Changes to SMS Action Credits

Beginning  January 1st 2023 we are implementing a new system for SMS Action Credits.

Current Credit System

The SMS Action currently costs between 10 to 40 credits to run depending on the length of the message being sent. A standard 160 character SMS message would cost 10 credits, while a longer message that is actually considered "multiple segments" could cost up to 40 credits.

Issues with the Current Credit System

The current system allows some of our customers to get SMS messages at well below our cost. Since we launched Arigato Automation the cost of SMS has increased dramatically every year, but we have not made any changes to our SMS pricing.  

There are new, mandatory guidelines for message sending, new and higher carrier fees, and other regulatory fees. Some SMS messages are cheap to send, costing less than $0.01 USD. Long SMS messages containing foreign characters and being sent to certain countries can be very expensive, costing more than $0.50 USD per message. 

New Credit System

The new system for SMS Action Credits will be fair for everyone. The credit cost will be based on the actual price of sending the message. Customers sending short messages to either US or Canada based phone numbers will stay around 10 to 40 credits, as it is now.

For more expensive SMS messages, action credits will be charged at 10 credits per cent of actual charges. For example, a long message sent to Uzbekistan might cost $0.25 USD and would use 250 credits.

Take Control and Use Your Own SMS Account Instead

We highly recommend setting up your own Twilio account and using the Twilio Action in the app to send messages. You can take complete control over your setup and get the absolute lowest prices that way. In the app, 1 Twilio message is always just 1 credit, or completely unlimited on our Unlimited plans.