Why Are My SMS Messages So Expensive in HighLevel?

I was recently asked by a new MarketerM8 subscriber why his text message sending costs were so high.

He thought MarketerM8 was charging a hefty premium. Some of his messages were costing over 25p, not the roughly 6p you would expect for a standard 160 character SMS segment.

That didn’t sound right.

So I dug into it to understand exactly what was going on. Once I worked it out, it became clear this is something a lot of users misunderstand. That is why I have put this post together, to explain what is really happening with HighLevel SMS costs.

What Is a 160 Character SMS Segment?

A standard SMS message allows up to 160 characters.

If your message goes over that limit, it does not stay as one message. It gets split into multiple segments, and you are charged for each segment.

For example:

• 1-160 characters = 1 SMS segment
• 161-306 characters = 2 segments
• 307-459 characters = 3 segments

So a slightly longer message can instantly double or triple your cost.

It is also worth noting that on your personal mobile phone, especially if you are on an unlimited text tariff, you never really notice this happening.

You can send a long message, well over 160 characters, and it arrives as one seamless message on the recipient’s phone. Behind the scenes, your network is stitching multiple segments together to deliver that single message experience.

Because you are not being charged per segment in that context, it is completely invisible.

But in platforms like HighLevel, where you are paying per segment, that invisible behaviour suddenly becomes very visible in your costs.

Why HighLevel Messages Often Cost More

There are a few common reasons your SMS costs are higher than expected:

1. It’s About Segments, Not Messages

Even slightly longer texts can push you into multiple segments. This is the biggest reason costs creep up.

2. Unicode Reduces Your Character Limit

If your message contains certain characters, it switches from standard SMS (GSM-7) to Unicode.

When that happens:

• Standard SMS = 160 characters per segment
• Unicode SMS = 70 characters per segment

So your cost per message can more than double.

3. What Actually Triggers Unicode

Unicode is triggered by the characters used, not the tools you use.

Common triggers include:

• Emojis
• Smart quotes
• Special characters like é, £, €
• Non-standard symbols

4. Do Merge Fields Increase SMS Costs?

This is a common misunderstanding.

Using merge fields like:

• {{contact.first_name}}
• {{contact.email}}

does NOT automatically increase your SMS cost or turn your message into Unicode.

However, the data inside the merge field can.

Example:

Hi {{contact.first_name}}, your appointment is booked.

If the name is:

• John = standard SMS = 160 characters per segment

But if the name is:

• José
• Chloë

Now your message includes special characters. The entire message becomes Unicode. That means 70 characters per segment.

5. Hidden Characters from Copy and Paste

One of the biggest silent cost drivers.

If you copy text from Word, websites, or emails, you may accidentally include:

• Curly quotes
• Hidden symbols
• Non-standard spaces

These can trigger Unicode without you realising.

6. Longer Marketing Messages

It is easy to write longer messages when you are:

• Promoting offers
• Sending reminders
• Explaining next steps

But every extra sentence increases the chance of hitting another segment.

How to Reduce SMS Costs in HighLevel

A few simple tweaks can make a big difference:

• Keep messages short and direct
• Avoid emojis unless necessary
• Use plain text instead of smart punctuation
• Be cautious with merge field data (names with accents, etc.)
• Avoid copy and paste from formatted sources
• Test messages before sending

A Couple Of Simple But Powerful Tips

Link to a webpage /funnel page

This is one of the best tips I picked up from a client years ago is this.

If you have a longer or more complex message to get across, do not try to squeeze everything into the SMS.

Keep your text message within 160 characters and use it to drive a click.

Then send the reader to a dedicated landing page where you have unlimited space to explain your offer properly.

You reduce your SMS costs and improve your marketing at the same time.

Use Shorter Links to Save Characters

Another simple win. Keep your links as short as possible.

Long URLs can quickly eat into your character count and push you into another segment.

In HighLevel, you already have a built-in way to handle this:

Settings > Domains & URL Redirects > URL Redirects

Strictly speaking, this is not a traditional URL shortener like Bit.ly. But it does allow you to create shorter, cleaner, branded links using your own domain.

That is actually a big advantage.

Using your own domain looks more trustworthy and can help with deliverability. Spam filters can sometimes flag public link shorteners like Bit.ly, because they are commonly used to mask suspicious links.

So by shortening your links inside HighLevel, you are not only reducing character count. You are also keeping your messages cleaner, more professional, and less likely to run into filtering issues.

Keep an Eye on Your Billing

Another very practical habit.

Keep a regular eye on your itemised billing and look for messages that are costing more than expected.

In HighLevel, you can do this here:

Settings > Billing > Wallet & Transactions > Detailed Transactions

This allows you to quickly scan through and spot any texts that are costing more than they should.

If you want to go deeper, export the transactions and review them in Excel or Google Sheets. That way you can:

• Sort by cost
• Identify patterns
• Spot problem messages quickly

This is often the fastest way to diagnose what is really driving your SMS costs.

Final Thought

HighLevel is not overcharging you. It is simply passing on telecom pricing based on how SMS actually works.

Once you understand segments and Unicode, you can control your costs far more effectively.

And importantly. It is not the merge fields causing the cost increase. It is the characters that sometimes come with them.

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Written by Julian Mills – HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist.
About Julian Mills

Looking to get started with HighLevel – check out my HighLevel agency MarketerM8.com