international text charges

[Genie]

Hi Just wondered if anyone has iny information on text charges to Australia? Just wondering why I've been charged three separate amounts of 0.54 for one single text of 180 characters including spaces (including one emoji - if that makes a difference)? Thanks for any help

[Cleoriff]

@Genie 

Sending a text to Australia will now cost 65p as from April 2020

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/account-and-billing/other-numbers-and-charges/mms-and-calling-abroad-charg... 

[Genie]

Thanks, but wonder why I was charged three times for one text?

[Bambino]

@Genie This may explain it for you: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/Accidental-MMS-Sending-and-How-to-Avoid-it/ba-p/1014132

If you're planning on calling or texting Australia regularly, you should think about using WhatsApp and have the people in Australia use it as well. Won't cost you a penny for texts (with or without emojis), calls, or video chats.

[Genie]

Thanks, I do have WhatsApp but my Aunt text me so I replied by text - she wouldn't have WhatsApp anyway. Happy to pay for the text I sent but like I said, just wondered why I was charged three times for one text instead of once.

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@Genie 

It depends on the emoji.

They can easily count as hundreds of characters.

Best way is to have text count turned on and watch the count up as you text.

If you are still below 160 it's one text. Up to 320 is two and up to 480 is three texts.

[Genie]

Ah thanks that's helpful. I've just turned on character count and had a bit of an investigation! Seems that adding an emoji shortens the available characters to 70 instead of 160 per text so my message did infact go into three messages 😞 Great to know - will avoid emojis  Thank you

[MI5]

Yep, they always catch you out @Genie