In short: A standard SMS page holds 160 characters (GSM-7). Longer messages are split into pages of 153 characters each. If your message has any character outside the GSM alphabet, such as an emoji, curly quotes or the naira sign ₦, the whole message switches to Unicode: 70 characters for one page, 67 per page when split. Characters like € [ ] { } ~ count as two. This counter uses the same rules the ENB platform bills with.
Why pages matter
Bulk SMS is billed per page. A 165-character message is two pages, so it costs twice as much as a 160-character one. One emoji in a 150-character message turns it into three Unicode pages. On a campaign to 5,000 customers, that's the difference between 5,000 and 15,000 pages.
| Message type | 1 page | 2 pages | 3 pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 (plain text) | up to 160 characters | up to 306 | up to 459 |
| Unicode (emoji, ₦, accents) | up to 70 characters | up to 134 | up to 201 |
Tips to stay on one page
- Write N or NGN instead of ₦, and straight quotes (') instead of curly ones (’), which phones often insert.
- Remove emojis from bulk SMS; save them for WhatsApp.
- Cut greetings and sign-offs to the minimum: your Sender ID already shows who it's from.
- Use a short link, and don't repeat information that's in the link.
- Promotional SMS needs room for an opt-out link on ENB, so leave about 25 characters spare.
See bulk SMS on ENB and DND explained.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters are in one SMS?
160 characters in GSM-7 (plain text), or 70 if the message has an emoji or special character. Split messages hold 153 or 67 characters per page.
Why does the naira sign make my SMS longer?
₦ isn't in the GSM alphabet, so the whole message is sent as Unicode, which fits 70 characters per page instead of 160.
Do spaces and line breaks count?
Yes. Every space and line break counts as one character.
What is the longest SMS I can send?
On ENB, 6 pages: 918 GSM-7 characters or 402 Unicode characters.