SMS credits in Omnisend are dollar amounts you purchase to send text messages to your contacts.
The number of SMS you can send depends on the cost per message in each recipient's country (e.g., $0.015/SMS for US/Canada = ~67 messages per $1).
You can get SMS credits through:
Pro plan – Included credits equal to your monthly subscription price (e.g., $59/month = $59 in SMS credits)
SMS Credits Subscription – Purchase monthly credits on any plan (Free, Standard, Pro)
Rollover – Unused credits from the previous billing period (60-day expiration)
This guide shows you how to view, purchase, manage, and calculate the SMS credits you need.
Before You Begin
On the Free and Standard plans, you get $1 credit for SMS messages. Since the price for a single message in the US is $0.015, with a $1 credit, 66 texts can be sent to US/CA numbers.
On the Pro plan, you get FREE SMS credits equivalent to the price of your subscription. If you're paying $59 on the Pro plan, you get $59 in your monthly SMS budget. Note: These credits are not unlimited – they can run out before your billing cycle ends.
On any plan, you can subscribe to receive additional SMS credits.
Each of the Brands 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 Credits
All customers on the Pro plan get SMS credits equivalent to their monthly subscription plan payment.
Example: Upgrading to a $59 Pro plan gives you $59 SMS credits for the next 30 days.
These credits are added automatically and can be used within the current billing period or rolled over to the next 30 days for monthly payments.
Important: If you downgrade your plan from Pro to Standard, your SMS credits will be removed from your account.
Free & Standard Plan SMS Credits
Free and Standard plans include $1 in SMS credits (~66 messages to US/CA). To send more SMS, purchase an SMS Credits Subscription (see below).
Get SMS Credits Subscription
SMS credits subscription is an additional service you can purchase on any plan (Free, Standard, or Pro).
Subscription Tiers
Monthly subscription tiers include: $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $90, $100, $120, $140, and so on.
Before choosing a tier, check the price for a single SMS in your recipient countries to see how many credits you need.
How to Subscribe
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab.
Click Get SMS subscription (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.
Proceed with the payment.
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.
Cancel Your SMS Subscription
Your SMS Credits Subscription is separate from your plan subscription. You can cancel SMS credits without canceling your Standard or Pro plan.
To cancel:
Go to Store Settings → Pricing and usage → SMS credits tab.
Click Change SMS subscription.
Click Cancel Subscription.
Confirm cancellation.
Your subscription remains active until the end of your current billing cycle. Unused credits expire 60 days after purchase.
Note: Canceling your Standard or Pro plan does not cancel your SMS Credits Subscription. Cancel SMS credits separately using the steps above.
Calculate Credits Needed
To estimate how many SMS credits you need:
Step 1: Count your SMS-subscribed contacts
Go to Audience → Segments and create a segment with:
Subscription status is subscribed to SMS
Step 2: Check the cost per SMS for your audience
US/Canada: $0.015 per SMS
Other countries: See SMS pricing
Step 3: Calculate
Multiply contacts × cost per SMS × campaigns per month.
Example:
2,000 SMS contacts
Sending to US/Canada ($0.015/SMS)
2 campaigns per month
Calculation: 2,000 × $0.015 × 2 = $60 in credits needed per month
Need help? Use the Omnisend SMS calculator to estimate costs for your audience.
SMS Pricing & Rollover
SMS Pricing for US/CA Recipients
For US/Canada recipients ($0.015/SMS):
$1 = ~67 messages
$10 = ~667 messages
$20 = ~1,333 messages
$100 = ~6,667 messages
Prices vary by recipient country. Check the SMS pricing page for full pricing.
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
Both Pro plan SMS credits and purchased SMS subscriptions 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 exact cost on the Price Estimation 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
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 Price Estimation page before sending to avoid running out of credits mid-campaign.
FAQ
Can I send SMS campaigns and automations on the Free plan?
Yes. The Free plan includes $1 in SMS credits (~66 US/CA messages). You can send SMS campaigns and automations using these credits. If you need more, purchase a separate SMS Credits Subscription starting at $10/month. You don't need to upgrade to Standard or Pro to use SMS – only if you want unlimited emails or other premium features.
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). 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?
All unused SMS credits included with your Pro plan are permanently removed the moment you downgrade to Standard or Free. Only credits from a separate SMS Credits Subscription (purchased independently) will remain. If you think you might downgrade later, consider purchasing a separate SMS Credits Subscription instead of relying on Pro-included credits.
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 vs. $0.015 for US/CA).
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?
For US/Canada recipients ($0.015/SMS):
$10 = ~667 messages
$20 = ~1,333 messages
$100 = ~6,667 messages
For other countries, check the SMS pricing page. Use the SMS calculator to estimate your costs.
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]
Can I add SMS credits immediately without changing my subscription tier?
No. To add credits right away, you must upgrade to the next tier (e.g., from $20 to $25). If you only need a one-time credit top-up, contact Support at [email protected] with the amount you need, and our billing team will add it for you.
My $1 free credit says I should have 66 texts, but it shows $0 balance. Why?
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?
The free SMS credits you get with a monthly Pro plan and the ones you purchase with the SMS Credits Subscription 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.
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].