In the following article, we will describe the different types of SMS/MMS calculations between characters, Como communication packages, and territory-specific behavior.
📚 In this article...
How SMS and MMS communication charges are calculated?
What are common UNICODE characters?
Simulation tools
Unsubscribe from SMS communication
Territory-Specific Behaviors
How SMS and MMS communication charges are calculated?
When sending or receiving an SMS message you need to be aware of the overall length of the message because it determines whether the message arrives in one piece or is split into two or more messages, the encoding scheme the SMS uses (text or Unicode) affects the maximum number of characters that will fit into a single message (or what is called in some cases “segments”).
All phone carriers internationally measure text messages in character batches called segments. Segments are typically 160 characters or 70 characters, depending on the encoding type. Generally, most messages use the standard of GSM-7 encoding, and have up to 160 characters per segment.
How length influences messaging cost*Assuming GSM-7 encoding*:
- 0 – 160 characters – 1 segment and charged as a single message
- 161 – 306 characters – 2 segments and charged as two messages
- 307 – 459 characters – 3 segments and charged as three messages
- 460 – 612 characters – 4 segments and charged as four messages
- 613 – 765 characters – 5 segments and charged as five messages
- 766 – 918 characters – 6 segments and charged as six messages
- 919 – 1,071 characters – 7 segments and charged as seven messages
- 1,072 – 1,224 characters – 8 segments and charged as eight messages
- 1,225 – 1,377 characters – 9 segments and charged as nine messages
- 1,378 – 1,530 characters – 10 segments and charged as ten messages
Note: Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform, the program, or the language is. SMS encoding refers to the act of transforming a text message into a form that can be transmitted to the carrier companies. It ensures that the text message is actually rendered at the recipient’s end as was intended by the sender.
What are common UNICODE characters?
These are commonly used characters that will change your message encoding type from GSM7 to Unicode, which will lower your character count from 160 to 70 characters per segment (meaning each message will have more billing units).
Below you can find some examples of characters considered to be Unicode:
Emojis (Partial List):
😀 😁 😂 🤣 😃 😄 😅 😆 😉 😊 😋 😎 😍 😘 🥰 😗 😙 😚 🙂 🤗 🤩 🤔 🤨 😐 😑 😶 🙄 😏 😣 😥 😮 🤐 😯 😪 😫 😴 😌 😛 😜 😝 🤤 😒 😓 😔 😕 🙃 🤑 😲 🙁 😖 😞 😟 😤 😢 😭 😦 😧 😨 😩 🤯 😬 😰 😱 🥵 🥶 😳 🤪 😵 😡 😠 🤬 😷 🤒 🤕 🤢 🤮 🤧 😇 🤠 🤡 🥳 🥴 🥺 🤥 🤫 🤭 🧐 🤓 😈 👿 👹 👺 💀 👻 👽 🤖 💩 😺 😸 😹 😻 😼 😽 🙀 😿 😾
Non-Emoji Unicode Characters:
¢ ¦ ¨ © ª « ¬ ® ¯ ° ± ¹ ² ³ ´ µ ¶ · ¸ ¹ º » ¼ ½ ¾ À Á Ã È Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ï Ð Ò Ó Ô Õ × Ù Ú Û Ý Þ á â ã ç ê ë í î ï ð ó ô õ ÷ ú û ý þ ÿ
Pay attention that if you copy text from external sources instead of typing it you may encounter a case that the message is considered as Unicode instead of GSM.
MMS
MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. It was built using the same technology as SMS to allow SMS users to send multimedia content. It is most popularly used to send pictures.
MMS, unlike SMS - is not limited to the number of characters.
An MMS cost per unit is higher than an SMS. To be considered MMS, the message must include an image. Even though not limited in many chars (and not being split into segments), We would recommend keeping it under 1000 characters so that the message is not rejected by carriers or messaging providers.
In a worst-case scenario, a message can be rejected by the carrier if it is too big.
Additionally, MMSs tend to be prioritized lower than SMS by the carriers. That means that in times of high load on the carriers (when everyone is messaging: Black Friday, Superbowl, Christmas) MMS messages will probably be pushed to the end of the carrier queue.
Notes:
- The maximum file size recommended is 600KB.
- The file size limit for MMS is 1 MB.
What tools does Como provide to its customers to learn about their message length (segments)?
Charged Messages Simulation
Customers using Como platform for communication are controlling the content of their communication and are responsible for it.
In the Como hub, we try to create maximum transparency for how the message will be calculated for billing.
When creating a "Send SMS" action in a one-time activity with a filtered population, the hub will present a simulation of how many segments will this message include, in a red bold note under the text box, as can be seen in the screenshot presented on the next page.
In this example, the message is split into 3 segments, so even though only 880 members were targeted, the customer will be charged for 2640 messages.
After adding Emoji to the message, you can see in the screenshot below that one emoji caused the number of segments to DOUBLE. That is because the usage of Emojis changes the entire encoding to Unicode format and the count per segment reduces from 160 to 70 characters:
SMS Monthly Limit
To avoid cases in which the customer is surprised by the SMS charge at the end of the month, Como also enforces a monthly limit of SMSs.
The limit applies only to one-time actions (operational messages are excluded from it), the monthly limit is calculated by the following formula - 200$ divided by the cost of one SMS multiplied by the number of locations. The limit can be easily increased based on the business approval.
SMS Optimization
The optimization button will give the ability to optimize the message content. Generally, Unicode messages are split into more billing segments in comparison to GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). If a pasted SMS message contains opening/closing curly quotes or double opening/closing curly quotes( ‘, ’ ,“ ,”) , then we can change those curly quotes to straight single quotes. ( ' ). This can change the message from Unicode to GSM and reduce the SMS charge.
The button will only appear when a message can be converted from Unicode to GSM after removing the curly quotes.
Before optimizing the SMS content:
After optimizing the SMS content:
Unsubscribe from SMS communication
Users can allow marketing communication upon registration to Como. In Como, SMS and Email approvals can be separate or in one segment of marketing communication.
In businesses that enforce general T&Cs consent, no consent status will override marketing communication approvals. This means that, if a member approved Marketing communication (allow SMS/email=yes), but did not provide general consent, marketing communication will still be blocked.
How can users opt into marketing communication?
Through the registration process, we collect consent to marketing communication (in the registration form).
In some countries, it is enough to have it inside the general user terms that the customer agrees to when signing up.
In the US and Europe, customers are required to provide explicit consent - meaning we will have to make sure to add a dedicated “agree to mkt communication/agree to SMS communication/agree to email communication” checkbox, as part of the registration form.
How can users remove themselves from SMS communications?
Como supports 2 methods of unsubscribing, based on the requirement in each territory:
- By Link
- By Reply
By Link
This is the Default unsubscribe method that we use in most countries.
The following text will be added to every message: “Unsubscribe: <link>”.
On the page, the user will need to put in their phone number and click unsubscribe.
By Reply
This is the default method for the US, Canada, Israel, and France.
The following text will be added to every message: “Reply "STOP 1234" to end. Msg&Data rates may apply”.
The number represents the location ID of the business.
Territory-Specific Behaviors
USA
In the United States, there are strict regulations that dictate how businesses should interact with end users via SMS.
Sending an SMS incorrectly can result in an immediate shutdown of the service or worse fines of up to $1500 per message.
The two most common ways to send SMS messages in the U.S. are using a long code or a short code as the Sender ID (a Sender ID is the “from” address of a text message).
Long Codes
Also known as Long Virtual Numbers (LVNs). Long codes are essentially 10-digit phone numbers designated by mobile operators for person-to-person communication. Como does not use this option as it is limited to a throughput of 1 message per second and requires the same approval process in order to support marketing communication as in Shortcodes.
Note: Throughput is a measure of how many units of information a system can process in a given amount of time
Short Codes
Shortcode (also known as a Common Short Code or CSC) is a 5-6 digit phone number that customers can lease, and there used for mobile coupons and marketing promotions
Dedicated short codes are generally an expensive solution for smaller businesses (~1000$ monthly), but for accounts that are communicating in higher volumes than 200,000 SMSs a day there is no alternative, as 10DLC codes which represents the alternative, does not support higher volumes, hence the business should apply for a Dedicated Short Code.
- If a customer already have a DSC (dedicated short code), they can use it with Como, but we will have to “migrate” it to Vonage.
- If a customer is leaving Como, they can still continue using their Dedicated Short Code (by migrating it to different provider)
- A short code is leased - so this is not a long term commitment! The business can choose to stop renewing it every quarter.
Note: Vonage (formerly Nexmo) is a cloud communications platform that provides APIs for developers to integrate messaging, voice, and video into their applications.
Dedicated short codes (DSC) approval process:
- Application should be done through Vonage (with the help of your Como CSM)
- The process requires a lot of information from the customer and the customer must be involved throughout the process
- Monthly cost: ~1000 USD (only for the Short Code lease (regardless of the usage unit fees)
- Time for approval: 9-12 weeks!!
- Supported Throughput with DSC is 30 messages per second - If the business has very high volumes and requires higher throughput this can be supported by Como and Vonage. But it needs to be requested specifically from both parties
- MMS is not supported by default in DSC and needs to be requested specifically as part of the application
The business is responsible for communicating based on the CTIA and TCPA guidelines. registry is managed by the Common Short Code Administration. Service providers like Como can aid customers with the various short code guidelines during the lease approval process but the process must be owned by the business.
Shortcodes support high-volume messaging and can reach many different users at once. Common use cases are:
- Alert notifications
- Two-factor authentication (often abbreviated to 2FA)
10 DLC
The US carriers united under the TCR (The Campaign Registry), announced a new regulation stating that each business must use either their own Dedicated Short Code or a 10 Digit Long Codes (10 DLC) for marketing communication in the US.
For further information, you can visit: https://www.campaignregistry.com/
What is 10 DLC?
10-digit long code (10 DLC) comes to the US market as the new way to move forward for any sized business willing to deliver regional, local mobile messaging experiences to their most valuable customers with compliance and transparency by design.
In order to keep providing SMS capabilities, all US-based businesses are asked to register for the service together with the SMS marketing use case they have, and their Brand and Campaign (use case) must be approved by the “The Campaign Registry” (TCR).
Registering a campaign and a brand has both a setup and recurring costs charged by the carriers but still, 10 DLC is a more cost-effective solution than Dedicated short codes, for small businesses communicating in relatively low volumes.
Each account is assigned with a DLC score they received from the TCR.
Each score range has its own volume limitations per carrier.
Canada
In Canada, communication is also sent using a shared short code, that is shared across all Canadian accounts.
10 DLC requirements do not apply to Canada.
Singapore
Infocomm Media Development Authority ("IMDA"), has established the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (“SSIR”).
Under this SSIR Regime, organizations could register their alphanumeric sender IDs directly with the regulator's registry, to protect their Sender IDs.
- Only SMS Sender IDs that have been registered with the regulator's registry will be allowed to message in Singapore.
- Non-registered Sender ID will be converted to a generic Sender ID 'Likely-SCAM' for 6 months and will be blocked thereafter.
- You can find more information on SGNIC (IMDA's SMS registry provider) website: https://www.sgnic.sg/smsregistry/overview.
To avoid traffic failure, customers should register their Sender IDs directly with the regulator's registry as soon as possible (The SSIR portal link is available in the article shared above).
KSA
Requires a NOC (No Objection Certificate) letter signed + Proof of brand name ownership if the brand name (Sender ID) is different from the company name (Trade License).
Dubai
To start communicating in Dubai, the sender ID must be whitelisted.
You must provide the following to Vonage:
- A copy of the customer's valid Trade License or Establishment Card or Decree as applicable (mandatory).
- Provide valid No Objection Certificate (NOC) letters DU NOC letter Vonage* and Etisalat new NOC letter *
- For medical centers, a Ministry of Health approval copy is mandatory
Guidelines for filling the NOC (SMS Sender name) document:
2.1 NOC should be put on company letterhead and needs to be duly signed by an authorized signatory of the company as defined in the trade license or POA
2.2 NOC should carry the date.
2.3 The NOC should carry the SEAL of the company over the signature of the authorized signatory of the company as defined in the trade license or POA
2.4 The sender name can be a Maximum of 11 Characters. Special characters allowed in sender ID are only: -(dash), _(underscore), .(dot), ’(single quote), &(ampersand), (space). For promotional sender names, “AD-“ is also calculated as 3 characters.
Transactional sender IDs:
- Must be up to a max length of 11 characters and without the tag ‘AD-’ eg. ‘BrandPro’
- Promotional sender IDs - Must be up to a max length of 11 characters, including the TAG ‘AD-’ in front of the sender ID. eg.’AD-BrandPro’.
- Promo messages without the ‘AD-’ tag in the sender ID will fail for delivery.
2.5 Clearly specify the promotional sender name and transactional sender name in separate lines
2.6 In case of multiple sender name requests, Sender names should be mentioned separately in the area provided and trade licenses of all the companies should be submitted.
2.7 It is mandatory to describe the reason and the type of message (transactional or promotional) for each sender name requested.
For more knowledge about SMS country-specific features and restrictions, click here!