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How Credit Calculation Works in Falkon SMS

person calculating Falkon SMS credits

At Falkon SMS, we’ve always believed in giving customers full transparency, especially when it comes to how message credits are calculated and used. A lot of customers ask us about how credits are deducted, especially when messages go long, include attachments, or are sent as part of a group. This blog breaks it all down.


1. Message Encoding: GSM vs Unicode


Every SMS sent through Falkon SMS is either encoded in GSM or Unicode.


  • GSM encoding supports the standard English alphabet and a few special characters. A single SMS part in GSM allows 160 characters. If the message is longer, we use SMS concatenation (splitting the message into parts), and each part supports 153 characters.

  • Unicode is used when the message includes emojis or non-Latin scripts (like Chinese, Hindi, Spanish etc.). Unicode messages allow 70 characters for one part, and 67 characters for each part if it's split.  


Here’s an example: 


  • GSM message: "Hello! This is a test message." → 1 part → 1 credit 

  • Unicode message: "नमस्ते! यह एक परीक्षण संदेश है।" → 1 part → 1 credit


    You can check more about how encoding works here: How Many Characters Can a Text Message Contain



2. Message Length: Up to 6 Parts


No matter the encoding, we cap the message length at 6 parts because of carrier restrictions, especially AT&T, which doesn't allow messages longer than 6 parts. So even if your message exceeds that limit, we’ll truncate it at 6 parts.


  • GSM encoding: Up to 6 × 153 = 918 characters max 

  • Unicode encoding: Up to 6 × 67 = 402 characters max


This ensures better deliverability and compliance with carrier regulations.



3. Attachments (MMS): Flat Credit Cost


  • When you send an attachment (image, PDF, etc.), it’s treated as MMS.

  • Each attachment costs 3 credits 

  • On top of that, the message content is also calculated as per part 


For example: 


  • A message with a 2-part body + 1 attachment →  2 (text parts) + 3 (attachment) = 5 credits 



4. Group Broadcast: Based on Recipients


Group broadcast lets you send the same message to many recipients (similar to BCC).


  • Each recipient gets an individual message

  • Message parts are calculated per recipient

  • Uses group credits instead of 1-on-1 credits


For example


  • You send a 2-part message to 10 people →  2 credits × 10 recipients = 20 group credits used 

    If you add an attachment, it adds 3 credits per recipient: 


  • 2-part message + 1 attachment = 5 credits per recipient 5 × 10 = 50 group credits



5. Group Chat: Higher Credit Per Part


Group chat is more interactive. Everyone in the group sees the messages as a shared thread. To support this richer experience, Falkon SMS applies a different rate:


  • Each text part in a group chat costs 3 credits per recipient 

  • MMS/attachment still costs 3 credits per recipient 


For example: 


  • You send a 2-part message in a group of 4 people → 2 parts × 3 credits × 4 recipients = 24 group credits 

  • Same message with an attachment: (2 × 3 + 3) × 4 = (6 + 3) × 4 = 36 group credits 



Wrapping It Up


Feature 

Cost Calculation 

1-1 SMS (GSM) 

1 credit per 153 chars (up to 6 parts = 6 credits max) 

1-1 SMS (Unicode) 

1 credit per 67 chars (up to 6 parts = 6 credits max) 

MMS (Attachment) 

3 credits per attachment + message part credits 

Group Broadcast 

Same as 1-1 but multiplied by number of recipients 

Group Chat 

3 credits per part per recipient (MMS is also 3 credits each) 


If you're ever unsure, Falkon shows you the credit breakdown before sending. So, you know exactly what you’ll be charged.


If you have questions or want to optimize how you use credits, reach out to us. We’re always happy to help.

 
 
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