Bulk SMS price in India: what decides the rate per SMS

Ask five providers for a bulk SMS price and you will get five very different numbers. The difference usually is not just margin — it is what is included and how messages are counted. These are the factors that decide your real cost per SMS.

1. Message type

Transactional and OTP routes usually cost more than promotional ones because they deliver around the clock, reach DND numbers and need faster, more reliable routes.

2. Message length and language

You pay per SMS part, not per message. One English SMS holds 160 characters; longer messages split into parts of 153 characters each. Messages in Hindi or other Indian scripts use Unicode, which holds only 70 characters per SMS (67 per part when split). A 200-character Hindi message is three billable SMS, not one.

3. Volume

Rates drop as volume rises. Compare quotes at the volume you will actually send each month, not at the headline rate for a crore messages.

4. Hidden extras

• DLT scrubbing or "platform" charges added per SMS
• Charges on failed or undelivered messages
• Credits that expire after a few months
• Fees for sender ID setup, API access or reports
• GST (18%) — check whether a quote includes it

5. Route quality

A very cheap rate can mean grey or low-priority routes with slow or missing delivery. For OTPs a late message is a failed message. Ask for delivery reports and test with your own numbers before committing.

How to compare quotes

1. Write down your monthly volume by type (promotional, transactional, OTP).
2. Estimate average length and language, and convert to SMS parts.
3. Multiply by each quote's rate and add every extra fee and GST.
4. Run a test campaign and check real delivery reports.

TextNSMS pricing

TextNSMS uses a prepaid wallet and pay-per-message rates with no fixed packs. Use the pricing calculator to see the rate, GST and total for any quantity before you recharge.

Frequently asked questions