How Many Characters Are in One SMS? Message Length and Credits Explained

A single SMS can carry up to 160 characters when it uses the standard GSM alphabet: English and Kiswahili letters, numbers and common punctuation. If a message contains an emoji or certain special symbols, the whole message switches to Unicode encoding and one SMS can then hold only 70 characters.

What happens when a message is longer than one SMS

Longer messages are split into parts and joined back together on the recipient's phone, so they read as one message. Each part needs a few characters for the joining information, which is why a multipart standard message holds 153 characters per part and a multipart Unicode message holds 67 characters per part.

• Up to 160 standard characters: 1 SMS credit per recipient.
• 161 to 306 standard characters: 2 SMS credits per recipient.
• 307 to 459 standard characters: 3 SMS credits per recipient.
• With an emoji or special symbol: 1 credit up to 70 characters, then 67 characters per part.

Why one message can use multiple SMS credits

Networks charge for every part that is delivered, so a 200-character message sent to 1,000 people uses 2,000 credits, not 1,000. A single smiley face in a 150-character message can have the same effect: the message becomes Unicode, exceeds 70 characters and is sent in three parts.

How to keep messages to one SMS

• Remove emoji and decorative symbols. Plain text is read just as quickly.
• Watch for curly quotes and long dashes copied from Word or WhatsApp. Retype them as straight quotes and hyphens.
• Lead with the key information: who you are, what you need, and by when.
• Use short forms that your audience understands, such as dates written as 15/05.
• Check the character and credit count shown in the DARSMS composer before you send.

DARSMS shows the character count, the number of SMS parts and the credits a message will use before you send it, and warns you when special characters would push the message into Unicode.