SMS Length

When you send an SMS, the number of characters in your message affects how many messages are actually sent.

1. How Many Characters Can You Send in One SMS?

• Standard Messages (GSM-7 Encoding): Up to 160 characters per message.

• Messages with Special Characters like emoji and Chinese characters (UCS-2 Encoding): Up to 70 characters per message.

2. What Happens If Your Message is Longer?

If your message is longer than the limit:

• Standard SMS (GSM-7): Messages are split into chunks of 153 characters each and sent separately.

• Messages with Special Characters (UCS-2): Messages are split into chunks of 67 characters each.

For example:

• A 161-character message will be split into two messages (153 + 8 characters).

• A 71-character message with emojis will be split into two messages (67 + 4 characters).

3. Why Do Special Characters Reduce the Limit?

Special characters (like emojis, Chinese script, or fancy quotation marks) use a different encoding system, which reduces the number of characters allowed in one message.

4. How to Avoid Extra SMS Costs

• Keep Messages Short: Try to stay within 160 characters for regular text.

• Avoid Special Characters: Emojis and special symbols can reduce your character limit.

• Check Before You Send: Use Mercuri’s built-in SMS counter to see how many messages will be sent.

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Example of SMS Length & Cost

Message Type	Characters	Sent As
Hello! Your order is confirmed.	30	1 SMS
Your order #12345 is 🚀 on its way!	40 (emoji used)	1 SMS (UCS-2)
Long message with 161+ characters...	161	2 SMS

Final Tips

• Stick to simple text when possible.

• Use abbreviations smartly but keep messages clear.

• Always preview your message to avoid surprises.