SMS Usage and Billing
Answers to common questions about how SMS messages work, what counts toward your limit, and how to manage your usage.
How many SMS messages are included in my plan?
| Plan | Included SMS/Month | Average Per Day |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1,000 | ~33/day |
| Essential | 5,000 | ~167/day |
| Professional | 15,000 | ~500/day |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
What counts as an SMS?
Every automated text message the platform sends on your behalf counts as one SMS:
- Follow-up texts -- Day 0 (right after the call), Day 3 check-in, Day 7 final follow-up
- Appointment confirmations -- Sent when a patient or client books an appointment
- Appointment reminders -- Sent 24 hours before scheduled appointments
- Scheduling links -- When the AI texts your booking link during a call
- Staff alerts -- Urgent call notifications, new patient alerts, prescription requests, etc. sent to your notification recipients. Each recipient receives a separate SMS, so if you have 3 staff members receiving emergency alerts, one emergency call uses 3 SMS from your allotment.
Inbound texts from your customers (replies, STOP, etc.) do NOT count against your SMS limit.
How many calls does each plan actually support?
Each call that enters your pipeline generates approximately 4-5 SMS messages over 7 days (initial follow-up, check-ins, and confirmations).
| Plan | SMS/Month | Calls Supported/Month | Calls Supported/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1,000 | ~200 calls | ~7 calls/day |
| Essential | 5,000 | ~1,000 calls | ~33 calls/day |
| Professional | 15,000 | ~3,000 calls | ~100 calls/day |
Example: A dental practice receiving 25 calls per day is comfortable on Essential with room to grow. A busy multi-provider clinic with 80+ calls per day fits well on Professional.
What happens if I go over my SMS limit?
You will not lose service. Additional SMS messages are billed at a small overage rate:
| Plan | Overage Rate |
|---|---|
| Starter | $0.03 per SMS |
| Essential | $0.03 per SMS |
| Professional | $0.02 per SMS |
Example: An Essential customer who sends 6,200 SMS in a month pays for 1,200 overage messages: 1,200 x $0.03 = $36 extra that month.
Is there a daily limit?
Yes, to protect your account from unexpected spikes:
| Plan | Daily Safety Cap |
|---|---|
| Starter | 100 SMS/day |
| Essential | 500 SMS/day |
| Professional | 2,000 SMS/day |
If your business regularly approaches these daily limits, it may be time to upgrade to the next tier for better value.
How do AI call minutes work with outbound calls?
All AI call minutes -- both inbound (callers reaching you) and outbound (AI calling leads back) -- count toward your included minutes:
| Plan | Included Minutes | Overage |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 500 min/month | $0.75/min |
| Essential | 1,200 min/month | $0.75/min |
| Professional | 2,000 min/month | $0.60/min |
Can I see my SMS usage?
Yes. Your current month's SMS count is visible on the Billing page of your dashboard. You can see a breakdown by category (follow-ups, notifications, reminders) and how much of your included allotment you have used. You will also receive alerts when approaching your SMS limit.
Which plan do I need?
| Your Daily Call Volume | Recommended Plan |
|---|---|
| 1-7 calls/day | Starter |
| 8-30 calls/day | Essential |
| 31-100 calls/day | Professional |
| 100+ calls/day | Enterprise (contact us) |
Multi-location practices with 100+ calls/day across all locations should contact us for a custom Enterprise package with higher SMS and minute allotments.
Can I disable certain SMS types to conserve usage?
Yes. From your dashboard settings, you can:
- Turn off Day 3/Day 7 follow-ups for specific pipeline entries (cancel scheduled SMS)
- Opt contacts out of SMS by unchecking consent on their pipeline card
- Customize which call types trigger SMS through your AI script settings
Do notification recipients affect my SMS usage?
Yes. Each staff notification generates one SMS per recipient. If you have 3 notification recipients set to receive emergency alerts, one emergency call uses 3 SMS from your monthly allotment.
- Only enable notification types each staff member actually needs (e.g., front desk does not need pharmacy callbacks).
- Use the dashboard to monitor your notification SMS vs. patient/client SMS split.
- If notification SMS is consuming too much of your allotment, consider upgrading or reducing the number of active recipients.
Do callers see my business name in texts?
Yes. All SMS messages are sent from your verified business phone number and include your business name. Recipients can reply STOP at any time to opt out (required by law, enforced automatically).