Question 1

Why message status is 'Accepted' but end user did not receive my message?

Accepted Answer

In some case, messages may be sent from Pony Express but are not received at the end user's handset. This can happen for a number of reasons, including carrier content filtering, availability of the destination phone, etc.
Please contact support for detailed troubleshooting steps.
support@ponyexpresshq.com

More details: https://www.getponyexpress.com/messagedelivery

Question 2

Will I be charged when a message is failed?

Accepted Answer

No. If a message is failed, the credit cost of the failed messages will be added back to your account balance.
 
Please note that Pony Express charges for the attempt of delivery, so any message marked as 'accepted' will be charged unless it is failed. In some case, messages may be sent from Pony Express but are not received at the end user's handset. This can happen for a number of reasons, including carrier content filtering, availability of the destination phone, etc.
Please contact support for detailed troubleshooting steps.
support@ponyexpresshq.com

Question 3

What is a message credit?

Accepted Answer

Each message you send or receive consist of segments. Each segment counts as 1 Pony Express message credit.
 
A segment counted as 160 characters (140 bytes) encoded as GSM 03.38 character set. If a message contains characters, not in GSM 03.38 character set, UCS-2 character set will be used and the number of segments might be higher.
 
The amount of data you can squeeze into a single SMS message is limited – typically 140 bytes, or 160 characters for standard GSM encoding.
 
Message credits let you exceed that limit by breaking the message into parts and reassembling it on the receiving end.
 
Emojis & special characters matter: Characters outside of the standard GSM set (like emojis) are automatically encoded as UCS-2. UCS-2 uses more bytes per character, limiting you to 70 for a single message and 67 characters for longer ones.
 
Source: https://www.twilio.com/blog/2017/03/what-the-heck-is-a-segment.html

Question 4

What's the setup process like?

Accepted Answer

Pony Express has made the setup process as painless as possible.
 
It's simple!
 
1. Sign up and verify your US based phone number.
2. Import your subscribers
3. Send your first group message.
 
That easy!

Question 5

How can you get support when you need help?

Accepted Answer

You can reach us by email at support@ponyexpresshq.com or use live chat Monday–Friday, 9 AM–6 PM PST. If it’s urgent, email urgent@ponyexpresshq.com. We’re here to help you keep things moving 🚀

Question 6

Could we receive replies from our subscribers/group members?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could receive replies from your clients and get notified via email and SMS.

Question 7

Do you offer only local phone numbers (aka a 10-digit long code)?

Accepted Answer

No. We also offer toll-free phone numbers.

When you sign up, you’ll have one free dedicated local phone number. You can also add more local phone numbers to your account for $1.25/mo.

Question 8

Do I need to have written authorization from customers to send SMS?

Accepted Answer

In order to send a message to a specific cell phone number, as a Pony Express user you need the permission of the cell phone number owner.  A mobile phone owner must give their explicit permission to you indicating they wish to receive messages from you. 
 
There are a number of ways you can get authorization to send messages.
 
We generally recommend the following two ways: 
 
Keywords: For instance, Shmuel uses his Pony Express phone number and the keyword "weekend". A user can send a message to the phone number with the text message "weekend".  The user then opts in to join Shmuel's customer database, which allows him to then send user future texts regarding special events or promotions they may have.
 
Physically written authorization:  In certain use cases it best to get their customers written permission, especially businesses who have regular or walk-in customers.  For instance, a dealer may include a checkbox on the bottom of a new customer information form that just says “I would like to receive special discount information via text message”. 
Feel free to contact support if you need further assistance regarding collecting user permissions to text customers.

Question 9

What does it mean an active account?

Accepted Answer

Your account will stay active as long as you send a message in the last 6 months.

Question 10

Is there any expiration date to use my credits purchased?

Accepted Answer

No, there is no expiration date for credits as long as your account is active (your account will stay active as long as you send a message in the last 6 months)

Question 11

How can add the web widget on my website?

Accepted Answer

You can add the Web Widget on your website, to collect the phone numbers automatically. 
Click Web Widget tab on the left menu
Select a Group
Click Create Widget
Copy the code and paste it into your website, that's all!

Question 12

Can you get a local number when you sign up for your service?

Accepted Answer

Currently, you can not change your phone number when you sign up. Each Pony Express HQ user starts off with one free, dedicated phone number. 
 
You can also purchase additional phone numbers with your local area code.

Question 13

I currently have email addresses of my customers, how do I can start sending them info via text messaging?"

Accepted Answer

A good way to convert email subscribers into SMS subscribers is to ask them to signup for SMS updates via the following way:
 
1. Create a keyword called UPDATES
2. Send an email to your subscribers to let them know how they can sign up for SMS updates. Here is an example: “Text UPDATE to 555-444-3322 get messages daily”
 
That way, once a customer sends the keyword to your phone number 555-444-3322, she will be automatically added to the group you created.
 
Another way is to create a subscription web widget and place the code on your website. When a customer signs up from your website, you can see them in your Pony Express dashboard as a subscriber.

Question 14

Why my message status is 'sent' but not 'delivered'?

Accepted Answer

Message statuses are updated as 'delivered' after it has been 'sent'.
 
There may situations where this information is not available. When this happens, the status of the message will remain as 'sent'.

Question 15

Is there a limit on the number messages I can send?

Accepted Answer

To make sure your dedicated Pony Express phone number is not blocked by carriers, we limit the number of messages you can send at a time. This restriction ensures that all the messages are delivered to their recipient and your dedicated phone number does not get blocked by carriers and SMS gateway provider.
 
In addition to daily limits, please read our Anti-Spam Policy and make sure you have proper explicit opt-in from all your subscribers.

Question 16

How do I upload contacts with a CSV file?

Accepted Answer

You can easily upload contacts using a CSV file. Please make sure your file has a header row as described below.
 
Bulk contact import will filter out any contact without a valid US phone number.
CSV file should have a header row with identifiers for each column.
1. Header row should include the fields;
First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, Email
 
2. After that select your users. If you want to select everybody in your list, check the box the next to the phone number box. ✅
 
3. Click to import button.
 
That's it.

Question 17

How long does the service take to set up?

Accepted Answer

You can signup and create SMS marketing campaigns within minutes.

Question 18

Will my SMS credits expire?

Accepted Answer

As long as you have an active Pony Express HQ account, your SMS credits will never expire.

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Yes, it’s easy to schedule a campaign for a later date/time delivery.
Simply select "Send at a specific date and time" and set the date and time.

Question 20

How long do messages stay in my inbox for?

Accepted Answer

Messages will stay in your Inbox permanently. You can easily archive them.

Question 21

Why are my messages using up two credits?

Accepted Answer

A message can use over one credit if you do either of the following:
The first time you message a person, a legal suffix will be automatically added to your messages: "(STOP to end. Contact Pony Express HQ for help. T&C:goo.gl/RXSsEP.)". This is a legal requirement and it will increase your message credit to two.
Using over 160 characters per message
Using MMS (an image) per message
Special characters

Question 22

What is Pony Express HQ?

Accepted Answer

Pony Express HQ is a web-based platform that allows businesses to communicate with their customers through real-time mobile messaging such as text messages and Facebook messenger. Businesses can easily create custom contact lists, send mass messages, and keep track of conversations in an online dashboard. Once customers reply, businesses can chat 1-on-1 with each customer.
 
Use cases:
Send a message to as many customers as you’d like at any time to promote an event, business, service, deal, or product
Respond to questions quickly for customer service
Take a poll or gather votes
 
Cool features
Get your own, dedicated phone number to send messages from
Schedule messages in advance or send and reply in real-time
Send messages with emojis and/or images (not everyone has this!)
Create as many groups as necessary (i.e. “VIP’s” or “new customers”)
Use as many “keywords” as you want (i.e. “Text HAPPYBDAY to get your Birthday discount!)

Question 23

How can I check if a message has been sent?

Accepted Answer

Sent section of your dashboard shows if a message has been delivered or undelivered, if it’s pending or if the number was invalid.
Depending on the carrier, delivering messages can take up to several minutes.

Question 24

Can people opt-out of my phone number?

Accepted Answer

Yes, simply people can text STOP to unsubscribe to your number. This will opt-out the user from all of your bulk SMS groups and 1-1 chat.

Question 25

Do I need a mobile phone?

Accepted Answer

For verification purposes, you need a US-based text message enabled phone number. Please contact support if you have a problem verifying your account.

Question 26

Can I receive replies?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All messages coming to your dedicated phone number are accessible via our Inbox.

Question 27

How do I see my received messages?

Accepted Answer

All the incoming messages appear in your Pony Express inbox. You can also see the see them from Notifications tab.
 
You can also enable forwarding to receive incoming messages in your email or phone number.

Question 28

What is an MMS message?

Accepted Answer

An MMS is a message that contains either a picture, GIF, video, or sound file. Pony Express HQ currently only supports picture and GIF files at this moment. MMS is charged with 2 credits per image.
 
We’ll support video and sound files soon.

These sources can be helpful:
How to send bulk MMS messages with Pony Express?
How to create an MMS marketing image/GIF on Canva - Free & Easy

Question 29

Do I receive picture messages from customers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pony Express HQ supports incoming MMS incoming messages. 🤗

Question 30

What is an SMS?

Accepted Answer

SMS stands for Short Message Service, and refers to the sending of short text messages from one device to another; in most cases from one mobile phone to another.
 
The size of an SMS text message is restricted to 160 characters. You can combine multiple SMSs into one single message up to 1600 characters.

Question 31

What is a keyword?

Accepted Answer

A keyword allows people to join a specific group associated with the keyword.
 
By simply texting the keyword to your phone number, the sender is added to your subscribers under the associated group. Upon subscription, Pony Express HQ replies with the group's auto-reply.
 
A unique keyword can only be associated with only one group.

Learn more: A complete guide: Text keywords & Auto-reply messages

Question 32

What is a message credit?

Accepted Answer

Each message you send or receive consist of segments. Each segment counts as 1 message credit.
 
A segment counted as 160 characters encoded as GSM 03.38 character set. If a message contains characters, not in GSM 03.38 character set, UC2 character set will be used and the number of segments might be higher.
 
For a detailed discussion regarding segment counts, you can read the following blog post from Twilio.

Question 33

Are there any contracts or hidden fees?

Accepted Answer

No. You don’t need to pay any setup fee nor contract or subscription.

Question 34

What are my payment options?

Accepted Answer

Pony Express HQ accept all major debit and credit cards in the US.

Question 35

Can I change my plan?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Reach us at support@ponyexpresshq.com for further details.

Question 36

Are there any limits on number of contacts?

Accepted Answer

During the trial period, there is restriction on the number of subscribers you can reach. After the trial period, there are no limitations.

Question 37

How about the hidden fees?

Accepted Answer

Standard Plan
There are none. No contracts or setup fees.
 
Connect your Twilio Account Plan
There are no hidden fees. A monthly dashboard access fee is required after the free trial period. You can cancel anytime you want.

Question 38

Which countries does Pony Express HQ support?

Accepted Answer

Pony Express HQ currently only provide service to the US.

Question 39

When I choose Standard plan, what are my benefits?"

Accepted Answer

Pony Express HQ will set up a free US based phone number.
With standard plan, you get;
Unlimited keywords
Unlimited groups  
Unlimited contacts
Free US phone number
Free account setup and monitoring
Free email support

Question 40

When I connect my Twilio account, what are my benefits?"

Accepted Answer

When you integrate your Twilio Account, and for messages sent and received, you pay Twilio for what you use and subscribe to Pony Express HQ for the dashboard access. You can also use one of your own Twilio phone numbers.
 
Selected phone numbers SMS webhook address will be updated with Pony Express HQ webhook.
 
As with all plans, you get the following features:
No contract obligation
Unlimited keywords
Unlimited groups  
Unlimited contacts

Question 41

How can I connect my Twilio account?

Accepted Answer

Click the “Setup Twilio” button
For Twilio Integration, Access your Twilio account and on the dashboard click on “Show API Credential”. To find this information on Twilio, select Programmable SMS under “Communications Cloud” on the top menu and copy your Account SID and Auth token and paste are Twilio API Credentials. Cloud” on the top menu and copy your Account SID and Auth token and paste are Twilio API Credentials.
Click Next.
Choose your Twilio phone number which does you want to associate with Pony Express? Once you associate a Twilio phone number, you can start using Pony Express dashboard to send and receive SMS.

Question 42

If I don't have a Twilio account, may I still use Pony Express?"

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can.
 
When you choose “Local-Number” or "Toll-Free" phone number option, you will have access to the Pony Express dashboard with full access to all feature, and also have a dedicated free phone number.
 
The standard package comes with free message credit during the trial period.
 
You can also purchase additional credit separately.
Please see Pricing page for details. Link

Question 43

What is the SMS Character Limit?

Accepted Answer

SMS Character Limit; The character limit for a single SMS message is 160 characters, however most modern phones and networks support concatenation and segment and rebuild messages up to 1600 characters. Messages not using GSM-7 encoding are limited to 67 characters.
 
Source: https://www.twilio.com/docs/glossary/what-sms-character-limit

Question 44

What is the SMS Message Length and Character Encoding?

Accepted Answer

When you send a SMS message over 160 characters the message will be split. Large messages are segmented into 153 character segements and sent individually then rebuilt by the recipients device. For example, a 161 character message will be sent as two messages, one with 153 characters and the second with 8 characters.
 
If you include non-GSM characters like eastern characters in SMS messages, those messages have to be sent via UCS-2 encoding. Messages containing any UCS-2 characters are limited to 67 characters and will be concatenated into 67 character message segments, even if the messages contain less than 160 characters.
 
Source: https://www.twilio.com/docs/glossary/what-sms-character-limit

Question 45

What are the forbidden message categories for SMS & MMS in US?

Accepted Answer

Forbidden message categories for SMS & MMS in the US:

1. High risk financial services
2. Third-party lead generation services
3. Debt collection or forgiveness
4. "Get rich quick" schemes
5. Illegal substances/articles
6. Prescription drugs
7. Gambling
8. S.H.A.F.T. use cases

Learn details at: Forbidden message categories for SMS & MMS in the US and Canada

Why message status is 'Accepted' but end user did not receive my message?

Will I be charged when a message is failed?

What is a message credit?

What's the setup process like?

How can you get support when you need help?

Could we receive replies from our subscribers/group members?

Do you offer only local phone numbers (aka a 10-digit long code)?

Do I need to have written authorization from customers to send SMS?

What does it mean an active account?

Is there any expiration date to use my credits purchased?

How can add the web widget on my website?

Can you get a local number when you sign up for your service?

I currently have email addresses of my customers, how do I can start sending them info via text messaging?"

Why my message status is 'sent' but not 'delivered'?

Is there a limit on the number messages I can send?

How do I upload contacts with a CSV file?

How long does the service take to set up?

Will my SMS credits expire?

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

How long do messages stay in my inbox for?

Why are my messages using up two credits?

What is Pony Express HQ?

How can I check if a message has been sent?

Can people opt-out of my phone number?

Do I need a mobile phone?

Can I receive replies?

How do I see my received messages?

What is an MMS message?

Do I receive picture messages from customers?

What is an SMS?

What is a keyword?

What is a message credit?

Are there any contracts or hidden fees?

What are my payment options?

Can I change my plan?

Are there any limits on number of contacts?

How about the hidden fees?

Which countries does Pony Express HQ support?

When I choose Standard plan, what are my benefits?"

When I connect my Twilio account, what are my benefits?"

How can I connect my Twilio account?

If I don't have a Twilio account, may I still use Pony Express?"

What is the SMS Character Limit?

What is the SMS Message Length and Character Encoding?

What are the forbidden message categories for SMS & MMS in US?

Frequently Asked Questions

PONY EXPRESS HQ