SMS messages and balance
Comms → SMS (/dashboard/sms) opens the Messages page: a log of every
SMS sent to your customers, automatic and bulk. The buttons at the top take you
to the rest of SMS:
- Reserve sender ID: register your own sender name (Sender IDs).
- Buy SMS: buy prepaid SMS units (below).
- Send SMS: send to a group of customers (Sending bulk SMS).
- Templates: reusable messages (SMS templates).
- The settings button opens SMS settings.
The message log
Section titled “The message log”| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Service | Which service the message relates to (hotspot, PPPoE, static, or a bulk send). |
| Customer / Phone number | Who it went to. |
| Message | The text sent. |
| Sender ID | The name it was sent from. |
| Template | The template used, if any. |
| Delivered | Whether the network confirmed delivery. |
| Error | Why it failed, if it did. Long errors can be expanded. |
| Billed | Whether it has been charged. |
| Units | How many SMS parts it used. |
| Unit Cost | The price per part. |
| Timestamp | When it was sent. |
How units work
Section titled “How units work”One SMS holds up to 160 characters. A longer message is sent in parts and each part is billed as one unit (cost = units × unit cost). Emojis or special characters such as “–” (a long dash) or curly quotes lower the limit to 70 characters per part, which uses more units.
How you pay for SMS
Section titled “How you pay for SMS”When you use ISPMan’s built-in SMS (the default), SMS you send appears on your monthly ISPMan bill. Go to the Billing section to see your current SMS bill. Where prepaid bundles are available, you can buy units in advance instead.
If you connect your own SMS provider in SMS settings, messages go through that provider and ISPMan does not charge for them.
Buy SMS
Section titled “Buy SMS”Click Buy SMS (/dashboard/sms/buy). The page shows your SMS balance,
Sent this month, Your unit price and your Sender ID.
Under Buy SMS units, pick a bundle. Units never expire, are credited within seconds of payment, and prices include VAT.
Price rule: you pay the lower of your contracted rate (shown on the page) and the bundle price. Bundles where the bundle price wins are marked; otherwise your contracted rate is applied to the bundle size. Some large bundles are Custom · by quote: use Request a custom quote.
Select a bundle and continue to pay with M-Pesa, card or wallet. When the payment is confirmed the units are added and your balance updates.
Auto top-up
Section titled “Auto top-up”So you never run out mid-month, tick Auto top-up, choose a bundle, set when balance falls below a number of units, and choose to pay with your tenant wallet or M-Pesa STK. Click Save. You see “Auto top-up saved.”
Recent unit activity
Section titled “Recent unit activity”Recent unit activity lists bundles bought and units used. The Sender IDs card shows your registered names, or “You send from the shared ISPMAN sender ID.”