Phone and texting
Messaging limits and delivery problems
In this article
A text goes out only when your business number is registered for texting. Each text you send in the Call & Message Center shows Sending…, then Delivered or Not delivered, so you can see whether it reached the customer. Long texts are split into parts and each part is billed. When a text doesn't go out, check your registration, your BizBaby bill and the customer's number, in that order.
Did my text arrive?
Under each text you send, next to the time, BizBaby shows where it stands.
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sending… | BizBaby handed the text to our phone carrier and is waiting for an answer. |
| Sent | The carrier accepted it, but no delivery report came back. Older texts always show this. |
| Delivered | The customer's mobile carrier confirmed it reached the phone. |
| Not delivered | The carriers couldn't deliver it or refused it. See below. |
Texts sent by automations are listed on the History tab of the Automations page, where Sent means the carrier accepted the text. See Check what an automation did.
Length, pictures and cost
| Limit | What to know |
|---|---|
| One text | Up to 160 characters of plain letters, numbers and common punctuation. An emoji or a special character drops the limit to 70. |
| Longer texts | Split into parts of 153 characters (67 with emoji or special characters). The customer sees one message, but each part is billed as a text. |
| Pictures | JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP, up to 5 MB each. A text with a picture is sent as a picture message (MMS). |
When BizBaby won't send a text
- "SMS is unavailable until a verified business phone is configured." You have no business number yet, or it isn't registered for texting. Get a number, then finish text messaging registration (A2P 10DLC), or toll-free verification for a toll-free number.
- "Outbound texting is paused until the outstanding BizBaby bill is paid." A BizBaby usage bill is unpaid. Pay it and texting starts again. Customers can still call you in the meantime.
- BizBaby asks you to add a card. Add one in the window that opens, then send the text again.
- "The text could not be sent. Check the number and try again." Our phone carrier refused it straight away, usually because the number is wrong or can't take texts.
- A text automation shows a lock and Off. Your number isn't registered yet. See How automations work.
When a text shows Not delivered
The text left BizBaby, but the carriers didn't get it to the phone. Work through these in order.
- Check the number. Open the customer and make sure it's their mobile number, with the right area code. Landlines can't receive texts.
- Check your registration. On gear icon → Business Information, the Business phone number card should show Verified. If it says Needs verification, carriers block your texts.
- Try another way. Call or email the customer from the same conversation.
Delivered means the phone received the text. If a customer says they never saw it, ask them to check blocked or filtered messages on their phone.
Related
- Text messaging registration (A2P 10DLC)
- The Call & Message Center
- Why a customer didn't get an email or text
Was this article useful?
Keep reading
More Phone and texting
Call recording
Turn recording on or off Click the gear icon at the top right, then Call & Message Center. Communications → Settings in...
Read guide →Call routing, forwarding, greetings and missed calls
Where to find the settings Click the gear icon at the top right, then Call & Message Center. You can also open it from C...
Read guide →Get a new business number
Before you start You need admin access to the business. Team members without access to business settings can't open the...
Read guide →Knowing what to charge is step one
First 3 months free. No card required. Bring the whole team.
Start Free Trial
Back to Login