In Sarbacane Campaigns, an SMS costs 1 credit per recipient for up to 160 characters. Above that, the cost increases with the length, up to a maximum of 3 credits. Double-byte characters, the STOP message, and the destination country can increase the cost:
up to 160 characters: 1 credit;
from 161 to 300 characters: 2 credits;
from 301 to 450 characters (the maximum): 3 credits.
A Sarbacane Campaigns license.
To check your balance: you must be the account owner or an administrator.
At the Message step of your campaign, check the character counter in the panel on the right.
Find your bracket: 1, 2, or 3 credits per recipient.
Multiply by the number of recipients. For example, 1,000 recipients at 2 credits use 2,000 credits.
Check your balance: in the top-right corner of the screen, click your initials, then the Account tab, and scroll down to the Usage section.
Note: the number of credits per SMS also varies depending on the destination country. An SMS sent abroad may cost more credits than one sent in France.
Best practice: stay under 160 characters. For the same campaign, this cuts the cost in half or by two-thirds.
You know how many credits your campaign will use and whether your balance is sufficient to send it.
Check the following in order:
The total cost: the number of credits per SMS multiplied by the number of recipients may exceed your balance. Shorten the message or top up your credits with a booster pack.
The expiration date of your credits: if it does not match the expiration date of your subscription, your credits cannot be used. Contact our team, who will update the date so you can use them.
Check these in order:
Double-width characters (€ , [ ], { }…), which count as two.
The STOP SMS notice: with a Custom sender name for marketing SMS, it adds 11 characters to your message. With the Standard number, it is not added: your recipients reply STOP directly to the number.
Personalization fields: the cost is calculated for each contact. With a 150-character message excluding the first name, “Lea” fits within 160 characters, but “Mary-Madeleine” takes the SMS up to 2 credits. Leave some room below 160 characters for the longest first and last names.
