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Getting Started with SMS FAQ's

MessageBird
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Is there a daily or monthly minimum quota for sending SMS?

No, you can send as few or as many SMS, over as long or short a period as you like! Be aware though that if you are on a pre-paid account, your credits may expire. You can read more here: 

 

How long can a text message be?

Please check our article regarding SMS length here: Length of an SMS

 

How quickly are messages delivered?

Wherever possible, we use direct or 1-hop connections. This means that you are getting the highest quality SMS delivery available on the market.
Generally, you can expect messages to arrive in a matter of seconds; an SMS message typically takes about 10 seconds to arrive on a handset. This may vary based on the recipient country (going up to 30 seconds) and depends on whether the receiving mobile number is reachable and in good signal coverage. As there are a lot of factors and variables that can impact delivery times, it's hard to give a specific number for all SMS. 

In the case that some of your messages are delivered with delays, please check this article: My SMS was delivered with a delay

If messages are not delivered at all, we recommend taking a look at this article: My SMS was not delivered

Can I send multiple SMS messages with different content for each message?

You can send multiple messages with different content for each SMS via our Bulk SMS feature. Please read more info here: Sending SMS in bulk 

 

Can I send SMS messages using my own email application?

Yes, you can send SMS via your email application if you have set up Email to SMS in your MessageBird Dashboard. Please check this part of our Help Center for instructions: Email to SMS

Where can I view my sent SMS?

You can view your sent SMS in your SMS overview in your Dashboard. You can navigate here by click on SMS → SMS Overview from your Dashboard Homepage, or by clicking on this link. 

 

Why can SMS recipients not respond to messages sent using an alphanumeric Sender ID?

For a phone to be able to send a response to a message, it needs a mobile number to respond to. When you send out messages with an alphanumeric sender ID, the receiving phone does not have any mobile number to reply to. Please read this article for more info about setting your account up to receive SMS: Setting your account up to receive inbound SMS

 

Are there any other costs involved when sending SMS?

Your MessageBird account is completely free, and for sending SMS all you need is prepaid credit. You will be charged per SMS that you send out. 

If you are looking to use other products, like Numbers or Inbox, with our SMS product there will be separate costs. Please view our pricing page here: Pricing

 

What does 'alphanumeric' mean?

An 'alphanumeric sender ID' is an originator which consists of letters and numbers. 'Alphanumeric' includes any characters in these ranges:

  • a-z
  • A-Z
  • 0-9
  • The underscore _

To learn more about the originator, take a look at this article: Choosing an originator

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