A2P SMS pricing is per message segment, per destination network, and the rate depends mostly on what the destination operator charges for A2P termination, the route type (direct or indirect), the traffic type, and your volume. Billing can be per submitted or per delivered message, and rates change often, so the terms matter as much as the price.
The unit: one segment to one network
Prices are quoted per SMS segment, usually in EUR or USD, often with four or more decimal places. A price list shows one rate per country, or one rate per mobile network identified by its MCC and MNC code. A long message is billed as several segments: 161 GSM-7 characters are two SMS, and a Unicode message is billed every 67 characters once it passes 70. See long concatenated SMS and GSM-7 vs Unicode.
What drives the price
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Operator termination rate | The biggest part. Each operator sets its own A2P rate, and in some countries it is many times the domestic retail price of an SMS |
| International vs local traffic | Some operators charge more for A2P traffic originating abroad than for traffic from local registered entities |
| Route type | Direct routes cost more than indirect or grey ones. See SMS route types |
| Traffic type | OTP, transactional and promotional can be priced differently |
| Sender ID | Registered alphanumeric sender IDs sometimes carry a different rate or a registration fee |
| Volume and commitment | Monthly volume commitments lower the rate |
| Number of hops | Each provider in the chain adds a margin |
Per submitted vs per delivered
This is the most important term after the rate itself.
- Per submitted: you pay for every message accepted by the supplier, delivered or not. Common on direct routes, because operators charge the supplier that way.
- Per delivered: you pay only when the DLR says DELIVRD. It sounds safer, but it gives a dishonest supplier a reason to send fake DLRs.
When comparing offers, compute the real cost per delivered message: price divided by real delivery rate, measured with your own tests.
Other costs to check
- Sender ID registration or setup fees in some countries.
- US 10DLC: brand and campaign registration fees plus per-message carrier fees. See 10DLC and toll-free SMS.
- Short code leases, often billed monthly or quarterly. See SMS short codes.
- Inbound messages and virtual numbers for two-way traffic.
- HLR or number lookup fees if you clean lists before sending.
- Currency conversion and minimum top-up on prepaid accounts.
Rate changes
SMS rates move more often than voice rates, because operators change A2P prices with little notice and currency moves affect them. Most suppliers send updated price lists by email or API, with a notice period for increases agreed in the contract (often 7 days, sometimes shorter for operator-driven changes). Load each update into your routing system on time, or you may keep sending at a loss. The general approach is in rate changes and notice periods.
Cheapest is rarely cheapest
A route at half the price that delivers 70% of OTPs costs more per verified user than a direct route that delivers 97%. Cheap rates on a destination with high official A2P prices usually mean grey routing, with the risk of sudden blocking. Test before you commit, as described in how to test an SMS route.
Getting a quote
VoIPMatcher sources A2P SMS routes from its carriers and gives you a price per destination with the route type stated. Include countries, traffic type and monthly volume and request an A2P SMS quote.
Free SMS character counter
- Encoding
- GSM-7
- Characters
- 0
- Billed SMS
- 0
- Characters left in this SMS
- 160
Frequently asked questions
How much does an SMS cost per message?
There is no single price. A2P rates are set per destination country and often per mobile network, and they vary widely because each operator sets its own A2P termination rate. Route type, traffic type and volume move the price further. Ask for a quote per destination and compare offers by cost per delivered message.
Why is bulk SMS cheaper in some countries?
The biggest part of an SMS price is what the destination operator charges for A2P termination, and each operator sets its own rate. Some keep it low, others set it many times above the retail price of a text, and some charge more for traffic from abroad than from local registered senders.
Is a long SMS charged as one message?
No. A2P SMS is billed per segment. A GSM-7 message over 160 characters is split into 153-character segments, and a Unicode message over 70 characters into 67-character segments, each billed as one SMS. A 161-character text costs two messages, so count segments before you estimate a campaign.
Does SMS pricing include sender ID registration?
Usually not. Some countries charge sender ID registration or setup fees, and the US adds 10DLC brand and campaign fees plus per message carrier fees. Short code leases, inbound numbers and HLR lookups are also billed separately. Ask the supplier for every fee next to the rate per message before comparing offers.
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Send the destination, route type and target rate. We reply with what we can deliver.