Understanding Carrier Fees

Last updated: April 8, 2026

Are your carrier fees different than what other providers charge?

  • Carrier fees are set by the cellular carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc) and increase from time-to-time. OneText calculates a universal blended carrier fee based on anticipated real-world averages. One advantage of blended fees is that barring price hikes or major shifts in carrier market share, brands can expect carrier fees to remain consistent month-to-month.

I thought Carrier fees averages $0.0033 per message?

  • We've seen this number floated on some texting providers. Sadly, averages are substantially higher now. You can expect comparable rates on all texting platforms. The difference is that at OneText, we're more transparent about actual averages.

What is the current carrier fee?

  • As of April 1, 2026, the carrier fees are:

    Screenshot 2026-03-30 at 3.57.43 PM.png

  • Effective May 1, 2026, it will increase to:

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Explaining Surcharge vs Universal Credits

There are two ways carrier costs may appear on your account, depending on your plan type.

  • Universal Credits Plans: If you are on a Universal Credits plan, carrier fees are applied at a flat rate across SMS and short code messaging and are baked into your overall Message Fee — they do not appear as a separate line item on your invoice. RCS messages carry a higher carrier fee than SMS and short code.

This is an example of a Universal Credit plan:

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  • Surcharge Plans If you are on a surcharge plan, costs are broken out by message type rather than applied at a flat rate. SMS and MMS are charged at different unit rates across short code and toll-free, and the carrier fee appears as its own separate "Message Carrier Fee" line item on your invoice. RCS messages are charged at a separate rate.

This is an example of a Surcharge plan:

Screenshot 2026-03-30 at 4.04.38 PM.png

You can view what type of plan you have by clicking here: https://onetext.com/dashboard/merchant/settings?tab=billing

Why is it going up?

  • Honestly? The carriers raised their rates. It happens periodically across the industry and is completely outside of our control. We wish we had better news, but we'd rather be upfront about it than bury it in the fine print.

What happens when carrier fees increase?

  • If you're on a universal credit plan, when carrier fees change, we apply the change to your fixed batch of monthly credits. For example, if you're on a fixed fee plan with 100,000 credits per month, and the cost per universal credit increases by $0.0001 per credit, you'll see your monthly fee increase by $10 / month starting at the next billing cycle. If you're on a surcharge plan, you'll see the cost per carrier fee increase per send.

Do I need to do anything?

  • Nope. Sit back, keep texting, and we'll handle the rest.

Questions?

  • Your CSM is always your best first stop. You can also reach us anytime at support@onetext.com — we actually respond.