SMS credits are how ChowNow measures your monthly text message sending volume. Each eligible plan includes a set number of credits that refresh at the start of every month, giving you a consistent budget for reaching diners by text.

Note: SMS Marketing is included with ChowNow Grow (2,000 SMS credits/month) and Elevate (5,000 SMS credits/month) plans.

How Credits Work

In most cases, 1 credit = 1 text message sent to 1 diner. So if you send a single SMS to 250 diners, that campaign uses 250 credits.

Some messages, however, will use 2 credits per recipient:

  • Messages over 160 characters: SMS providers split longer messages into multiple parts behind the scenes, and each part counts as a credit.
  • Messages that include emojis or special characters: Adding an emoji or symbol takes up extra space behind the scenes, so the message counts as 2 credits even if it looks short.

Tip: To get the most out of your credits, keep messages short, skip the emojis, and stick to standard letters, numbers, and punctuation.

Monitoring Your Credit Balance

You can check your remaining credits anytime from your ChowNow Dashboard:

  1. Go to “Marketing” > “Campaign Settings”
  2. Scroll down to “Monthly SMS Credits”

What Happens If a Campaign Exceeds My Credits?

If you schedule a campaign that requires more credits than you have available, the campaign will only send to as many diners as your remaining balance allows.

For example, if you schedule a campaign to 250 diners but only have 180 credits remaining, the message will deploy to 180 diners. The remaining 70 diners won’t receive the message, even after credits refresh.

To avoid this, check your balance before scheduling and prioritize your most important audiences if you’re running low.

When Credits Refresh

SMS credits reload automatically on a monthly basis, based on your account activation date. Unused credits do not roll over. Your balance resets to your full monthly allotment regardless of how many you used the prior month.

Upgrading Your Credit Limit

If you’re consistently reaching or exceeding your monthly credit limit, that’s a sign your SMS program is working, and it may be time to expand. Reach out to [email protected] to discuss upgrade options that match your sending volume.