Table of contents:
What the editor shows you
When you write or edit an SMS template, the editor shows:
Characters, with field codes filled in, so the count is close to what's actually sent.
Cost per send, at your account's rate.
Price steps: up to 160 characters, and up to 306 characters, with the cost of each. The step your message is on is highlighted.
A trim hint: if you're just over a step, it tells you how many characters to cut and what you'd save, for example: Trim 6 characters to go from 9.2¢ to 4.6¢ per send, saving 4.6¢ on every message — up to $0.46 across your 10 planned messages. Trim, and the hint disappears and the cost drops.
If a field code can't be filled in ahead of time, the cost shows with ≈ because it's an estimate.
Tips
Stay within 160 characters where you can. Going over costs a second step.
Avoid emojis and special characters. They shorten the first step to 70 characters (134 for two steps), so even a short message can cost two steps.
Leave room for field codes. Guest names and links vary in length.
Send only what's needed by SMS. Keep SMS for check-in details, door codes and time-sensitive messages, and use email for the rest.
Don't send outdated messages. On templates sent at a scheduled time, tick "Don't send this message if the scheduled send date/time will be in the past."
Price steps at a glance
Price steps | Characters (standard text) | Characters (with emoji/special characters) |
1 | 1–160 | 1–70 |
2 | 161–306 | 71–134 |
3 | 307–459 | 135–201 |
4 | 460–612 | 202–268 |
Each step is charged in full, so a message that uses just a few characters of its third step costs the same as one that fills it.
📖 Learn more: How SMS pricing works in Touch Stay
🤝 Need help?
Our Fin AI assistant is available 24/7 and typically responds in under 10 seconds. If Fin isn't able to solve your issue, our support team will take ownership of your case from there.
You can also reach out to our team at [email protected], and we'll be happy to help.