TL;DR
ClickSend uses pay-as-you-go credit top-ups with no monthly subscription. You buy credits and spend them on SMS or MMS. Rates drop as your top-up amount increases. The four tiers start at $20 (Boost), $500 (Growth), $3,000 (Scale), and $10,000 (Enterprise). US SMS pricing is dynamic and displayed via the ClickSend pricing calculator. MMS pricing is separate. Voice, email, fax, and direct mail are no longer available to new customers.
Introduction
ClickSend is an Australian communications platform for business messaging. It previously supported SMS, MMS, email, voice, fax, and physical direct mail through one API.
Today, ClickSend is focused mainly on SMS and MMS. Voice, email, fax, and direct mail are closed to new customers. Existing customers with access to those channels can continue using them, but new signups should plan around SMS and MMS only.
Before building a production integration, test the API flow end to end. Apidog is a free API testing and debugging tool you can use to send real HTTP requests to the ClickSend REST API, inspect responses, and automate test scenarios without writing test code from scratch.
This guide breaks down ClickSend pricing, billable factors, hidden costs, alternatives, and a practical SMS API test flow.
ClickSend pricing overview
ClickSend uses a prepaid credit model:
- You buy credits.
- Each outbound SMS or MMS consumes credits.
- Larger top-ups unlock lower per-message rates.
There is:
- No monthly subscription
- No per-seat fee
- No monthly minimum
- No contract requirement
ClickSend has four named top-up tiers:
| Tier | Minimum top-up | Discount vs base |
|---|---|---|
| Boost | $20 | Base rate |
| Growth | $500 | ~7% savings |
| Scale | $3,000 | ~14% savings |
| Enterprise | $10,000 | ~21% savings |
Exact per-message rates depend on:
- Destination country
- Message type: SMS or MMS
- Top-up tier
- Number type and carrier fees, especially in the US
ClickSend does not publish one fixed global rate. Use the ClickSend pricing calculator, select the destination country, and check the current rate for your expected volume.
Inbound SMS is free across all plans.
Pricing breakdown by channel
SMS
SMS pricing is both country-specific and tier-specific. The pricing calculator shows the per-message cost after you select a country and adjust the volume slider.
For US domestic SMS, pricing follows the same top-up tier model. Carrier fees apply on top of ClickSend's rate for:
- Toll-free numbers, or TFN
- 10DLC numbers
- Shortcodes
ClickSend charges a flat average carrier fee on US traffic instead of passing through variable carrier surcharges.
Inbound SMS is free.
MMS
MMS is priced separately from SMS. The rate depends on:
- Destination country
- Top-up tier
- MMS availability in the target region
MMS supports media such as:
- Images
- Animations
- Audio files
Not every country has MMS pricing available. ClickSend notes this on its pricing page and directs users to contact support where pricing is not listed.
Email is no longer available to new ClickSend customers. ClickSend redirects new email use cases to Mailgun. Existing ClickSend email customers are not affected.
Direct mail / Post
Physical direct mail is no longer available to new ClickSend customers. This channel previously supported sending letters and postcards through the API with per-piece pricing that included printing and postage. Existing users retain access.
Voice / text-to-speech
Voice is no longer available to new customers. ClickSend states on its pricing page that it is "all-in on SMS now." Existing voice customers keep their access.
Fax
Fax has been retired for new signups. Existing fax users can continue using it. New customers needing a fax API are directed to Sinch's fax API.
Channel availability for new signups
| Channel | Available to new customers |
|---|---|
| SMS | Yes |
| MMS | Yes |
| No | |
| Voice | No |
| Fax | No |
| Direct mail | No |
What affects your ClickSend bill
1. Top-up tier
Your top-up size is the main pricing lever.
Moving from a $20 Boost top-up to a $10,000 Enterprise top-up gives roughly 21% better rates. If you send large volumes, buying more credit upfront lowers your per-message cost.
2. Destination country
ClickSend supports global messaging, but prices vary by route. Domestic US traffic usually costs less than many international destinations.
Before committing to a campaign, check pricing for every country you plan to target.
3. Sender number type
For US SMS, the type of sender affects the final cost.
ClickSend supports:
- Dedicated long code numbers
- Toll-free numbers
- 10DLC registered numbers
- Shortcodes
Each type can carry different fees. Carrier fees for US SMS are added on top of ClickSend's per-message rate.
4. Message length
A standard SMS supports 160 GSM-7 characters.
Longer messages are split into multiple billable segments. Unicode content lowers the segment size to 70 characters.
Examples of Unicode content include:
- Emojis
- Accented characters
- Non-Latin scripts
A message that looks like one SMS in your UI can become two or three billable segments.
5. SMS vs MMS
MMS costs more than SMS. If you add images or other media, budget for the higher MMS rate.
Hidden or easy-to-miss costs
Carrier surcharges on US numbers
ClickSend applies a flat average carrier fee to US toll-free, 10DLC, and shortcode traffic.
This simplifies billing, but it means carrier fees still apply in addition to the message credit cost. Check the current fee on ClickSend's pricing page before estimating campaign spend.
10DLC registration
To send A2P SMS to US recipients using 10DLC numbers, you need to register your brand and campaign with The Campaign Registry, or TCR.
ClickSend handles these registrations. Fees usually apply for:
- Brand registration
- Campaign registration
These are setup costs rather than per-message charges.
Number rental
Dedicated long codes and toll-free numbers can have monthly rental fees. Shortcodes typically have higher monthly fees.
These fees are separate from outbound message credits.
Credit expiry and inactivity
ClickSend credits do not expire while your account is active. Review ClickSend's terms for credit expiry related to inactive or dormant accounts.
Support tiers
ClickSend includes 24/7 support with every top-up. Phone and priority support are available at higher tiers or through custom enterprise agreements.
ClickSend vs alternatives
| Feature | ClickSend | Twilio | Bird | Plivo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US SMS price, estimated | Tiered by top-up | ~$0.0079/msg | ~$0.0033/msg | ~$0.0055/msg |
| MMS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Credit top-up, pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go |
| Monthly minimum | None | None | None | None |
| Free trial | Yes, free credits on signup | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice | No for new accounts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No for new accounts | No, separate product | Yes | No | |
| Physical mail | No for new accounts | No | No | No |
| US carrier surcharges | Yes, flat rate | Yes, variable | Yes | Yes |
| 10DLC support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| REST API | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Global coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Support | 24/7 included | Tiered | Tiered | Tiered |
ClickSend's original advantage was broad multi-channel coverage. Since email, voice, fax, and direct mail are no longer open to new customers, that advantage is less relevant for new teams.
For SMS-only use cases, compare providers on:
- Destination coverage
- US carrier fees
- 10DLC support
- Sender number availability
- Tooling and docs
- Expected monthly volume
- Support model
ClickSend still works well if you want a simple prepaid SMS/MMS pricing model with no monthly subscription and no seat fees.
How to get started with ClickSend
ClickSend offers a free trial without requiring a credit card at signup. The trial includes a small credit balance for testing outbound messages.
Steps:
- Go to ClickSend and click Free trial.
- Create an account with your email address.
- Verify your account.
- Open the dashboard.
- Find your API username and API key in account settings.
- Send a test message from the dashboard or through the API.
ClickSend's REST API documentation is available at developers.clicksend.com.
Authentication uses HTTP Basic Auth with:
- Username
- API key
How to test a ClickSend SMS integration with Apidog
After you have your ClickSend API credentials, test the SMS flow before writing production code.
1. Create a request
Open Apidog, create a project, and add a new POST request.
Use this endpoint:
POST https://rest.clicksend.com/v3/sms/send
2. Configure authentication
ClickSend uses HTTP Basic Auth.
In Apidog:
- Open the Authorization tab.
- Select Basic Auth.
- Enter your ClickSend username.
- Enter your ClickSend API key as the password.
3. Add the JSON request body
Open the Body tab, select JSON, and enter:
{
"messages": [
{
"body": "Hello from Apidog test",
"to": "+1234567890",
"source": "sdk"
}
]
}
Replace +1234567890 with a verified test recipient or a valid destination number for your account.
4. Send the request
Click Send.
Inspect:
- HTTP status code
- Response headers
- Response body
- Per-message status
A successful request returns HTTP 200 with a response that includes the queued status for each message.
5. Turn the request into a reusable test
Create an Apidog test scenario to validate the full flow:
- Send an SMS.
- Extract the returned message identifier.
- Call the message status endpoint.
- Assert that the response matches the expected schema.
Apidog supports passing data between steps with expressions like:
{{$.stepId.response.body.field}}
Use this to chain the send request and the delivery status request without manually copying values.
This catches common integration issues early, including:
- Invalid credentials
- Bad recipient formatting
- Incorrect JSON payloads
- Unexpected API responses
- Schema changes
- Missing status fields
Conclusion
ClickSend is a straightforward pay-as-you-go SMS and MMS platform. It has no monthly fee, no seat cost, free inbound SMS, and lower rates when you buy larger credit top-ups.
For new customers, ClickSend should be evaluated primarily as an SMS/MMS provider because email, voice, fax, and direct mail are no longer available to new signups.
If the pricing model fits your volume, start with the free trial, test the REST API with Apidog, and validate the send/status flow before moving into production.
FAQ
How much does ClickSend SMS cost per message in the US?
ClickSend does not publish a single fixed US SMS rate. Pricing depends on your top-up tier. Use the pricing calculator at clicksend.com/pricing and select the United States to see the current per-message rate.
Does ClickSend charge a monthly fee?
No. ClickSend is pay-as-you-go. You buy credits and spend them. There is no subscription fee, monthly minimum, or per-seat charge.
Are inbound SMS messages free with ClickSend?
Yes. Inbound SMS messages are free on ClickSend.
Does ClickSend still offer email, voice, and fax?
Not for new customers. ClickSend has sunset email, voice, fax, and direct mail for new signups. Existing customers on those channels retain access.
What is the minimum top-up on ClickSend?
The minimum top-up is $20 on the Boost tier.
Does ClickSend support 10DLC for US SMS?
Yes. ClickSend supports 10DLC, toll-free numbers, and shortcodes for US A2P SMS. Brand and campaign registration fees apply through The Campaign Registry.
How does ClickSend compare to Twilio on price?
Both ClickSend and Twilio are competitive for US SMS. ClickSend uses prepaid credits with tiered discounts, which may help at higher volumes. Twilio has broader developer tooling, a larger ecosystem, and more available channels. The better choice depends on your volume, required channels, and implementation needs.
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