SMS credits in Omnisend are dollar amounts you purchase to send text messages to your contacts.
How you access SMS depends on your current plan. SMS is available on Pro with volume-based pricing. Standard and Free users who already had an active SMS Credits Subscription before May 4, 2026, and have kept their qualifying legacy setup active can continue using SMS at legacy rates.
👉 Check "Before You Begin" below to see which pricing model applies to you.
This guide shows you how to view, purchase, manage, and calculate the SMS credits you need.
Before You Begin
Legacy SMS Pricing (Subscribed Before May 4, 2026)
Standard and Free users who already had an active SMS Credits Subscription before May 4, 2026, and have kept their legacy setup active, can continue using SMS at legacy rates.
Free plan (had active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): If you already had an active SMS Credits Subscription before May 4, 2026, and have kept your legacy setup active, you can continue using it at legacy rates.
Free plan (no active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): $1 credit included (≈66 messages to US/CA at $0.015/SMS), SMS subscription is not available – upgrade to Pro.
Standard plan: If you already had an active SMS Credits Subscription before May 4, 2026, and have kept your legacy setup active, you can continue using it at legacy rates.
Standard and Free plan users can keep legacy SMS pricing as long as they keep their qualifying legacy setup and SMS Credits Subscription active. If they change plans or cancel the SMS subscription, current SMS eligibility rules apply.
⚠️ Legacy Pro has been retired
Legacy Pro was retired on October 26, 2026, and all remaining Legacy Pro brands were moved to the current Pro plan. If you previously used Legacy Pro, see the FAQ below for details about your SMS Credits Subscription and remaining SMS credits.
Current SMS Pricing
On the Pro plan, SMS is available as an add-on with volume-based pricing:
Free and Standard plans: SMS not available (must upgrade to Pro)
Pro plan: SMS available as an add-on with volume-based pricing as low as $0.007/SMS, depending on monthly spend and recipient country (no included credits)
Volume tiers: Per-message rates decrease as your monthly SMS spend increases. See the Subscription Tiers section below for current rates.
All Users
Rollover: Unused credits from the previous billing period roll over (60-day expiration applies).
Each Brand connected to your Omnisend account has a separate SMS budget.
View Your SMS Credits
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab to view:
SMS credits used
Current balance
Subscription details (refill date, amount, auto-upgrade status)
Usage breakdown
Click Get SMS subscription or Change SMS subscription to manage your credits.
Understand Your SMS Dashboard
Your SMS credits dashboard shows:
Term | What It Means |
Balance | Dollar amount of SMS credits remaining (e.g., $8.30 left) |
Refill status | How your subscription renews – "Monthly" = auto-renews every 30 days; "One-time" = no renewal |
Next refill date | When your subscription renews and adds more credits (e.g., Dec 31) |
Refill amount | Dollar amount added at the next refill (e.g., $20) |
Credits used | Total credits spent this billing cycle |
How SMS Credits Work
Pro Plan SMS
If you subscribe to Pro on or after May 4, 2026:
SMS is available as an add-on with volume-based pricing:
Entry rate: $0.009/SMS (US recipients)
Volume discounts: Rates decrease as your monthly SMS spend increases.
No included credits: SMS is purchased separately from your Pro plan subscription
Purchase SMS credits through SMS Credits Subscription (see below).
Free & Standard Plan SMS Credits
Legacy SMS pricing (subscribed before May 4, 2026):
Free and Standard plans include $1 in SMS credits (≈66 messages to US/CA)
Free plan (had active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): You can continue managing your existing SMS Credits Subscription at legacy rates
Free plan (no active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): SMS not available – upgrade to Pro
Standard plan: If you already had an active SMS Credits Subscription before May 4, 2026, you can continue using it at legacy rates as long as you keep the legacy setup active.
Current SMS pricing (subscribed on or after May 4, 2026):
SMS is not available on Free and Standard plans
Upgrade to Pro to access SMS with volume-based pricing
Get SMS Credits Subscription
SMS credits subscription is an additional service you can purchase to send more SMS messages.
Who Can Subscribe?
Legacy SMS pricing (before May 4, 2026):
Free (had active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): Available as long as you keep it active
Free (no active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): Not available – upgrade to Pro
Standard (active SMS subscription from before May 4, 2026): Available as long as you keep the legacy setup and SMS subscription active.
Current SMS pricing (on or after May 4, 2026):
Available on Pro plan only
Uses volume-based pricing with tiered rates
Subscription Tiers
Legacy SMS pricing: Monthly subscription tiers include: $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $90, $100, $120, $140, and so on.
Current SMS pricing: Volume-based pricing automatically adjusts the per-message cost based on monthly SMS spend. For recipients in the United States:
$10–$49.99/month: $0.009/SMS
$50–$999.99/month: $0.0085/SMS
$1,000–$9,999.99/month: $0.008/SMS
$10,000+/month: $0.007/SMS
SMS rates vary by recipient country. Check the SMS pricing calculator for current country-specific pricing.
How to Subscribe
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab.
Click Get monthly SMS credits (or Change SMS subscription if you already have one).
Select your monthly price and volume for SMS.
Select if you want to auto-upgrade to the next tier when credits run low.
Review the Review and confirm screen. Depending on your purchase, you may see:
The SMS subscription you currently have.
The updated SMS subscription.
The SMS credits added.
The amount charged today, including applicable taxes.
The next recurring charge.
The next billing date.
Click Confirm and pay to complete the purchase.
Enable Auto-Upgrade
Auto-upgrade automatically moves you to a higher billing tier when your balance drops below a set amount, preventing campaigns from pausing mid-send.
Important: Auto-upgrade can only be configured when you first subscribe to SMS credits. If you already have an SMS subscription and want to enable or adjust auto-upgrade, contact Support at [email protected].
You'll be able to:
Set a floor amount (e.g., upgrade when balance < $5) → Auto-upgrade when balance drops below.
Set a ceiling tier (optional) to cap spending (e.g., don't exceed $200/month).
Example: You subscribe to the $120 tier with auto-upgrade enabled. Floor = $5, Ceiling = $200. When your balance drops below $5, the system automatically upgrades you to the next tier (e.g., $140), charges $20, and adds $20 in credits.
It is entirely up to you whether you want to turn on the auto-upgrade option. However, if you have automation workflows with SMS messages, you may want to secure yourself if you run out of credits before your billing cycle ends.
Purchase One-Time SMS Credits
You can purchase one-time SMS credits instantly without upgrading your subscription tier. This option is ideal if you need extra credits for a one-off campaign or run out mid-month.
Who Can Purchase One-Time Credits?
Legacy pricing (before May 4, 2026):
Users on the Standard or Free plan with an active SMS subscription.
New pricing (on or after May 4, 2026):
Users on the Pro plan with an active SMS subscription only.
To purchase one-time credits:
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits.
Click Add one-time credits.
Select a predefined amount ($5, $10, or $25) or enter a custom amount.
Complete the payment.
Credits are added to your SMS credits balance instantly.
Note: One-time SMS credits expire 60 days after purchase and are non-refundable. Hover over the (i) icon next to Balance to view expiration dates for each credit batch. If you make multiple purchases, credits are combined in your balance, but the tooltip shows separate expiration dates for each batch.
💡 Tip: Use one-time credits for quick top-ups. Use monthly subscriptions if you send SMS Campaigns regularly or use Automation with SMS messages.
Cancel Your SMS Subscription
Your SMS Credits Subscription is separate from your plan subscription. You can cancel SMS credits without canceling your plan.
To cancel:
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab.
Click Change SMS subscription.
Click Cancel Subscription.
Confirm cancellation.
Cancellation depends on your billing state:
No unpaid invoice: Your SMS Credits Subscription remains active until the end of your current paid period and will not renew.
Unpaid invoice: Your subscription ends immediately. The unpaid invoice is voided, so you are not charged for it.
In both cases, your SMS credits remain valid for 60 days after they are added to your account.
Note: If you cancel or downgrade from the current Pro plan to the current Free or Standard plans, SMS access is lost. Contact our Support team if you need account-specific information about the separate SMS subscription.
⚠️ Important for Standard and Free Plan Users Subscribed Before May 4, 2026:
If you're on the Standard or Free plan with a legacy SMS subscription and you cancel it, you cannot re-subscribe while staying on a legacy plan. To use SMS again, you must upgrade to Pro.
What this means:
Once you cancel, SMS access ends permanently on Free/Standard
To use SMS again, you must upgrade to Pro (volume-based pricing applies)
This restriction only applies if you cancel SMS – keeping your subscription active preserves your access
How Credit Rollover Works
Unused SMS credits roll over to the next billing cycle but expire after 60 days (two billing cycles maximum).
Example:
September 1: You get $20 in credits
September 30: You use $5, leaving $15
October 1: $15 rolls over + $20 new credits = $35 total
October 31: You use $10, leaving $25
November 1: $20 new credits added, but September's $15 expires. You now have $30 total ($20 from October + $10 from new November credits).
Key points:
Only the most recent billing period's credits roll over
All SMS credits follow the 60-day expiration rule
Credits don't convert between types (SMS credits cannot be used for email sends)
Preview SMS Campaign Costs
Before sending an SMS campaign, Omnisend shows you the estimated cost on the Estimated SMS credits step.
What you'll see:
Cost for US/CA recipients (calculated separately).
Cost for non-US/CA recipients (calculated separately).
Total cost for the entire campaign.
Country-specific sending statuses. Open a status to view more information and select Resolve when an action is available.
Important: Each recipient counts as at least one SMS credit. If you send a campaign to 2,000 subscribers, you will use credits for 2,000 SMS – even if you have a large subscription tier.
Check the Estimated SMS credits page before sending to avoid running out of credits mid-campaign.
Note: Countries where SMS sending is unavailable are excluded from the campaign. Recipients who require unresolved toll-free number verification are unselected and disabled. Countries where the sender name may not be shown remain selectable, but the limitation is displayed in the country row.
Verification statuses update automatically when the country’s sending requirements change.
FAQ
Which plans can use SMS?
Legacy SMS pricing (subscribed before May 4, 2026):
Standard (had active SMS subscription from before May 4, 2026): ✅ Can continue using SMS at legacy rates.
Free (had active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): ✅ Can continue at legacy rates.
Free (no active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026): ❌ Must upgrade to Pro.
Current SMS pricing (subscribed on or after May 4, 2026):
Pro plan only.
SMS available as an add-on with volume-based pricing as low as $0.007/SMS.
Free and Standard plans cannot access SMS.
Can I send SMS campaigns and automations on the Free plan?
If you had an active SMS Credits Subscription before May 4, 2026 and kept it active: Yes – you can continue using SMS at legacy rates. Purchase additional credits via SMS Credits Subscription.
If you did not have an active SMS subscription before May 4, 2026: No – upgrade to Pro to use SMS, regardless of when you joined Omnisend.
If you subscribed on or after May 4, 2026: No. SMS is only available on Pro plan.
What am I paying for when I buy SMS credits?
SMS credits are prepaid bundles you use to send text campaigns and automations. When you subscribe to a $20/month tier, you get $20 in credits to spend on messages. You're not charged extra per message – credits are deducted as you send (e.g., $0.015 per US/CA text on legacy pricing, or volume-based rates on current pricing). If you run out before your cycle ends, you can enable auto-upgrade or manually add more credits.
What happens to my SMS credits if I downgrade from Pro?
If you downgrade from Pro to Standard or Free:
Current Standard and Free do not support SMS.
You lose access to SMS and the SMS Credits Subscription.
How long do SMS credits last? Do they expire?
SMS credits expire 60 days after being added to your account. Unused credits from your current billing cycle roll over to the next 30 days, but credits older than 60 days are removed.
Example: $20 left in September carries to October, but any unused September credits expire before November. Credits don't stack beyond two months.
Can I cancel my SMS subscription without canceling my plan?
Yes. Your SMS Credits Subscription is separate from your plan subscription. To cancel SMS only: Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab → Change SMS subscription → Cancel Subscription. Your plan (Standard/Pro) will stay active. Your SMS subscription ends at your next billing date, and unused credits expire 60 days after purchase.
Why are my SMS credits being used up so quickly?
SMS credits can be used faster than expected for three reasons:
Character limits: Each SMS holds 160 characters. Messages longer than 160 split into multiple SMS (161–320 chars = 2 SMS, 321–480 chars = 3 SMS). Your phone merges them into one, but you're charged for each segment.
International pricing: Texts to non-US/CA countries cost more ($0.02–$0.20 per message on legacy pricing).
Automation workflows: Every triggered SMS (abandoned cart, order confirmation) deducts credits.
Check your exact usage: Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab → View usage details.
How many SMS messages can I send with $10, $20, or $100 in credits?
Legacy pricing (before May 4, 2026):
For US recipients ($0.015/SMS):
$10 = ≈667 messages
$20 = ≈1,333 messages
$100 = ≈6,667 messages
Current pricing (on or after May 4, 2026):
For US recipients (volume-based pricing):
$10 at $0.009 → ≈1,111 SMS
$20 at $0.009 → ≈2,222 SMS
$100 at $0.0085 → ≈11,765 SMS
For other countries, check the SMS pricing page.
Why can't I find the auto-upgrade option?
The auto-upgrade checkbox only appears when:
You're subscribing for the first time or upgrading to a higher tier (e.g., $20 → $25)
Your SMS credit balance is more than $1
You're selecting a higher tier (not staying on the same tier or downgrading)
If you don't see the checkbox:
Check your balance (must be more than $1)
Make sure you're upgrading to a higher tier, not staying on the same one
If you need to enable auto-upgrade after subscribing, contact Support at [email protected]
My $1 free credit says I should have 66 texts, but it shows $0 balance. Why?
Note: The $1 free credit is only available to legacy pricing users (subscribed before May 4, 2026).
The $1 free SMS credit on Free and Standard plans may have been:
Used – Check your SMS usage history
Expired – SMS credits expire after 60 days
To check your balance, go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab. If your balance is $0, you'll need to purchase SMS credits to send messages.
Will my SMS credits transfer to the next month?
All types of SMS credits have an expiration date of 60 days. If you don't use your credits in the first month, you will be able to use them the next month, but they expire after two billing cycles (60 days total).
Is it possible to send MMS?
You can send MMS messages to the United States and Canada. Learn more about MMS.
Why did I pay x2, x3, x4... price for my campaign?
The character limit for a single SMS message is 160 characters, so your campaign was likely too long. The message may show as one long text on your phone because most modern phones and networks support concatenation (merging multiple SMS into one display). It's still two or more SMS sent and charged, but merged into one by your phone and/or mobile provider.
Can I add SMS credits immediately without changing my subscription tier?
Yes.
For legacy pricing users (subscribed before May 4, 2026): if you have an active legacy SMS subscription on an eligible plan.
For current pricing users (on or after May 4, 2026): Pro plan with an active SMS subscription only.
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab and click Add one-time credits. Select a preset amount ($5, $10, or $25) or enter a custom amount. Credits are added instantly and appear in your SMS credits table balance.
One-time credits expire after 60 days and are non-refundable. If you need recurring credits, subscribe to a monthly SMS Credits Subscription instead.
I subscribed before May 4, 2026. Can I keep legacy SMS pricing on Standard or Free?
It depends on your current plan state. Standard and Free users can keep legacy SMS access only while they remain on a qualifying legacy setup. If you change plans, you move to the current version of the selected plan.
What changed to my SMS credits and subscription when Legacy Pro was retired?
Legacy Pro was retired on October 26, 2026. Brands that were still on Legacy Pro were automatically moved to the current Pro plan, where SMS is available through a separate SMS Credits Subscription.
If your recent SMS usage indicated that you needed an SMS subscription, one was added automatically and sized based on your last 30 days of SMS usage. Its billing and refill schedule aligns with your Pro billing cycle.
If you already had an SMS Credits Subscription, it was carried over rather than replaced with a second subscription. If your recent SMS usage exceeded your existing subscription amount, the amount may have been increased; it was not automatically decreased.
Any unused SMS credits issued under Legacy Pro remain available until 60 days after their original issue date. You do not need an active SMS Credits Subscription to use those carried-over credits. Scheduled SMS campaigns and SMS steps in active automation workflows can continue using those credits until they expire or run out.
If your carried-over credits run out, you can purchase or update an SMS Credits Subscription or add eligible one-time credits.
If your account was identified as having a migration-related cost increase of more than 20%, temporary migration pricing protection may apply for six months. Contact our Support team for account-specific details.
You can manage your SMS Credits Subscription under Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits.
What happens if I do not have enough SMS credits for my campaign?
Omnisend opens the SMS purchase flow and pre-fills the amount needed for the campaign. The confirmation screen shows the amount charged today and, when applicable, the current subscription, updated subscription, next recurring charge, and next billing date.
Do you need help finding the answer to your question? Please contact our Support Team; we are available 24/7 and can be reached via In-app chat or email at [email protected].