How many characters can an SMS message have?

A single SMS segment supports 160 characters in GSM-7 encoding (standard Latin characters) or 70 characters in Unicode encoding (used for emojis, accented characters, and non-Latin scripts).

What are SMS segments?

When a message exceeds the single-segment limit, it's split into multiple segments. Each segment is billed separately. Multipart messages use 153 characters per segment (GSM-7) or 67 characters per segment (Unicode) due to concatenation headers.

What is the difference between GSM-7 and Unicode encoding?

GSM-7 is the standard encoding that supports basic Latin letters, numbers, and common symbols — allowing 160 characters per segment. Unicode (UCS-2) is used when your message contains emojis, accented characters, or non-Latin scripts, reducing the limit to 70 characters per segment.

Do emojis affect SMS segment count?

Yes. Using even one emoji switches the entire message to Unicode encoding, which reduces the character limit from 160 to 70 per segment. This can significantly increase the number of segments and your sending cost.

How can I reduce SMS costs?

Keep messages concise, avoid emojis when possible to stay in GSM-7 encoding, and use URL shorteners for links. CartBoss handles this automatically with pre-optimized message templates.

Does CartBoss optimize SMS length automatically?

Yes. CartBoss uses pre-written, conversion-optimized templates that are designed to fit within a single SMS segment whenever possible, keeping your sending costs low while maximizing recovery rates.

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How SMS Encoding Works

SMS messages use one of two encoding standards. GSM-7 is the default encoding for messages containing standard Latin characters, numbers, and common punctuation. It allows up to 160 characters in a single segment.

When your message contains any character outside the GSM-7 character set — emojis, accented letters like e or u, or non-Latin scripts — the entire message switches to Unicode (UCS-2) encoding, which limits a single segment to just 70 characters.

Messages longer than one segment are split into multiple parts. Each part uses a few characters for concatenation headers, so multipart messages allow 153 characters per segment (GSM-7) or 67 characters per segment (Unicode). Each segment is billed as a separate SMS by your carrier.

CartBoss optimizes message templates to stay within a single segment whenever possible. For more SMS template ideas, check out our abandoned cart SMS templates collection. See how SMS fits into a broader promotional SMS strategy.

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