Note: This document outlines fees for US mobile sending via Twilio, a legacy provider. Updated pricing info for those using Telnyx is here.
There are two types of numbers you can use to send SMS and MMS (for photos, gifs, etc.) messages on Action Network – high volume toll free numbers and short codes. In addition to these, you can also purchase long codes to run Call Campaigns. Your bill is made up of two charges, your monthly fee for your partnership with Action Network and a monthly fee for your usage from Twilio. Use this document to help you estimate what your Twilio fees may be. We have a helpful calculator that allows you to estimate your cost here.
In addition to this, carriers charge their own fees which vary between each carrier and change frequently. You can read more about this here.
(For Canadian fees, click here. For all other countries, consult Twilio's pricing.)
Here's a breakdown of what number is best for you:
High Volume Toll Free Numbers
Toll free numbers are 1-800 numbers in the US and Canada (they may appear different in other countries). Toll free numbers are great for small to medium sized mobile programs that aren't large enough to need a shortcode. These typically take about 2 weeks to apply for and set up. Toll free numbers can be shared among groups that share the same branding, similar to shared short codes. You can learn more here.
Learn more about toll free numbers.
| Description | Cost |
| High volume toll free number | $0.4888/month |
| SMS | $0.00676/segment + Carrier Fees |
| MMS | $0.01833/message + Carrier Fees |
Short Codes
A shortcode is a 5 or 6-digit number that can send and receive mobile to and from mobile phones. Shortcodes are recommended for high volume campaigns (500,000+ messages/day or more). You can lease a random or vanity shortcode from Twilio. These typically take about three months to apply for and set up and are more expensive to lease. Learn more about Short Codes.
You can optionally share your shortcode among groups that share branding, such as affiliates and c3/c4 organizations. Shared shortcodes are not meant for coalitions or multiple organizations. They're great for groups in a network, so they can share a shortcode with their child groups. All fees will be charged to the primary shortcode holder. More here.
Is a shortcode right for you?
Short codes let you send unlimited messages per day at much faster speeds than toll free numbers, so these are meant for high volume senders. They are much more expensive (they start at around $1,222/month, whereas toll free numbers start at $0.4888/month) and they take 3-4 months to apply for and receive access to. Prices vary for Canada and the UK. Toll free numbers on the other hand only take about two weeks to gain access. A good rule of thumb is if you expect to send 500,000 mobile messages/day or more, it makes fiscal sense to get a short code. However, some organizations may want to use a short code to have a shorter number, reach out to their list faster, or set their organization apart.
On Action Network, when all our partners send a higher volume of messages, everyone pays a lower rate per message. We recommend using the base rate to estimate your costs, but thanks to our platform-wide, volume-based discounts, you'll likely pay less per message than the base price. The rates per platform wide volume of messages are listed below.
| Description | Cost |
| Short code | $1,222/month + one time application fees* |
| SMS | $0.00628/segment + Carrier Fees |
| MMS | $0.01833/message + Carrier Fees |
* Application fees are one time fees charged by Twilio for short codes in the US and Canada when applying for a short code. These can vary depending on the number and features you want.
Long Codes
These are local numbers to be used only for call campaigns. Learn more about long codes.
| Description | Price |
| Local number | $0.61100/month |
| Outbound - United States (except Alaska) | $0.01222/minute |
| Outbound - Alaska | $0.10998/minute |
| Incoming Toll Free | $0.02444/minute |
| Incoming Long Code | $0.01222/minute |
Can I use custom (vanity) short links?
Links are automatically shortened to actn.et/numbersandletters but you can set up custom (vanity) short links for an additional $200/month, more here.
Carrier Lookup
In certain cases, you may need to target mobile messages by the carrier your activist uses. This is useful if a carrier changes requirements for things like opt out language. For example, one carrier may require opt-out language that says 'Reply STOP to unsubscribe', while another requires 'Stop2Quit'. You can enable Carrier Look up to send different messages with the correct language to each carrier's users. This will incur a fee of $0.00733/number. You can read more here.