SMS Length Calculation Explained, How SMS Credits are Counted?
SMS Length Calculation Explained: The length of the SMS is calculated as per below table.
GSM 7 Bit Alphabet
| No. of Characters in SMS Content | No. of SMS Credits Considered |
|---|---|
| 160 Characters (Standard SMS) | 1 SMS Credit / Unit |
| 306 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (2 *153 characters) |
2 SMS Credits / Units |
| 453 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (3 *153 characters) |
3 SMS Credits / Units |
| 612 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (4 *153 characters) |
4 SMS Credits / Units |
| 765 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (5 *153 characters) |
5 SMS Credits / Units |
| 918 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (6 * 153 characters) |
6 SMS Credits / Units |
| 1071 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (7 *153 characters) |
7 SMS Credits / Units |
Unicode SMS Length Calculation (Language other than English)
| No. of Characters in SMS Content | No. of SMS Credits Considered |
|---|---|
| 70 Characters (Standard SMS) | 1 SMS Credit / Unit |
| 134 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (2 * 67 characters) |
2 SMS Credits / Units |
| 201 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (3 * 67 characters) |
3 SMS Credits / Units |
| 268 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (4 * 67 characters) |
4 SMS Credits / Units |
| 335 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (5 *67 characters) |
5 SMS Credits / Units |
| 402 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (6 * 67 characters) |
6 SMS Credits / Units |
| 469 Characters (Multi-part SMS) (7 *67 characters) |
7 SMS Credits / Units |
You can also use our SMS Length Calculator to test live for yourself.
Why from 2nd SMS credit is counted for 306 characters instead of 320 characters?
To deliver as a Single Text Message while combining the multi-part SMS then few headers needs to be combined and takes up the extra 7 characters space from every 2nd message. The same applies with unicode message when you use non-GSM characters set but here it takes 3 characters space from every 2nd message.
SMS Length Calculation Explained in Detail:
Standard SMS of 1 SMS credit is 160 characters long which includes spaces.
Multi-part SMS Message is defined when you use or send more than 160 characters SMS message. Though credits are counted in multiples, but the SMS Message will be delivered as one single message to the Recipient’s Mobile.
While sending SMS, GSM 03.38 Character Set is used. GSM 03.38 character set characterizes GSM 7 bit alphabet with extension table and GSM 8 bit data encoding.
When sending SMS using non-GSM 03.38 characters, the SMS gets terminated as UNICODE Message. Even if you have a single non-GSM character, the whole message gets converted as unicode message.
Basic character set: GSM 7 bit alphabet:
[html]@£$¥èéùìòÇ’Øø’ÅåΔ_ΦΓΛΩΠΨΣΘΞ’ÆæßÉ !”#¤%&'()*=,-./0123456789:;<=>?¡ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZÄÖÑÜ’¿abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzäöñüà[/html]
Extension table characters::
[html]|^€{}[]~[/html]
The moment you use characters such as |^€{}[]~, then it will be considered as TWO Regular Characters
For Example: When you use “Hello [Samir] ^_^” then the total characters used are 21 with 7 bit encoding.
Abbreviation Explained:
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
Hope this article will help you understand about SMS length Calculation for GSM 03.38 characters set.
SMSGatewayCenter.com is the leading Bulk SMS Provider who provides Unicode SMS services in India and many foreign contries.
