Hello, I did a test message send that worked very well. However, sending 2 SMS cost me €0.17, which is €0.0850 per message for sending in France. However, when I go to the SMS calculator in Intrasent and choose France, it tells me that sending 1 SMS costs €0.0425. Could you please explain the difference in cost between what you advertise and what it actually costs? It is also for having sending costs at €0.0425 for France that I decided to come to you.
The difference in cost is likely due to message length. 1 SMS = 160 characters (GSM standard). If your message exceeds this limit, it gets split into multiple SMS, and you are billed for each part. This is what’s known as a concatenated message, and it’s standard across all SMS providers.
So if you sent a longer message, it was counted as two SMS, which explains the cost. If you want to optimize costs, try keeping messages within 160 characters. 😊
Hello! The most likely reason is Unicode characters.
Special characters (like accented letters or non-Latin alphabets) are encoded in UTF-8 Unicode, a global industry standard. This reduces the SMS length from 160 to 70 characters per message.
Instasent provides a total SMS counter and a Unicode notice when such characters are detected, so you can review and adjust your message if needed.
Q: Am I able to create custom attributes or in some way fit this use case? I need to be able to insert a unique link.
This link is a personal login link that is quite long and is added as a custom field in my email campaigns.
Yes! You can import your unique link as a custom attribute and use it in your SMS campaigns. That way, each client will receive their personalized link. ✅
Alternatively, during campaign creation, you can also add a main link with customizable attributes. For example, if you have a tracking URL where the base URL stays the same but includes the client’s email as a variable, you can set that up too. 🚀
No, you don’t need Twilio to send SMS with Instasent. We are directly connected with operators to provide the SMS service—no third-party platforms required! 🚀
USA/Canada does not allow cold SMS. You need a registered Toll-Free Number (TFN), along with brand and message content approval. Instasent handles this setup for you. ✅
During this process, you’ll need to prove that your users opted in to receive messages.
If you’re planning a large-scale campaign, feel free to reach out—we’ll guide you through best practices for compliance and high deliverability! 🚀
Q: Any plans to come back?
Share Instasent SMS - Plus Exclusive
Q: SMS sending costs higher than advertised!
Hello, I did a test message send that worked very well. However, sending 2 SMS cost me €0.17, which is €0.0850 per message for sending in France. However, when I go to the SMS calculator in Intrasent and choose France, it tells me that sending 1 SMS costs €0.0425. Could you please explain the difference in cost between what you advertise and what it actually costs? It is also for having sending costs at €0.0425 for France that I decided to come to you.
Hector_InstasentSMS
Mar 4, 2025A: Hello Nicolas! 👋
Glad to hear your test message worked well! 🚀
The difference in cost is likely due to message length. 1 SMS = 160 characters (GSM standard). If your message exceeds this limit, it gets split into multiple SMS, and you are billed for each part. This is what’s known as a concatenated message, and it’s standard across all SMS providers.
So if you sent a longer message, it was counted as two SMS, which explains the cost. If you want to optimize costs, try keeping messages within 160 characters. 😊
Let me know if you need more details!
Best,
Share Instasent SMS - Plus Exclusive
Verified purchaser
Hello Hector, thank you for your response. But my message was only 80 characters long.
Hello! The most likely reason is Unicode characters.
Special characters (like accented letters or non-Latin alphabets) are encoded in UTF-8 Unicode, a global industry standard. This reduces the SMS length from 160 to 70 characters per message.
Instasent provides a total SMS counter and a Unicode notice when such characters are detected, so you can review and adjust your message if needed.
Q: Am I able to create custom attributes or in some way fit this use case? I need to be able to insert a unique link.
This link is a personal login link that is quite long and is added as a custom field in my email campaigns.
Hector_InstasentSMS
Mar 3, 2025A: Hey there! 👋
Yes! You can import your unique link as a custom attribute and use it in your SMS campaigns. That way, each client will receive their personalized link. ✅
Alternatively, during campaign creation, you can also add a main link with customizable attributes. For example, if you have a tracking URL where the base URL stays the same but includes the client’s email as a variable, you can set that up too. 🚀
Let us know if you need help setting this up! 😊
Best,
Share Instasent SMS - Plus Exclusive
Q: Do I need twilio?
Do I need twilio to send sms? Or this do not use any type of this platforms?
Hector_InstasentSMS
Mar 3, 2025A: Hey there! 👋
No, you don’t need Twilio to send SMS with Instasent. We are directly connected with operators to provide the SMS service—no third-party platforms required! 🚀
Let us know if you have any other questions! 😊
Best,
Share Instasent SMS - Plus Exclusive
Q: Cold SMS in US or Canada
Can i send promotionals sms related to web design or digital marketing ?
Hector_InstasentSMS
Mar 3, 2025A: Hey there! 👋
USA/Canada does not allow cold SMS. You need a registered Toll-Free Number (TFN), along with brand and message content approval. Instasent handles this setup for you. ✅
During this process, you’ll need to prove that your users opted in to receive messages.
If you’re planning a large-scale campaign, feel free to reach out—we’ll guide you through best practices for compliance and high deliverability! 🚀
Best,
Share Instasent SMS - Plus Exclusive