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How SMS credit counting works

Understand why one message can use multiple SMS credits, how emoji and special characters affect the count, and where to review your usage.

Written by Marina

💎 Ultimate plan only: The unlimited eligible Auto Messages described in the Auto Messages section are available on the Ultimate plan.

MoeGo counts outgoing text messages using SMS segments. One message can contain one or more segments, and each segment can affect your SMS credit usage.

This guide explains how standard characters, emoji, Smart Encoding, message type, and delivery results affect the number of credits used.

How It Works

SMS credits are counted by segment, not only by how many times you select Send.

A short message usually fits into one segment. A longer message is split into multiple segments and reassembled on the recipient's phone. The number of characters that fit in each segment depends on the message's encoding.

SMS Message Length

  • 1 SMS = 160 characters.
    If your message exceeds 160 characters, it will consume more than one SMS.

  • Messages containing UCS-2 characters (such as emojis or special symbols) are limited to 70 characters per SMS.
    These messages are split into 67-character segments, even if the total message is under 160 characters.

  • Each segment uses SMS capacity according to the applicable MoeGo message type.

📘 For more technical details, refer to Twilio’s documentation.

Message encoding

Common content

One-segment limit

Characters per segment in a multi-part message

GSM-7

Standard English letters, numbers, and supported punctuation

160

153

Unicode/UCS-2

Emoji, Non-english characters, and other unsupported characters

70

67

📝 Note: Some GSM-7 characters use an extension code and can count as two characters. The count shown in MoeGo is the best way to confirm how the completed message will be divided.

From the web, you can hover over the SMS credit display on the top-right corner of your message box to view how many characters remain before your message consumes additional SMS credits.

SMS spending and character count are not displayed in the app.

How emoji and special characters affect the count

If a message contains even one character that is not supported by GSM-7, the entire message may switch to Unicode encoding.

Unicode supports emoji and a much wider range of languages and symbols, but fewer characters fit in each SMS segment. This means adding one emoji can cause a message to use more segments than the same message without an emoji.

Example:

  • A 150-character message using only GSM-7 characters fits into one segment.

  • If an emoji changes that message to Unicode, the message exceeds the 70-character single-segment limit and is divided into multiple segments.

MoeGo counts emoji-containing messages more accurately. Some new messages containing emoji may therefore use more credits.


To help preserve your SMS credits, emoji use in auto messages is restricted.
However, you can still include emojis in 2-way messages.

How Smart Encoding helps

Smart Encoding automatically replaces certain compatible Unicode characters with similar GSM-7 characters before the message is sent.

Examples may include:

  • Curly quotation marks changed to straight quotation marks.

  • A long dash changed to a standard hyphen.

  • Certain Unicode spaces changed to standard spaces.

These replacements can help the message remain in GSM-7 encoding and avoid unnecessary additional segments.

Smart Encoding does not remove or convert emoji. It also does not transliterate character-based languages. If the completed message still contains an unsupported Unicode character, Unicode limits apply to the entire message.

How two-way/mass messages are counted

Two-way messages are the conversations your team sends manually through Messages.

  • Standard GSM-7 text uses up to 160 characters for one segment.

  • Unicode text, including emoji, uses up to 70 characters for one segment.

  • Longer messages use multiple segments.

  • Agreements and other links sent through a two-way SMS conversation also use two-way SMS credits.

On the desktop app, the message composer shows the estimated SMS count. Hover over the SMS count to review how many characters remain before another segment is added.

  • Each two-way message can contain up to 6 SMS segments (960 characters).

    • If your message exceeds this limit, it will display “Message Failed to Send.”

  • For mass text messages, the limit is 4 SMS segments (640 characters) per message.

    • Messages longer than this will also fail to send.

There is no character limit when sending messages through the mobile app.

⚠️ Important: Variables and personalized content can change the final message length for each recipient. Review the completed content and keep sufficient room for longer names or other inserted values.

How Auto Messages are counted

Auto Messages include messages triggered by events such as appointment confirmations, reminders, receipts, or a pet being ready for pickup.

MoeGo applies a separate credit rule to Auto Messages:

  • One Auto Message SMS credit covers up to 480 standard characters.

  • Emoji and other Unicode characters are still subject to carrier encoding limits.

  • Emoji use in Auto Messages may be restricted to help prevent unexpected credit usage.

📝 Note: Eligible Auto Messages sent under the Ultimate plan's unlimited allowance do not reduce the SMS balance. Two-way messages still use SMS credits.

Check your remaining SMS credits

  1. Select Messages: Open Messages in MoeGo.

  2. Select the location: Make sure you are viewing the correct business location.

  3. Select SMS available: Open the Message Report from the SMS balance shown in the header.

  4. Select the billing cycle: Choose the cycle you want to review.

  5. Select each usage category: Compare the credits available with the credits used by message category.

If you’d like to check how many SMS credits are included in your plan, you can visit the Pricing Page, or navigate to top right Head Icon → Account in Desktop version to view the SMS amount included in your current subscription.

The Message Report may include:

  • From your plan: SMS credits included with the subscription for that billing cycle.

  • Purchased: SMS add-on credits purchased manually or through Auto Reload.

  • Two-way message: Credits used by manual SMS conversations.

  • Auto message: Credits used by eligible automated SMS messages.

  • Auto call: Usage from automated phone call reminders, when applicable.

  • Unlimited Auto Messages: Eligible Auto Messages sent under an unlimited allowance. These do not reduce the SMS balance.

Purchase Additional SMS Packages

You can purchase extra SMS credits anytime:

  1. Go to Message Report → Purchase SMS.

  2. Select your desired package and complete the checkout process.

💡 Purchased SMS packages never expire — any unused credits will roll over to the next month.

Note:

  • SMS credits included in your subscription plan reset each billing cycle and do not roll over.

You can also enable Auto Reload for your selected SMS package.
When your remaining balance drops below 10 SMS, the system will automatically purchase and reload the same package to ensure uninterrupted messaging.

FAQ

Do failed messages still count toward SMS usage?

  • It depends on the reason the message failed.

  • SMS credits will not be charged in the following situations:

    • The client has opted out of SMS messages

    • The phone number is a landline

    • The message cannot be delivered to the client’s carrier

  • However, SMS credits will still be charged if the message fails due to carrier filtering, such as:

    • Messages containing sensitive or restricted terms

    • Messages including certain short links

    • Other carrier-level spam filters

  • This is because the message is successfully sent from the system but blocked later by the carrier.

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