Question 1

What is a message credit?

Accepted Answer

Credits are how sending is metered. One SMS costs 1 credit and one MMS costs 2 credits. Messages longer than 160 characters are split into segments, and each segment uses a credit.

Question 2

Will my SMS credits expire?

Accepted Answer

No. As long as you have an active Pony Express HQ account, your SMS credits never expire. An account stays active as long as you have sent a message in the last 6 months.

Question 3

How much does bulk SMS cost with Pony Express HQ?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is prepaid with no contract and no credit card required to start. Plans begin at $12 for 250 credits (4.8¢ per message) and the rate falls as the bundle grows: $129 for 5,000 credits (2.58¢), $919 for 50,000 (1.84¢), and $3,719 for 250,000 credits (1.49¢ per message). New accounts include 100 free text credits.

Question 4

What is the lowest per-message rate?

Accepted Answer

1.49¢ per message, at the 250,000-credit bundle for $3,719. Smaller bundles cost more per message, starting at 4.8¢ for the 250-credit plan.

Question 5

Do you offer only local phone numbers?

Accepted Answer

No. Toll-free numbers are available as well. Every account includes one free dedicated local phone number, and additional local numbers can be added for $1.25 per month.

Question 6

How long does the service take to set up?

Accepted Answer

Minutes. Sign up and verify your US-based phone number, import your subscribers, and send your first group message. No training, coding, or setup work is required.

Question 7

Can I receive replies from my subscribers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Replies to your dedicated number arrive in the Pony Express HQ inbox, and you can be notified by email and SMS. Forwarding to a personal phone or email is also supported.

Question 8

Can people opt out of my messages?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Recipients can opt out at any time, which removes them from all of your bulk SMS groups and from one-to-one chat.

Question 9

Do I need written authorization from customers to send SMS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You must have explicit opt-in consent from every subscriber before sending marketing messages. Pony Express HQ provides a web opt-in widget and keyword opt-ins to collect and record that consent.

Question 10

Can I schedule messages to be sent at a later date?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Choose "Send at a specific date and time" when composing a campaign and set the date and time you want it delivered.

Question 11

How do I upload contacts with a CSV file?

Accepted Answer

Import contacts from a CSV file with a header row. Contacts without a valid US phone number are filtered out during import.

Question 12

Why do some of my messages use two credits?

Accepted Answer

A message uses more than one credit when it runs over 160 characters, when it includes an image as MMS, or when it contains special characters that force a different encoding.

Question 13

How do I get support?

Accepted Answer

Email support@ponyexpresshq.com or use live chat Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM PST.

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