Search over 800 topics on CostHelper.com
BROWSE ALL TOPICS >> babies & children cars & car maintenance education health & personal care home & garden personal finance pets & pet care small business weddings

CostHelper.com > Consumer Electronics  > Text Messaging

Text Messaging Cost

How Much Does Text Messaging Cost?

low cost Without a Plan: 15 to 30 cents per message
low cost Specific Minutes Plan (200 to 1,500 Messages): $5-$15 a month
low cost Unlimited: $10-$30 a month

Related Topics:

Cell Phone Plan

Cell Phone

Smartphone

>> All Articles for Consumer Electronics

   cost separator
 
Text messaging is a quick and convenient way to communicate between cell phones. Brief written notes are sent using the SMS (Short Message Service) while MMS (Multimedia Message Service) can accommodate photos, video and audio content. While there are web sites that allow users to send text messages free of charge, sending and receiving messages via a cell phone usually costs extra.
 
Typical costs:
  • Cell phone subscribers who only occasionally send or receive text messages within the US can expect to pay 15 to 30 cents per individual message without a messaging plan. Sprint and T-Mobile, for example, charge 20 cents per text sent or received, including picture and video messages. AT&T charges 20 cents per text message and 30 cents for picture or video messages. Verizon charges 20 cents per text message and 25 cents per picture or video message.
  • Most cell phone carriers offer bundles of nationwide text messaging and instant, picture and video messaging at a steep discount to the individual message cost. Expect to pay $5 per month for a package with 200-300 messages. AT&T charges $5 for 200 messages per month, while Sprint charges $5 for 300 messages per month. Larger text messaging packages allow for 1,000 to 1,500 messages per month and cost from $10 to $15.
  • For unlimited monthly text messaging within the US, expect to pay $10 to $30. Sprint charges $20 for unlimited monthly text messages while T-Mobile offers unlimited domestic text messaging for $10 on individual plans.
  • Text messaging has grown so much in popularity over recent years that some carriers now offer plans for texting only. Expect to pay $35 to $55 for these plans plus a per-minute rate for any voice calls made. The Verizon text message only plan offers unlimited text messaging (along with unlimited web and data usage) for $35 a month plus a voice per minute rate of 40 cents.
  • Text messages sent to or received from international cell phone numbers are not counted against a domestic text messaging package. The cost for international text messaging ranges from 20 to 50 cents per text sent and 5 to 20 cents per message received. Verizon, for example, charges 25 cents for outgoing international messages sent from the US and 20 cents for incoming international messages. Text messages sent to cell phones in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico are charged at the domestic rate AT&T's International Long Distance Text Messaging Package allows subscribers to send up to 100 international text messages to over 140 different countries for a monthly charge of $10.
  • Pay as you go mobile carriers also offer text messaging services. For example, MetroPCS offers unlimited nationwide text messaging for $3 a month with its $40 a month voice plan, or at no extra charge with its $40 and $45 a month plans.
What should be included:
  • Most carriers include IM (instant messaging), photo and video messaging in their monthly allowances, but always check to make sure.
Additional costs:
  • International roaming rates may apply to text messages sent or received when traveling outside the US.
Discounts:
  • Users of PDAs and Smartphones can save money with a package that bundles text messaging with data usage. For more details see: How Much Does a Smartphone Cost.
Shopping for text messaging:
  • To get the best deal on text messaging, calculate usage patterns. Examine previous cell phone bills to see how many text messages are sent and received. If it adds up to more than a few dollars, it is worth looking into a package deal.
  • If a large number of text messages are sent to users of the same wireless network, check with the carrier to see if it offers a package that includes unlimited text messaging within the network.
  • When signing up for a plan that includes a text messaging package deal, be sure to look carefully at the fine print before signing to make sure there are no per-message hidden charges.
  • Frequent travelers who want the ability to send and receive text messages while traveling outside of the US should look for a carrier (such as AT&T or T-Mobile) that uses the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) network, which offers better coverage internationally.
Article updated February 2010
Was this article helpful?  yes  no digg this Digg this delicious del.icio.us post E-mail post Post

Recent Posts
Amount: $1,700.00 travelling
Posted by: JenT in Barrie, Other.Purchased: August, 2007
Carrier: BellType of Plan: Coporate
I was with bell and had been to florida (live in ontario) in 2008 and was not charged at all for texting. Apparantly they changed the plan the beginning of August 2008 yet when i was in Pensylvannia the middle of august i was not charged. They said texting in the states was now more, but did not inform me and sent me a bill for $1700 for texting while i was in Florida in 2009.
Was this post helpful to you?   yes     no Report prohibited or spam


Post About Your Experience With Text Messaging
 
Subject:  * Amount Spent:  *
Carrier: Type of Plan: 
Comments: 
Purchased:  Year: 
City:  * State:  *
 
Information about you:
Email:  * Email addresses are not displayed.
Name:  This is the name we'll display with your post.
me on this computer
*=required field.