SMS Length

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.