How service credits are consumed by message type
Service Credit Usage
The table below shows when SBT charges for service credits on the SBT FinText platform, classified by message type.
| Message or Operation | When is a Service Credit Assessed? |
| Outbound SMS | When an outbound SMS message is initiated by the client or SBT for the first segment. The character count is typically 160 characters per segment but may be lower if emojis or Unicode characters are included in the message. This assessment applies regardless of the delivery status (Sent, Queued, StopFail, or Undeliverable). |
| Extra SMS | When an outbound SMS message exceeds a single segment, a service credit is assessed for each segment. This includes extracted SMS segments from both outbound SMS and outbound compliance SMS messages. Exception: Outbound messages with StopFail status are not assessed extra SMS, regardless of the length of the message. |
| Outbound SMS Compliance | When an outbound compliance SMS message is initiated by SBT based on client or subscriber action. Examples include Opt-In, Opt-Out confirmation, mandatory keywords like HELP, or client keywords in the first segment. The character count per segment is typically 160 characters but may be lower if emojis or Unicode characters are included in the message. This assessment applies regardless of the delivery status (Sent, Queued, StopFail, or Undeliverable). |
| Outbound MMS | When outbound MMS messages are initiated by the client or SBT, regardless of the length of any text included with the MMS attachment or the message delivery status (Sent, Queued, StopFail, or Undeliverable). Examples: Auto Response, Client Keyword. |
| Outbound MMS Compliance | When an outbound compliance SMS message is initiated by SBT based on client or subscriber action. Examples include Opt-In, Opt-Out confirmation, mandatory keywords like HELP, or client keywords in the first segment. This assessment applies regardless of the length of any text included with the MMS attachment or the message delivery status (Sent, Queued, StopFail, or Undeliverable). |
| Inbound SMS | For each inbound SMS segment or MMS message that is received from a subscriber. The character count per segment is typically 160 characters but may be lower if emojis or Unicode characters are included in the message. |
| Inbound MMS | For each file attached to an inbound MMS message received from a subscriber. |
| Carrier Lookup | Once per account as part of the Add Subscriber workflow. Additionally, service credits for Carrier Lookup are assessed each time a client submits a number via an FPA scrub file or through the Get Phone Number Data API call. |
| SmartURL™ | Each time a SmartURL is requested. |
| PayURL™ | Each time a payment request is successfully created regardless of message delivery status (sent, queued to carrier, delivered, undeliverable). Each payment request generates a new, unique PayURL. |
| SMS Surcharge (MT/MO) | For each message segment. Service credit calculation is based on contract terms. |
| MMS Surcharge (MT/MO) | For each message segment. Service credit calculation is based on contract terms. |
| TIQ™: Deactivation | When a number has been reported by a carrier as deactivated at the account level. |
| TIQ™: Ported | When a number has been reported by a carrier as ported at the account level. |
| TIQ™: Lookback | For each number request for lookback, regardless of a resulting match for a previously deactivated or ported number. |
FinText User Interface: Report Screens
The screenshots below show the Usage Reports in the FinText User Interface. Details will vary among clients, including the number of units assessed for each message type.
Usage Report (SUSR)
Consumption Report (SCSR)
