SMS credits

Text messages are sent using SMS credits. This article explains how they work and what happens when you run low.

How credits work

You buy SMS credits in packs, and each text message uses one credit. Sending a reminder, a no-show follow-up or any other text draws down a single credit. Buying in packs keeps the per-message cost predictable.

Topping up

When your balance gets low, buy another pack so your messages keep flowing. It is worth topping up before a busy period rather than discovering you are out mid-week.

What happens at zero

If you run out of SMS credits, messages do not simply vanish. Where possible the system falls back to email, so the patient still receives their reminder or follow-up. Email has no per-message credit cost, so important communications still reach the patient even with an empty SMS balance.

Getting the best of both

• Keep a small buffer of SMS credits for the immediacy of text.
• Rely on the email fallback as a safety net, not a substitute, since patients tend to read texts faster.
• Keep templates concise so each message stays to a single credit.