SMS Credits Overview

SMS credits are a prepaid currency used to send text messages on the HelloSMS platform. Credits give you a simple, unified way to manage your messaging budget. They're based on the cost of sending texts in Sweden, where one SMS costs one SMS credit. Some other countries cost the same, while others cost more.

This credit-based model gives you a simple and consistent way to manage your messaging budget, even when sending messages internationally.

What affects the cost of an SMS?

The total number of credits used is calculated step by step based on the factors below.

1. Message Length (SMS Segments)

SMS messages have a character limit. If your message exceeds this limit, it is automatically split into multiple SMS segments, and each segment costs one credit.

Character limits:

  • GSM-7 encoding:
    • 160 characters for a single SMS
    • 153 characters per segment for multi-part messages

As you type, the message composer shows how many SMS segments your message will use.

When a message is split, the recipient’s phone automatically reassembles the segments into a single message.

2. Content Type (Unicode Characters)

Using certain characters can reduce the character limit and increase the number of segments.

If your message includes non-standard characters, such as emojis or special symbols, it switches to Unicode (UCS-2) encoding.

Unicode limits:

  • 70 characters for a single SMS
  • 67 characters per segment for multi-part messages

When Unicode is detected, the system notifies you and may offer to replace certain characters to help reduce cost.

For more details, see Special Characters and SMS Character Counting.

3. Recipient Country (International Cost)

After the message length and content type are calculated, the recipient’s country is applied as the final cost modifier.

Some countries cost the same as Sweden (1 credit per SMS), while others cost more.

Example:

  • Your message is 2 SMS segments
  • The destination country costs 1.4 SMS credits
  • Total cost per recipient: 2 × 1.4 = 2.8 SMS credits

Your credit balance may show decimals to accurately reflect these differences.

A detailed overview of international price groups is covered in a separate article.

Recipient Count and Campaign Costs

The cost calculated above applies per recipient.

For campaigns, the total cost is calculated by multiplying the per-message cost by the number of recipients.

Before sending a campaign:

  • The system checks the estimated total cost against your available credit balance
  • If you do not have enough credits to reach all recipients, sending is blocked

For large campaigns, it is recommended to keep a small credit margin to avoid failures caused by slight cost differences.

Managing Your Credit Balance

  • HelloSMS uses a prepaid system
  • You must top up your balance before sending messages
  • Credits are deducted automatically when messages are sent

See Top Up Your Balance (Card vs. Invoice) to learn more.

Understanding how message length, content type, recipient country, and recipient count interact helps you accurately estimate costs and manage your HelloSMS credits effectively.

Learn More

See the following articles to learn more: