How to top up SMS credits to send texts

Gwyn Mabo

March 08, 2023 13:32

You need to have purchased SMS credits to be able to send text messages through Arbor. 1 SMS of 153 characters or less uses 1 Credit. You can see further details on how to see your balance, and reminders here: SMS Billing and how to check your credit balance

While emails are free to send, there is a small processing fee for SMS. To keep costs down for schools, credits need to be pre-purchased. There are two methods for purchasing credits:

Purchasing a 'bundle' of credits
SMS Subscription

SMS Subscription

With an Arbor SMS Subscription, you pay yearly and get the benefits of an ongoing subscription – including cheaper SMS messages than when you buy bundles, no regular top-ups (unless you use all your credits), and one annual invoice.

For further details, please see our SMS Subscription Terms and Conditions.
To purchase SMS Subscription, or for more information on pricing, please contact us at accountmanagers@arbor-education.com.

SMS Subscription FAQs

What happens if we hit our fair usage limit?

Depending on the tier your school have purchased, your school will have a different fair usage limit. This is roughly 2.5 SMS credits per student per week.

You can still send text messages. You will need to purchase an SMS Bundle to be able to continue sending SMS. Your credits will renew on your annual contract date.

Do we get a warning when we're approaching the limit?

Just like if you purchased bundles, you can see your balance on the SMS Billing page.

We'll also send you emails to let you know if you're running low: Email reminders to top up SMS credits

Can credits be rolled over?

Your fair usage limit will reset each year. Credits will expire at the end of each subscription year.

This means that if you choose not to renew SMS Subscription, you will loose any remaining credits on your site that were part of your SMS subscription. Any credits purchased as a bundle will remain.

Credit bundles

To purchase an SMS Bundle and top up your Credits, go to School > Communication > Setup > SMS Billing and select the bundle you wish to purchase. The larger the credit bundle, the cheaper each message becomes. We offer bundles of:

100,000 for £3000
50,000 for £1750
10,000 for £400
1000 for £40

We also offer a bundle of 250,000 for £6250. To purchase this option, you will need to contact us at accountmanagers@arbor-education.com. This can also be purchased by MATs and shared between your schools.

Once the bundle is added to your basket, click Checkout and select your preferred method of billing.

Credits purchased by Debit/Credit Card will be instantly added to your account, while other payment methods require processing:

Direct Debits will take 3-5 working days
Bank Transfers will take 2 working days
Cheques will take 7 working days (from the date the cheque has been delivered)
Invoices will take 2 working days

Top tips to prevent your payment being declined

If you aren't able to purchase SMS credits with your card, make sure:

You enter an approval code
You open the banking app and approve the payment (if prompted)
The card is set up to allow online purchases
The card is not blocked

Downloading an Invoice for an SMS Bundle Purchase

You can download an invoice for SMS bundles purchased within Arbor by going to School > Communications > Setup > SMS Billing and clicking on Billing History.

This will show you the schools SMS Purchase History. Select the purchase that you want to download an invoice for. A slide-over window will appear on the right with details of the payment. Click Download Invoice.