What Are SMS Segments?
An SMS segment is one text message piece that holds up to 160 characters.
If your message is short, it fits in one segment and sends as is. If your message is longer than 160 characters, it automatically splits into multiple segments. Each segment sends separately, but your customer sees it as one complete message.
For example, a 200-character message uses two segments. You pay for two segments, but your customer receives it as a single, uninterrupted message.
Why Do We Charge Per Segment?
Mobile carriers charge for each segment they send, not for the whole message. So, if, for example, your message uses 3 segments, each one of them will be billed separately.
This is why we follow the same billing system and charge based on SMS segments rather than full SMS messages.
How Many Characters Fit in One Segment?
It depends on what's in your message.
1. Regular Messages (Letters, Numbers, Basic Symbols)
If you stick to normal English letters, numbers, and common symbols like !?.,, here's what you get:
First segment: 160 characters
Each additional segment: 153 characters
Example: A 320-character message = 3 segments (160 + 153 + 7)
2. Messages with Emojis or Special Characters
If your message has even ONE emoji 😊 or special character (like ñ, é, or 中), the entire message uses less space:
First segment: 70 characters
Each additional segment: 67 characters
Example: "Hi Sarah! 😊" uses the 70-character limit because of the emoji.
Why Do Emojis and Special Characters Take More Space?
Regular letters and numbers are stored with GSM-7 encoding, but emojis and special characters need more storage space and use UCS-2 encoding.
It's like the difference between packing t-shirts versus winter coats: Coats take up way more room!
Important: Just one emoji or special character changes your entire message to the smaller character limit.
Quick Reference: Character Limits
Message Type | First Segment | Additional Segments |
Regular text only | 160 characters | 153 characters |
With emojis/special characters | 70 characters | 67 characters |
What About MMS Messages?
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is different. It's designed for sending images, GIFs, and longer text.
With MMS, you can send up to 1,600 characters in a single message - no segment splitting needed!
When to use MMS:
Sending product images
Sharing long-form content
Including GIFs
Keep in mind: MMS costs more per message than SMS, but you get much more space. Learn more about pricing here.
Tips to Keep Segment Counts Low
Use plain text when possible. Skip the emojis if you're close to a character limit - one emoji can cut your available space by more than half, increasing your spending.
Check your character count. TxtCart shows you how many segments your message will use as you type.
Consider MMS for long messages. If your message is longer than 480 characters and/or you want to include media content, MMS might be more cost-effective.
Avoid fancy characters. Stick to regular letters and numbers unless emojis really add value to your message.
💡Tip:
Still have questions?
Please feel free to reach out to our wonderful Support team at support@txtcartapp.com or via Live Chat.