactively attempt to replace these. However, when using the API, no such checks are enforced.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe recommend \u003Ca href=\u0022https://charactercounter.com/sms\u0022\u003E3rd party websites\u003C/a\u003E that provide tools to check your SMS characters and message length.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022how_you_are_billed_for_text_messages\u0022\u003EHow you are billed for Text Messages\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDailyStory includes numerous tools and reports to clearly help our customer to manage the cost of their text message campaign.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMultiple usage reports allow you to see real-time costs as you are sending messages along with calculators to help you plan your campaign budget.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022text_message_usage_report\u0022\u003EText Message Usage Report\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Text Message Usage Report is accessed from Reports \u0026gt; Text Messages and then click the Usage tab:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-width=\u0022914\u0022 data-height=\u0022256\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0/33abb0226e34eb691e90347ff88570fc.png\u0022 style=\u0022\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022/\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-width=\u0022914\u0022 data-height=\u0022365\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0/9ea370cf3803e2a48a25c8e96201508a.png\u0022 style=\u0022\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis report shows the messages sent for the specified time range, the number of recipients (total sent), the required segments, cost per-segment, and cost per-message, and total spent.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022buy_credits_or_set_up_automatic_billing\u0022\u003EBuy credits or set up automatic billing\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can choose to \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/cyuzqm0065-purchase-text-message-credits\u0022\u003Ebuy credits\u003C/a\u003E or select an automatic billing plan (recommended).\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo enable automatic billing navigate to Account Settings \u0026gt; Usage and Enable Automatic Billing:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-width=\u0022914\u0022 data-height=\u0022400\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0/684a8d6b404be7be7b1b30a626564712.png\u0022 style=\u0022\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you are on an automatic billing plan we automatically charge your credit card when your balance drops below $0. The amount is $50 plus the balance below $0. This service runs every 10 minutes and for a large send it is possible to have multiple charges of $50\u002B on the same day (or whatever amount you\u0027ve set your automatic billing for).\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022lazy-load\u0022 data-width=\u0022914\u0022 data-height=\u0022199\u0022 data-src=\u0022https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2/239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0/95a26d5a344abdbe852efe536aa219ae.png\u0022 style=\u0022\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022/\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBelow are some frequently asked questions about text message costs.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat happens when I run out of text message credits?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDailyStory will send messages as long as there are funds in your account. If there are no funds, the system stops sending messages.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EHow does Automatic Billing work?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen automatic billing is enabled DailyStory will send messages and automatically top up your text message credits by $50 (or whatever automatic billing amount you select in Account Settings) when the balance drops below zero.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, if messages were sent and automatic billing is enabled and the balance dropped below $0 to ($6.40). DailyStory would charge your credit card $56.40 to bring your text message credit balance to $50.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat happens to unused credits I purchased?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPurchased credits rollover month-to-month. Included credits do not. When DailyStory uses your text message credits to send messages your included credits are always \u0022spent\u0022 first. For example, if you used all your credits for May and had a purchased credit balance of $29.33. On June 1 your available balance would be $29.33 \u002B your included monthly credit amount.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDo monthly credits roll over?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe monthly credits\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eincluded\u003C/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with your account do not roll over. These are purchased at a discount and allows DailyStory to commit to a certain number of messages/month with the carriers.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cscript type=\u0022application/ld\u002Bjson\u0022\u003E\r\n{\r\n  \u0022@context\u0022: \u0022https://schema.org\u0022,\r\n  \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022FAQPage\u0022,\r\n  \u0022mainEntity\u0022: [\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022What happens when I run out of text message credits?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022DailyStory will send messages as long as there are funds in your account. If there are no funds, the system stops sending messages.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022How does Automatic Billing work?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022When automatic billing is enabled DailyStory will send messages and automatically top up your text message credits by $50 (or whatever automatic billing amount you select in Account Settings) when the balance drops below zero. For example, if messages were sent and automatic billing is enabled and the balance dropped below $0 to ($6.40). DailyStory would charge your credit card $56.40 to bring your text message credit balance to $50.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022What happens to unused credits I purchased?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022Purchased credits rollover month-to-month. Included credits do not. When DailyStory uses your text message credits to send messages your included credits are always \\\u0022spent\\\u0022 first. For example, if you used all your credits for May and had a purchased credit balance of $29.33. On June 1 your available balance would be $29.33 \u002B your included monthly credit amount.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022Do monthly credits roll over?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022The monthly credits\u0026nbsp; included \u0026nbsp;with your account do not roll over. These are purchased at a discount and allows DailyStory to commit to a certain number of messages/month with the carriers.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n}\r\n    ]\r\n}\r\n\u003C/script\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Text Message, unlike emails which are relatively inexpensive, telecommunication companies charge per-text message (160 characters). It\u0026#39;s important to understand how this cost impacts you. The cost to send a text message through the DailyStory platform varies per-message depending upon your license plan . This includes all additional carrier fees. Important: the costs above reflect costs for the United States. If you are sending messages outside of the United States your costs will be dif ...","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"sort_order":11,"total_views":1307,"date_published":"2025-03-17T07:00:01","date_updated":"2026-01-27T02:14:44.967","date_created":"2025-04-24T15:02:45.353"}}}