In this article, you'll learn everything you need to know about monthly SMS and email limits, including how they work and what to do when you run out of credits
You're most likely reading this article because business is booming, resulting in you reaching your monthly limit before the month is over. Congratulations! Let's look at this as being a glass that's half full.
Read on for the answers to the most commonly asked limit questions.
Monthly limit for Starter plan users
Monthly limit for Pro plan users
Monthly limit for Starter plan users
What is a monthly limit?
Your monthly limit is the total SMS and email invitations included in your subscription each month. You can view your monthly credit limit and how many invites you have remaining in the top left corner of your invitations screen.
I am on a Starter plan. How many invitation credits do I have?
If you are a starter-plan user, you have 100 combined email and SMS credits per month.
How do I know if I have reached my limit?
If you have reached your invite limit, the bar on the top left of your invitation screen will show, 'You have reached 100% of your monthly limit'. You will also see that the status of your invitations' will say "invite limit reached".
How many credits does 1 SMS invite use?
In most instances, 1 invitation will use 1 SMS credit. For your invite to equal 1 credit only, it must contain 160 characters or less. If your invitation uses 160+ characters, then it will use 2+ credits. Remember that the 160 characters include your customer and business name, the invitation URL and 'reply stop to opt-out'.
To see how many characters your invitation contains, check out your invitation templates.
Hot tip: abbreviating your business name can help reduce your character count. Think 'betterbunch', rather than 'betterbunch Limited'.
How many credits does 1 email invitation use?
Email invitations will use 1 invitation credit only.
Do promotor retargeting emails use credits?
Promotor retargeting emails will not use additional invitation credits. If you'd like to learn more about making the most of promotor retargeting, check out this article.
I've had a busy month and hit my invitation limit. Can I purchase more invites for this month only?
Additional SMS or email credits can not be purchased on a Starter plan. If you have reached your monthly limit, please reach out to us by sending us an email or completing this form to discuss what options are available.
We're always busy, and I expect to hit my SMS limit every month. Can I permanently increase my SMS limit?
If you are always busy and expect to reach your SMS limit every month, let us know by sending us an email or completing this form. Depending on how many credits you need, we may recommend upgrading to our Pro subscription. One rule does not fit all.
I am on a Starter Plan. What will happen if I hit my monthly limit and I don't buy more credits?
If you are a starter-plan user and you've run out of invitation credits, your pending invitations will be sent on the 1st of the following month. Remember that doing this will cut into the invitation credits you have available for the next month.
Monthly limit for Pro plan users
What is a monthly SMS limit on a Pro plan?
Your monthly SMS limit is the total amount of SMS credits available every month as part of your subscription. You can view your monthly SMS limit in the top left corner of your invitations screen.
I am on a Pro plan. How many SMS credits do I have?
If you are a pro-plan user, you have 250 SMS credits and unlimited email invitations each month.
This means that your first 250 invitations will be sent via SMS and any invites over 250 invite credits will be sent to your customers' email address (if you have included their email address in the invite of course).
How do I know if I have reached my SMS limit?
If you have reached your invite limit, the bar on the top left of your invitations screen will state 'you have reached 100% of your monthly limit'. You will also see that the status of your invitation' will say "invite limit reached".
How many SMS credits does 1 SMS invitation use?
In most instances, 1 invitation will use 1 SMS credit. For your invite to equal 1 credit only, it must contain 160 characters or less. If your invitation uses 160+ characters then it will use 2+ credits. Remember that the 160 characters include your customer and business name, the invitation URL and 'reply stop to opt out'.
To see how many characters your invitation contains, check out your invitation templates.
Hot tip: abbreviating your business name can help reduce your character count. Think betterbunch, rather than betterbunch Limited for example.
Is there a monthly email limit on a Pro plan?
You have access to unlimited email invitations each month if you are a Pro plan user.
Do email invitations use SMS credits?
No, email invitations do not use SMS credits. Pro plan users have access to unlimited email invitations every month.
Do promotor retargeting emails use credits?
Promotor retargeting emails will not use additional credits. If you'd like to learn more about making the most of promotor retargeting, check out this article.
What will happen once I have reached my SMS limit?
If you include email addresses in your bulk invitation uploads or if there is an email address included in your invoice that is connected to Automation, then any invitations over and above 250 SMS credits will be sent via email instead of SMS.
If we don't have an email address for your customer, the invitation status will say "You've hit your monthly SMS limit" and the invitation will be sent on the first of next month when your SMS limit is reset.
I've had a busy month and hit my invitation limit. Can I purchase more invites for this month only?
You can purchase extra invitation credits for one month by sending us an email or completing this form.
We're always busy and I expect to hit my SMS limit every month. Can I permanently increase my SMS limit?
If you are always busy and expect to reach your SMS limit every month, let us know by sending us an email or completing this form. You can pre-purchase SMS credits so that you have 350, 450 or even 1050 credits every month, all year round.
How much do extra SMS credits cost?
Additional SMS credits are sold in packs of 100. You can purchase 2 or more packs at once if it has been an extra busy month. The cost for additional SMS is NZD$16 per 100 SMS credits
Can I buy 1 SMS credit at a time?
We only offer packs of 100 credits but you can always purchase 2 or more packs at once if you have had a very busy month.
Do my monthly SMS credits accumulate if I don't use them?
SMS credits included in your subscription expire at the end of each month. Unused credits will not roll over and can not be accumulated.
Do my extra SMS credits that I have purchased accumulate if I don't use them?
Any additional credits purchased will expire at the end of the month. Unused invitation credits will not roll over and can not be accumulated.
Why should I buy more SMS credits?
It's a simple answer with a wordy explanation. Increased conversion!
Scenario one is that you don't include email addresses in your bulk invitation uploads or no email address in your invoice is connected to Automation. In this instance, if you reach your SMS limit early in the month, it could be 2 or even 3 weeks before the new month begins and the invitation is sent using credits from the new month.
We find businesses get the best results and higher conversion rates if they follow up with their customers quickly while their experience is still front of mind. A prompt betterbunch invite also ensures unhappy customers are identified before they have a chance to tell every man and their dog about their experience.
The second scenario is that you do include email addresses in your bulk invitation uploads or an email address in your invoice that is connected to Automation. In this case, all invitations over and above your monthly limit will be sent via email rather than SMS.
While email invitations are good, we find SMS invitations are great, so ensuring you have enough SMS credits to last the month will positively impact conversion rates and help you grow that 5-star reputation online.
If you're still not sure about the best way forward, reach out to us with your questions.
We're always happy to hear from you!