SMS pricing and how to purchase credits
SMS notifications in Upper run on a prepaid balance you top up in the Marketplace. Each text is billed per segment, with rates that vary by destination country.
SMS notifications in Upper run on a prepaid balance. You add funds to your account in the Marketplace, and the cost of each text is drawn down from that balance as notifications send. Because texts are billed per message, keeping a healthy balance is what keeps the SMS channel sending without interruption.
Why this matters
When your SMS balance runs out, the channel simply stops sending until you top it up again — texts aren't queued and resent later. Understanding how SMS is priced, and keeping a buffer in your balance, means your customers keep getting their "out for delivery," "delivered," and "missed" updates on time.
How SMS is priced
- Billed per message. Each text notification draws down your prepaid balance.
- Rates vary by destination country. What a top-up covers depends on where your customers' numbers are.
- Longer messages can cost more. A long SMS is sent as more than one segment, and each segment is billed. When you edit an SMS template, the editor shows a live "This message will send in N segment(s)" indicator so you can see the cost impact before saving. Keeping templates concise keeps each message to fewer segments.
The SMS template editor counts characters as you type and tells you how many segments the message will send in. Trimming a template so it fits in fewer segments is the simplest way to keep per-message cost down.
Before you start
- SMS must be available on your account. Text Message (SMS) notifications are a paid capability and aren't available on the Starter plan. The toggle to turn them on lives under Manage > Settings > Notifications.
- A depot address may be required. Sending SMS notifications requires a depot address on your account. If yours isn't set, Upper will prompt you for one.
- Billing access. You'll need an account with billing/admin access to add to the balance.
- A payment method. Have your card or billing details ready.
How to purchase SMS balance
SMS balance is managed through the Notifications and Alerts add-on in the Marketplace.
Open the Marketplace
From the left sidebar in Upper, go to the Marketplace.
Open Notifications and Alerts
Select the Notifications and Alerts add-on. Your Current Balance is shown here.
Add to your balance
Click Add Balance, enter the amount you want to add, and complete payment.
Turn on Auto Recharge on the Notifications and Alerts add-on so your balance tops up automatically when it runs low — the safest option for teams that send SMS every day. You can also use Set alert for minimum balance to get a heads-up before you run dry.
Check your balance and SMS costs
- Current balance: open Marketplace > Notifications and Alerts any time to see your remaining balance.
- Per-message rates by country: see Check SMS notification rates to understand what your texts cost in each destination.
- What you've already spent: the SMS Detailed report under Analytics breaks down sent texts, segments, and cost. See Check SMS notification history.
Troubleshooting
Labels are configurable per workspace. This article uses the default driver/Delivery labels; a workspace set up for service businesses may instead show Technician/Service wording.
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