How to Reduce SMS Costs: Same Offer, a Third of the Credits
We sent the same SMS offer two ways. One cost 3 credits per person, the other cost 1. On a 37,000-person list, that's a $666 difference on a single send, decided entirely by formatting.
Quick answer: To reduce SMS costs, cut what's around the offer, not the sends. In Klaviyo, a plain US text costs 1 credit per segment, but adding an image turns it into an MMS that costs 3, and going over 160 characters (or 70 with a single emoji) splits it into more segments. We sent the same offer two ways: one version cost 3 credits per person, the other cost 1. On a 37,000-person list, that's $999 versus $333 for a single send.
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Why is my SMS bill so high?
Because the message decides the bill, and almost nobody audits the message.
Most brands watch click rate and revenue per send and assume the cost per text is fixed. It isn't. Every text is priced by what's in it: how long it is, whether it has an image, and which characters it uses. You can have a great click rate and still be bleeding margin if every text is priced like a picture message.
How much does each kind of text cost?
Here's what a text costs per recipient in the US on Klaviyo's credit system:
| What's in your text | Credits per recipient |
|---|---|
| Plain text, up to 160 characters | 1 |
| Plain text, 161 to 306 characters | 2 |
| One emoji or special character, up to 70 characters | 1 |
| One emoji or special character, 71 to 134 characters | 2 |
| Any image or GIF (MMS), up to 1,600 characters | 3 |
The odd numbers come from how texts are split. A single SMS segment holds 160 characters, or 70 with an emoji or special character. Once a text runs longer, each segment loses about 7 characters to a hidden header that keeps the parts in order, so each one holds 153 characters, or 67 with an emoji. In the US, an SMS costs 1 credit per segment and an MMS costs 3 credits, billed as one message.
What happens when you send the same offer two ways?
We sent a Mother's Day offer two different ways. Same 20% off. Same 24-hour window. Same list.
One version cost 3 credits. The other cost 1.
That's the version most brands send without thinking twice. An image because it looks nicer. An emoji because it feels friendly. A little extra copy to explain the offer before the link.
Nothing about the offer changed. What changed was everything around it, and every one of those choices adds credits.
What does a 1-credit text look like?
Here's the same sale for a third of the cost:
24-hour sale. 20% off. Link. Done.
No image. No emoji. No warm-up sentence. It says less and still says everything the customer needs to act. Save the extras for the email.
This is hard to accept if you've been trained to think more context means more conversion. For a lot of SMS sends, it doesn't. The offer does the work. The formatting is just cost.
What does the difference cost on a real list?
Here's that send on a 37,000-person list, at $0.009 per credit:
| Version | Credits per text | Credits used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image, emoji and extra copy | 3 | 111,000 | $999 |
| Plain text | 1 | 37,000 | $333 |
Same reach. A third of the bill. That's $666 saved on a single send, and it shows up as profit every time you send.
What most brands miss: one emoji can halve your character limit
A single emoji or special character drops a segment from 160 characters to 70. That doesn't just cost a little. It can cut your character budget in half before you've said anything, and a text that fit in one segment suddenly needs two.
Watch for characters you didn't mean to use, too. Klaviyo notes that some symbols and emojis count as more than one character, so check the segment count before every send.
3 more ways to reduce SMS costs
- Cut emojis unless they earn their place. If a text has an emoji, keep the whole message under 70 characters so it stays at 1 segment.
- A/B test images before you assume they help. We've seen images lift engagement on some sends and add nothing on others, while tripling the cost every time. If an image isn't proven to earn its keep, it's just cost.
- Segment before you blast. Not every send needs your whole list. Restocks, new releases and time-sensitive discounts earn more per send than general updates. Save texts for what earns the credit, and send lower-priority updates by email instead. Every credit you stop spending on noise is a credit you can spend on the sends that convert.
How do you check your own SMS costs?
- Pull up your last 5 SMS campaigns.
- Count the segments or credits on each. In Klaviyo, the info icon on the message creation screen shows how many segments a message will use before you send.
- Flag anything at 3 or more credits for a single offer. That's usually an image, an emoji or a long message. If you're regularly hitting 3 or more credits for a single offer, the problem isn't your SMS strategy. It's your math.
FAQ
How many credits does an SMS cost in Klaviyo?
In the US, a standard SMS costs 1 credit per segment per recipient, and an MMS with an image or GIF costs 3 credits. A segment holds up to 160 characters, or 70 with an emoji or special character. Longer messages split into more segments, and each segment is billed separately.
Do emojis make SMS more expensive?
Yes, often. An emoji or special character drops the SMS segment limit from 160 characters to 70, so a message that would have fit in one segment can need two or more. Keep texts with emojis under 70 characters, or remove the emoji, to stay at one segment.
Is MMS worth the extra cost?
Sometimes. In Klaviyo, an MMS costs 3 credits in the US versus 1 for a short SMS. Test it: send the same offer as SMS and MMS to split audiences and compare revenue per send. If the image doesn't earn at least the extra cost, send plain text.
Why do long texts split at 153 characters instead of 160?
When a text is longer than one segment, each segment carries a small hidden header, about 7 characters, so the phone can put the parts back in order. That leaves 153 characters per segment, or 67 when the message includes an emoji or special character.
How do I see how many segments a text will use in Klaviyo?
Click the info icon on the SMS message creation screen. Klaviyo shows how many segments the message will use before you send, so you can trim it back to one segment if it runs over.
Free SMS audit: Want us to audit where your SMS program is leaking profit? Book a call → or tell us about your brand.
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