This article will explain why your SMS messages might count as more than one and how character limits impact the number of messages sent.
In this Article
What is the Limit for Each SMS?
While an SMS message can technically contain up to 160 characters (based on SMS technology limitations), your marketing SMS in Phorest will automatically include a link to allow clients to unsubscribe from marketing. This 'UNSUB' link uses up 24 of those 160 characters, leaving you with 136 characters for your message.
If your message exceeds 136 characters, it will extend into a second SMS, which can hold up to 282 characters in total (including the first SMS). This is because each part of a multi-part SMS is reduced to 153 characters due to a 7-character header used to link the messages together.
If your message exceeds the character limit for a single SMS and extends into a second, an indicator will appear in your campaign editor to alert you.
If it extends further, a third SMS can contain up to 435 characters (and so on..).
It's important to mention that the character count is ultimately an estimation due to the personalization placeholders that you can include in your SMS.
Personalization Placeholders
When creating an SMS, you can use personalization placeholders, such as Client First Name, to automatically insert details like a client's name into the message. This makes your communication more personalized and engaging for each recipient.
Using these placeholders in your SMS means the character counter provides only an estimate. When these placeholders are replaced with actual details, like a client's name, the number of characters used can vary, which may impact the total length of the message and the number of SMS sent.
How Much Am I Charged for Each SMS?
When you exceed the SMS character limit, you will be charged at your standard rate for each additional message.
For example, if your SMS is two messages long and your SMS rate is 7c, then you will be charged 14c for each client you send that SMS to.
Additional SMS messages will appear on your Phorest invoice under 'Long SMS'.
Example Templates for Single SMS
Here are some example promotional templates to inspire you and help keep your SMS within a single message limit.
We cannot guarantee these templates will stay within 1 SMS message if placeholders are included in the message.
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What SMS Messages Can be Sent from Phorest?
If you would like to know if long SMS are being sent from your account, you can double-check your SMS settings with the help of this article: What SMS are being sent from my account?