Questions and answers

How much does the app cost? The app is free. You pay AlphaSMS only for the messages you send, at AlphaSMS rates, from the balance of your account.

Why does the form show the cost with “≈” while the history shows a different one? Before sending, the app shows an estimate. For SMS, AlphaSMS reports the exact price after sending, and that is the one that stays in the history and in analytics. For Viber, the estimate at the base rate stays.

What am I charged for if a message is not delivered? AlphaSMS decides this. If AlphaSMS rejected the message straight away (the “Request error” status), no money is charged. If the message was accepted but the operator could not deliver it, see the terms in your contract with AlphaSMS.

Why does a campaign fail to launch even though there is money? The balance must cover the cost of this campaign, the reserve of campaigns already running and a further 5% margin. The margin is needed because, while the campaign is running, other messages are charged to the same balance too.

How does SMS differ from Viber and cascade? SMS reaches any phone. Viber reaches only those who have it installed, but it is cheaper and you can add an image and a button. Cascade tries Viber first and, if that fails, sends an SMS.

Why does one message cost as much as several SMS? One SMS is 160 Latin characters or 70 Cyrillic ones. A longer text is split into segments, and each is charged separately. The segment counter is visible below the text before you send. Transliteration helps make the message shorter.

Can a customer unsubscribe? Yes. Add their number to the stop list in Settings. If the customer replies to a Viber message with “СТОП” or “Відписатися”, the number is added to the stop list on its own.

Can I send messages abroad? That depends on AlphaSMS. During the campaign estimate, the app shows how many numbers AlphaSMS does not serve. They do not get the message and are not included in the cost.

One customer is recorded twice with the same number. Will they get two messages? In a campaign, no: one number gets one message.

Are messages sent at night? Automatic messages are not, if quiet hours are set. Quiet hours do not restrict campaigns or messages from the card: schedule a campaign for a convenient time yourself.

Who can use the app? Every portal user who has access to the app can send messages from a CRM card and work with templates — for the records they can open in the CRM. Campaigns, automatic messages, the stop list, senders, general settings and the AlphaSMS key are for the portal owner and administrators only.

Where is the AlphaSMS key stored? The key is encrypted separately for each portal and is never displayed again, neither in the interface nor to support.

What happens to the data if I remove the app? Templates, rules, the key and the message history are kept. Active campaigns are cancelled. If you install the app again, the auto-send rules start working on their own.

How long are messages stored? After 90 days the phone number and the message text are anonymised; the statistics in analytics remain.

Can one portal see the data of another? No. Each portal’s data is isolated.

Why is my alpha name not in the list? Alpha names are created in your AlphaSMS account and approved by operators. Once the name is approved, click Refresh from AlphaSMS on the “Alpha names” tab.

Why are my filters missing from the campaign wizard? Saved filters are pulled from Uspacy when you open the corresponding list, for example “Contacts” (Контакти), in the same browser tab. Open the list and go back to the app: the filters will appear.

Why does the app not let me select a filter for a campaign? The filter contains a condition the app cannot transfer yet, for example by date. The app names the field. So that the campaign does not go to the wrong people, such a filter is blocked. Choose another one.

What language is the interface in? Ukrainian or English, following the language of the Uspacy interface.

Could not find an answer? See If something is not working or write to the support chat.