How many characters can I use for SMS marketing?

A common question for those using SMS marketing is that of how many characters are actually available. Although a single SMS message traditionally has a character limit of 140 characters, modern technology allows multiple messages to be seamlessly joined up or ‘concatenated’, giving you a much more generous 459 characters in total.

Did you know?

  • SMS messaging was 1st invented in 1984
  • SMS is an abbreviation for Short Message Service
  • The character limit for a single SMS message is 160 characters


The most common reasons for people opting for SMS messaging are:

  • Coupons, offers or deals (77%)
  • Personal alerts (50%)
  • More meaningful content (33%)
  • No need to visit a physical location/website/app for information (31%)