What is the text character limit and how many texts can I send simultaneously using Birdeye?
The character limit for a single SMS text message is 160 characters and the volume of texts sent is calculated in 'segments'. The majority of phone carriers gauge text messages in character batches known as segments.
Segments are typically 160 characters (GSM 7) or 70 characters (Unicode), which relies on the encoding type. Generally, most messages use the standard of GSM7 encoding and have up to 160 characters per segment.
| Segment Type | Characters Allowed per Segment |
| GSM 7 | 160 Characters |
| Unicode | 70 Characters |
To learn more about the GSM and segments, read the help center article: How does Birdeye calculate character length for mass texts?
Understanding Segments Distribution and Texts Limit
1 segment is equivalent to160 characters. Every user is allocated with 10,000 segments every 4 hours from 8 am to 8 pm i.e, a user can leverage up to 30,000 segments in a day and not more than 10,000 segments in 4 hours under a single location.
For instance, a user sends a text containing 100 characters and sends another one with 40 characters, then it will be calculated as 2 segments spent.
NOTE:
The time 8 am to 8 pm applies as per your business location timezone.
What Happens If a User Includes Emoji in the Text?
Once the user sends a text using emojis that changes the message encoding type from GSM7 to Unicode, while GSM7 allows up to 160 characters per segment, whereas Unicode allows up to 70 characters per segment.
For instance, if a user sends a text message that has 100 characters and 1 emoji. Since the emoji is used automatically the encoding type will convert into Unicode and lower down the character limit to 70 per segment and text will be charged as 2 segments.
Plain Text Segment Calculation
Text + Emoji Segment Calculation
The texts sent via Inbox, Reviews, Referrals, Surveys, Ticketing, Contacts, and Campaigns will be deducted from the segments account.
How Do I Send SMS More than the Segments Allocated?
If a user needs to send about 40,000 SMS to different contacts per day, then you will need to distribute your check-ins/contacts across multiple locations (aka sender phone numbers). Your single number/location holds a 30,000 segments limit, ensure to distribute additional contacts across multiple locations and send.
What Happens If a User Sends 40,000+ SMS/Day to Different Contacts Added Under a Single Location?
If a user sends over 40,000 SMS/day under a single location, then the messages get delivered in 2 days.
NOTE:
You can also limit the frequency of texts to be sent out under 'Campains' > 'Settings'.
If you want to restrict communication, read this help center article: How to restrict communication?
