Every plan includes a monthly SMS allowance counted in segments. This guide shows how to check usage, add an SMS bundle, set what happens when the allowance runs out, and find out whether a text was delivered.
Before you begin
- Adding a bundle and choosing what happens when it runs out need billing access (settings.billing.manage). SMS setup needs comms.sms.configure.
- Monthly allowance by plan: Starter 500, Professional 2,000, Premium 5,000 and Enterprise 20,000 segments (50 during a free trial).
Check this month’s usage
- Go to Settings → Plan and billing.
- Read the SMS this month tile: segments used out of the included amount. Included SMS reset each month.
- Scroll to the usage meters and check SMS segments.
- Administrators and finance staff also get an alert when the allowance is nearly used (“SMS allowance … % used”).
Settings → Plan and billing with the SMS this month tile and the Add-ons card showing SMS bundle 5,000
Add an SMS bundle
- On Settings → Plan and billing, find the Add-ons card.
- Find SMS bundle 5,000 or SMS bundle 20,000.
- Select Add with the price. It adds that many segments to your monthly allowance and appears on your next invoice.
- Select Remove on an active bundle when you no longer need it.
If your organisation is not billed online, ask your account manager to add a bundle.
Decide what happens when the allowance runs out
- Go to Settings → Quality and communications and open the Communications tab.
- Find When the SMS bundle runs out and choose: block further texts, allow them and bill the extra, or fall back to push notifications (the default).
- Select Save.
With blocking on, sending a broadcast by SMS answers “SMS allowance used”.
Set up your sender, templates and opt-outs
- On the Communications tab, find the SMS card.
- On Sender ID, see who texts come from (A shared number until a sender ID is approved). Select Request a sender ID and enter up to 11 letters or numbers.
- On Templates, select Edit to change the wording, Preview to see the segment count, and Save.
- On Opt-outs, see numbers that replied STOP or were added by staff. Use Stop texting a number to add one, or Opt back in with a note of how they agreed.
Check whether a text was delivered
- Go to Messages → Notification rules and scroll to Recent deliveries.
- Filter Channel to SMS and check the Status of each delivery; hover a failed one for the reason and select Retry.
- For texts about a participant, go to Messages → Communication log, filter by Channel and check the status column.
- For a broadcast, open it in Messages → Broadcasts and read Sent, Delivered and Read.
Tips
- Long texts use more than one segment. Keep templates short; the template preview shows the segment count.
- The longest SMS allowed is set by Longest SMS (segments) (2 by default).
If something goes wrong
A number never receives texts
Check Opt-outs: the person may have replied STOP. Only opt them back in with their consent.
Texts were not sent overnight
SMS quiet hours (21:00 to 07:00 by default) hold non-urgent texts. Safety-critical messages still go.
Add is not shown for a bundle
Online billing is off for your organisation or you need to choose a plan first. Contact your account manager.