Outgoing SMS Charge

Overview

When sending SMS messages, the cost is calculated based on the number of characters in your message. This follows standard telecommunications rules. It’s important to know how your message is broken down so you can estimate costs accurately, especially when using longer texts or including special characters such as emojis.

Standard SMS (Plain Text)

• 1 SMS = up to 160 characters

• Cost per SMS = 18 cents

• If your message exceeds 160 characters, the system splits it into multiple parts of 153 characters each, with each part charged separately.

Breakdown of Charges:

Special Characters (Unicode SMS)

If your SMS includes special characters—such as emojis, Chinese characters, accented letters, or other non-standard symbols—the message is sent in a different format (Unicode). In this case, the character limit per SMS is lower.

• 1 SMS = up to 70 characters

• If you exceed this limit, the system splits your message into chunks of 67 characters each, charged separately.

Breakdown of Charges:

How to Confirm the SMS Count

To avoid extra charges, always confirm the SMS count in the system when creating a template. SMS counting can be tricky with character limits, symbols, or emojis, so checking the count helps you know how many messages will be sent and the cost. Follow the steps below to confirm the SMS count.

1. When the template is ready, go to any patient profile, open the dropdown menu, and select Send SMS.

2. Paste the created template, or select it from the Apply Template option.

   At the bottom, next to Characters, you will see the number of characters and the SMS count. This helps confirm the count so you won’t be charged extra.