Business SMS: how it works and US registration
What business SMS does
Business SMS lets your team send and receive texts from the same number customers call, usually inside the same app. Typical uses are appointment reminders, follow-ups after a call, delivery updates and two-way support. MMS adds pictures and other media.
Segments and pricing
Texts are billed in segments, not messages. A single segment holds 160 characters in the standard GSM-7 alphabet, or 70 if the text includes characters such as emoji. Longer messages are split into segments of 153 and 67 characters. A plan that includes "500 segments" is not 500 messages if yours are long.
Pricing differs a lot between products: some include an allowance per user per month and sell bundles for more, some bill per message from the first text, and some add registration fees.
US registration
In the US, carriers expect businesses sending texts from local 10-digit numbers to register their brand and campaign (known as A2P 10DLC) through The Campaign Registry. Toll-free numbers have a separate verification process. Unregistered traffic is often filtered, and registration usually involves a one-off review fee and a monthly charge. Check this before you plan a campaign.
Consent and opt-out
Get clear consent before you send marketing texts, honour STOP replies straight away, and keep a record of when and how each person opted in. Rules differ by country.
What to look for
- An allowance that matches your volume, and what extra segments cost.
- Support for the countries you text.
- Registration help and its cost if you text in the US.
- Automation, such as texts triggered by a call outcome, and logging to your CRM.
Which apps list sms and mms
From each provider's own pricing page. “Check” means the page doesn't say, or we haven't verified that app yet.
| App | Status | What the provider says |
|---|---|---|
| CallHippo | Included | Allowance grows by plan: 100 on Starter, 500 on Professional, 1,000 on Ultimate. |
| CloudTalk | Included | International SMS and MMS listed on every plan. |
| JustCall | Included | 500 segments per user on Team, 1,000 on Pro and above; extra SMS bundles are add-ons. |
| KrispCall | Check | Not verified yet. |
| PhoneBurner | Some plans | Premium only, with carrier approval and 1,000 outbound texts a month. |
| Quo | Included | US and Canada texting on every plan. Carrier registration fees apply for US texting. |
| Readymode | Check | Not listed on the pricing page. |
FAQ
How many characters are in one SMS segment?
160 characters in the standard GSM-7 alphabet, or 70 if the message contains characters such as emoji (UCS-2). Longer messages are split into segments of 153 and 67 characters, and providers usually bill per segment.
Why is my business text blocked in the US?
US carriers expect businesses to register their brand and campaign (A2P 10DLC) or verify a toll-free number before sending. Unregistered traffic is often filtered. Check your provider's registration steps and fees.