The pricing for sending SMS and WhatsApp messages from a US-registered number to Indian customers using Twilio depends on several factors, such as the type of messaging service, delivery costs, and applicable Twilio fees. Below is a breakdown of the approximate pricing:
1. Twilio Pricing for SMS to Indian Numbers
Outbound SMS (US to India):
- Cost per Message: ~$0.0225 USD (approx ₹1.87) per SMS.
- Charges may vary slightly depending on currency fluctuations and Twilio updates.
- Inbound SMS: Receiving SMS is free in most cases.
Additional Notes:
- Twilio charges for each SMS sent, and longer messages (over 160 characters) are split into multiple SMS segments, multiplying costs.
- Delivery rates are subject to carrier fees and network reliability in India.
- SMS sent without complying with TRAI regulations may be blocked, resulting in potential delivery failures.
2. Twilio Pricing for WhatsApp Messages to Indian Numbers
WhatsApp Business API Pricing:
WhatsApp pricing is based on the type of conversation and region of the recipient. Conversations are charged per 24-hour session.
Business-Initiated Conversations:
- Cost to India: $0.0167 USD (₹1.40) per conversation.
User-Initiated Conversations:
- Cost to India: $0.0098 USD (₹0.82) per conversation.
- User-initiated conversations occur when a user replies to a message, enabling free-form messaging within the 24-hour session.
Template Messages:
- Pre-approved template messages are required to start a business-initiated conversation.
- Costs for templates align with the business-initiated conversation pricing.
3. Pricing Comparison
| Service | Cost per Message (to Indian Numbers) | Notes |
|-----------------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| SMS | ~$0.0225 USD (₹1.87) | Charged per segment; delivery may face regulatory hurdles. |
| WhatsApp | $0.0167 USD (₹1.40) (business-initiated) / $0.0098 USD (₹0.82) (user-initiated) | More cost-effective and reliable. |
4. Additional Costs
Phone Number Cost:
- US Phone Number:
- Monthly Rental: $1.15 to $2.00 USD.
- Numbers can be used for SMS, voice, and WhatsApp.
Optional Costs:
- Message Encoding:
- Twilio charges additional fees for special character encoding (e.g., Unicode).
- DLT Registration (for SMS compliance):
- Although you are using a US number, sending SMS to Indian numbers may still require DLT registration if it’s a high-volume or transactional use case.
5. Estimation for Sending 1,000 Messages
| Service | Cost per Message | Total Cost for 1,000 Messages (Approx) |
|-----------------|------------------|----------------------------------------|
| SMS | $0.0225 | $22.50 (₹1,875) |
| WhatsApp | $0.0167 (business-initiated) / $0.0098 (user-initiated) | $16.70 (₹1,400) / $9.80 (₹820) |
How to Check Exact Pricing
- Twilio SMS Pricing: Twilio SMS Pricing.
- Twilio WhatsApp Pricing: Twilio WhatsApp Pricing.
- Use the Pricing Calculator in your Twilio dashboard for accurate estimates tailored to your usage.
Conclusion
- For high-volume messaging or customer engagement, WhatsApp is often more cost-effective and reliable than SMS for Indian customers.
- SMS is still an option but requires compliance with TRAI regulations and is more expensive per message.
Evaluate your messaging strategy based on your use case, volume, and budget.