If your SMS message is showing a higher character count than you expected — or if it is splitting into multiple messages, the most common cause is special characters or smart punctuation in your message text.
Topics
- How SMS character limits work
- What causes extra characters
- How to fix it
- How SMS credits work
How SMS character limits work
A standard SMS is 160 characters long, including spaces. This is a limit set by the SMS standard itself, not by the platform.
When sending through the platform, some of those characters are reserved for the opt-out link that is automatically appended to the end of every SMS. This leaves you with 132 characters for your actual message content in a single SMS send.
What causes extra characters
Certain characters take up more space in an SMS than standard letters and numbers. These are known as special characters, and they include emoji and some punctuation marks that look normal but are technically different from the standard SMS character set.
The most common culprit is the apostrophe. When you type text in software like Microsoft Word, Pages, or Google Docs, apostrophes are often automatically converted to curly or "smart" apostrophes (' '). These look almost identical to a standard apostrophe but are classified as special characters in SMS, which means they take up extra space and reduce how many characters are available for your message.
The same issue applies to smart quote marks (" ") and any emoji used in the message.
How to fix it
Always type your SMS message directly into the SMS message box in the platform. Do not copy and paste text from Word, Pages, or any other word processing software. When you type directly, the platform uses standard characters throughout.
If you need to draft your message elsewhere first, paste it in and then re-type any apostrophes and quote marks directly in the platform to replace any smart characters that came through in the paste.
How SMS credits work
1 credit equals 1 SMS sent to 1 contact. If your message goes over 160 characters, it is split into a second SMS — which costs an additional credit per contact — even though it will appear as a single long message on the recipient's phone.
For example, a 200-character message costs 2 credits per contact sent.
FAQ
My message looks short but is still using extra credits. What should I check? Check for emoji or any punctuation that may have come through from a copy-paste. Even a single emoji can trigger the extended character set and reduce your available characters significantly. Re-type the message directly in the platform to reset it.
Can I use emoji in an SMS? You can include emoji, but be aware they count as special characters and will reduce your available message length. Use them sparingly if staying within a single SMS credit matters.
Why do spaces count as characters? This is how the SMS standard works globally, not something the platform controls. Every space, including the spaces between words, counts toward your 160-character limit.
Any questions? Reach out to us via email at support@meandu.com.