How SMS credits work (the 2-minute version)

How many credits per SMS?

One SMS credit = one SMS part. For standard (GSM-7) characters, a single part is up to 160 characters (1 credit). If the message contains any Unicode characters (emojis, accented or non-English characters, smart quotes, etc.) it is sent as Unicode and a single part is up to 70 characters (1 credit). Messages longer than those per-part limits are split into multiple parts and use one credit per part.

For a full explanation of how SMS parts and Unicode work, see Understanding SMS parts and Unicode.

One SMS credit covers a message up to 160 characters long. You can send messages longer than this, but it will use more credits.

If your message is longer, it is split into multiple SMS parts, but still appears as one message on the phone.

If your message includes emojis, special punctuation, or non-English characters, the character limit per credit is lower (70 characters).

Why character limits exist

These character limits are set by:

• global SMS standards
• mobile networks

They apply to all SMS providers. We don’t control or change these limits.

Standard vs special characters

Standard characters include:

• letters
• numbers
• common punctuation like, !@#$%^&*()-=":,.

Special characters include:

• emojis
• non-English letters
• some special punctuation

If your message contains any special characters, it is sent as Unicode and fewer characters fit into each credit.

Character limits per credit

Bulk sends

Credits are multiplied by the number of recipients.

For example:

• a 2-credit message sent to 50 people uses 100 credits

Before you send

The Send Messages screen shows the credit cost before you confirm, so you can adjust your message if needed.

Pricing

This article covers how credits are used, not what they cost. For pricing details including volume tiers and the introductory first-purchase rate, see SMS Pricing Explained.