Text Message Plans & Charges

Broadcast News Text Message Feature Closing Soon

We've recently made the difficult decision to discontinue the Broadcast News text service. To learn why and what to expect, please read more here.

Instant Church Directory text message pricing is a “pay-as-you-go” style plan, where you’ll purchase “credits” when you want to send a text message. The information below addresses some basic information on how you'll purchase and use your credits when sending a text message.

In this Article: 

What is a text messaging credit?

A credit is a currency you'll use to purchase text messages. Text messages are sent individually, meaning each unique phone number that receives a text message requires one credit. Essentially one text message = one credit. So, if you plan to send a text message to 100 phone numbers using Broadcast News, that would be 100 credits. You'll purchase credits based on the volume of texts you are sending regardless if the message is the same to all phone numbers. 

Why is texting an extra cost?

Simply put, Instant Church Directory is charged a fee for each text message sent, and we don't want to raise the membership price. We tried to keep the pricing simple so you can purchase text credits as you need them, based on your church (and budget) needs.
We also maintain a shortcode for all of our members who send text messages. This shortcode is a benefit that many other services do not provide and means that the deliverability of your texts is faster and more reliable. Your members can easily recognize that a text is from their church or organization, so your members can be assured the texts they are receiving are from a trusted source.

Do my text messaging credits expire?

No, they do not expire. Once credits are purchased, they are yours to use when you need them. So, if you purchase more text credits that you have used, they'll be there waiting for you when you send your next text message. If you need to send a text message to your members and do not have enough credits, we will alert you to purchase more at that time. 

NOTE: We do not provide refunds on unused text messaging credits, as you can purchase when you need them.

How can I pay for credits? 

You will pay for text messaging credits using a credit card. We will charge the credit card on your account. We are not supporting recurring charges for text messaging credits. When you need credits, you'll make a purchase with your credit card. You can purchase as many packs of credits as you want, whenever you want. To purchase credits, go to My Account >> Text Message Credits and you can choose how many to purchase. 

If you run out and try to send a Broadcast News Text Message, you will be prompted that you need to purchase more with a link where to go. 

How much do text messaging credits cost? 

The chart below shows you what you’ll pay for various quantities of credits. As an example, if you need 200 credits to a text message to 200 cell phone numbers, you’ll pay $5.00 for those credits; if you need 2,500 credits to send 2,500 text messages, you’ll pay $45.00 for those credits, and so on.

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