What is a message credit?

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.

Will my SMS credits expire?

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.

How much does bulk SMS cost with Pony Express HQ?

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.

What is the lowest per-message rate?

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.

Do you offer only local phone numbers?

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.

How long does the service take to set up?

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.

Can I receive replies from my subscribers?

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.

Can people opt out of my messages?

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

Do I need written authorization from customers to send SMS?

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.

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

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

How do I upload contacts with a CSV file?

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

Why do some of my messages use two credits?

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.

How do I get support?

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

How API Keys Work in Pony Express HQ

Pony Express HQ
Aug 4
2 min read

An API key lets another application act on behalf of your Pony Express HQ organization. Zapier uses one to connect, and you can use the same key for your own scripts and integrations.

Creating a key

Go to Settings > API Keys in your dashboard and choose Create API Key. Give it a name that says where it will be used, for example "Zapier" or "Website form", so you can tell your keys apart later.

The full key is shown only once, at the moment you create it. Copy it straight away and store it somewhere safe, such as a password manager. If you lose it you cannot recover it — you simply create a new key and revoke the old one.

What a key looks like

Every key begins with pony_sk_ followed by a short public prefix and a long secret. The dashboard only ever shows you the prefix after creation, which is how you match a key in the list to the one your integration is using.

Connecting Zapier

When Zapier asks you to sign in to Pony Express HQ, paste your key into the API Key field. Zapier confirms the connection and labels it with the email address on the account. One key is enough for all of your Zaps — you do not need a separate key per Zap.

What a key can do

A key acts on the organization it was created in, and it can do the things that account can do: add and update contacts, manage groups, send messages and broadcasts, and record opt-outs. Treat it like a password. Anyone holding it can message your contacts, so never put a key in client-side code, a public repository, or a screenshot.

Revoking and rotating

You can revoke a key at any time from the same Settings > API Keys screen. Revoking takes effect immediately and anything still using that key stops working, so create the replacement and update your integration first, then revoke the old one. It is good practice to rotate keys periodically, and straight away if you think one has been exposed.

Need a hand?

If a key is not working, check that you copied the whole value including the pony_sk_ prefix, and that it has not been revoked.

Still stuck? Email support@ponyexpresshq.com and we will help.