How do emojis affect SMS credit costs?

Last updated: November 5, 2026

Use emojis carefully in SMS messages because they can change message encoding and increase credit usage.

How emojis affect SMS credits

  • Standard SMS messages usually use GSM-7 encoding.

  • Messages with emojis or certain special characters may use UCS-2 encoding.

  • UCS-2 messages allow fewer characters per SMS segment, which can increase credit usage.

Enable or disable emojis

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Go to Billing or billing controls.

  3. Find the emoji setting for SMS messages.

  4. Turn emoji sending on or off.

  5. Save the setting if required.

Tips

  • Avoid emojis in high-volume SMS campaigns unless you intentionally want to use them.

  • Watch the message credit count before sending.

  • Use plain text when cost control is more important than message tone.

Troubleshooting

  • If a message costs more credits than expected, check for emojis or special characters.

  • If emojis do not send, confirm emoji sending is enabled.

  • If credit usage varies, review the exact characters in the message.