How much does business SMS cost? Destination, length and volume explained

The cost of business SMS is not a single number. It depends on the destination, the number of SMS segments in the text, the number of recipients and whether the arrangement includes rented numbers, keywords or other optional services.

Intellipush uses prepaid SMS credits as standard. There is no fixed platform fee or lock-in, and credits remain valid for 24 months. Monthly invoicing based on actual usage can be arranged individually for higher sending volumes. Current packages and destination prices in the portal are authoritative at purchase.

The practical cost formula

A useful estimate begins with this relationship:

recipients × segments per message × current destination price + optional services

Text displayed as one joined message on a handset can consist of several billable segments. Check the completed copy rather than counting only the recipients.

1. Destination and mobile network

SMS prices vary by country and can be affected by the mobile network and current operator charges. A Norwegian recipient and one in another European market will not necessarily have the same price. International routes can also impose different sender and registration requirements.

Use the indicative country examples on the pricing page for early budgeting, but always confirm the portal price before purchase. Examples may be rounded or may have changed since their check date.

2. Encoding and SMS segments

An ordinary GSM-7 message can contain up to 160 characters in one segment. Once it becomes longer, capacity is normally 153 characters per segment. Copy that requires Unicode-based encoding can contain 70 characters in one segment and normally 67 per segment when split.

Emoji, some special characters and typographic symbols can change the encoding for the complete message. A small edit can therefore affect cost more than expected. The character and segment guide explains the limits, while the length calculator evaluates the actual copy.

3. Recipients and realistic volume

Use valid, unique recipients in the estimate. Duplicate or badly formatted numbers create unnecessary attempts and poor planning data. Clean the list, normalise country codes and retain evidence of why each recipient may be contacted.

Build annual volume from genuine workflows: reminders per month, likely operational alerts, planned member communication and seasonal peaks. Do not multiply one successful test week by 52 without considering variation.

4. Optional numbers and services

A standard account and the platform itself carry no fixed monthly fee. Keywords, short codes, dedicated numbers and other rented or specialist services may still have recurring charges and separate terms. They are additions associated with the selected arrangement, not a hidden platform fee.

Include internal implementation, data cleaning, testing, operations and follow-up. The lowest unit price is not necessarily the lowest total cost when a solution creates extensive manual work or does not fit systems the organisation already uses.

5. Prepaid or invoiced by agreement

With prepaid credits, an organisation purchases a package and uses the balance as required. This suits regular and periodic use, while 24-month validity reduces pressure to consume the balance quickly.

Organisations with higher or more predictable volume can contact Intellipush about monthly invoicing based on actual usage. This requires an individual agreement and does not automatically promise a discount, particular payment period or inclusion of every optional service.

A worked example without fixing the price

Assume a send has 8,000 valid recipients. If the copy uses one segment, the estimate contains 8,000 segments. If an emoji or extra text changes it to two segments, the estimate contains 16,000 segments to the same destination. The current price per segment is then applied.

This is why segment checks belong before approval. Use exact estimator results rather than multiplying a rounded marketing price, particularly when a budget must be approved or several countries are included.

How to create a realistic SMS budget

1. List recipient countries and a realistic number of valid recipients.
2. Test completed message variants, including personalisation and links.
3. Record the encoding and segments for each variant.
4. Confirm current destination pricing in the portal.
5. Add numbers, keywords and other agreed services.
6. Include development, data quality, testing and operational follow-up.
7. Allow for seasonal peaks and changing operator charges.

Two tools before purchase

Check the copy in the SMS length calculator, then use the cost estimator with the correct country, recipient count and segments. Results are indicative.

Discuss volume and payment options with us, or view current portal pricing.