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      What are Message Segments?

      Message Segments are the cost of sending an SMS message and can vary between different types of messages.

      It's important to note that SMS messages can be charged at variable message segments due to different factors contained within each message. Basic SMS Messages will be 1 Message Segment, whilst other more complex SMS Messages (containing emojis for example) or MMS messages can be multiple message segments. For more info on this please read this article.

      Standard SMS

      A message that is under 160 characters and does not contain any emojis. 
      160 characters = 1 Message Segment. 
      For example, this message is classed as 1 Message Segment: 

      SMS with an emoji 👋

      When a message includes an emoji the character limit is reduced to 70 characters. 
      70 characters = 1 Message Segment.  

      Multiple emojis can be added up to the 70 characters limit at no extra cost.

      This message is classed as 1 segment:

      MMS (sending images)

      MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages have a maximum character limit of 1600 characters.

      1600 characters = 5 Message Segments.

      See here on how to send an MMS.

       

      Examples

      1. This simple message without any emojis has a count of 165 characters at the cost of 1 message segment

        Screenshot 2021-06-02 at 10.23.55
      2. When an emoji is added, the total character count is reduced to 70 characters. As the message is short however (only 30 characters) the cost is still only 1 message segment.

        Screenshot 2021-06-02 at 10.24.12
      3. If multiple emojis are added yet the total characters still falls below 70, the cost of the message will remain at 1 segment.

        Screenshot 2021-06-02 at 10.24.46
      4. This message contains more characters than the 165 limit and so costs 2 segments. 

        Screenshot 2021-06-02 at 10.25.55
      5. As this message contains at least one emoji, the character limit is automatically reduced to 70 characters. As the message is also longer in terms of characters it will take the cost to 3 segments.

        Screenshot 2021-06-02 at 10.26.20

      Please note - Beware of copy and pasting copy from a Google Sheet or similar as sometimes this will contain hidden pieces of Unicode. This will add unwanted message segments to your messages even though the messages themselves appear short. 

       

      How does this work with my plan on Blueprint? 

      Every pricing-tier on Blueprint comes with a number of Message Segments as standard. This means you can get the full use out of Blueprint without paying for additional Message Segments.

      If you go over the Message Segments that are included in your plan, you will be charged a pro-rata rate for each Message Segment sent depending on your tier which will be added to your monthly bill. See here for more details on each pricing tier. 

       

      Sending an image? 

      When sending an image, you can use MMS messaging (US Only) or by creating an image through a link that is previewed on SMS. If using links, images, gifs, and videos can be sent across different countries and providers. Images are therefore classed as plain-text messages charged at the usual rate however MMS are charged at 

       

      If you have any other questions, email us directly at support@blueprint.store.