Sending Speeds
Sending Speeds
Section titled “Sending Speeds”This page shows how fast a Flare SMS campaign sends, so you can plan when a large send finishes. Your speed depends on two things: your Flare plan and the type of number you send from.
How your sending speed is set
Section titled “How your sending speed is set”Every message is limited by two ceilings:
- Your plan speed. Core sends up to 1 message per second, Pro up to 2, Ultra up to 5, and Enterprise 20 or more (arranged with sales).
- The carrier limit for your number type. Carriers pace traffic differently for US 10DLC local numbers, toll-free numbers, and Canadian local numbers.
Your effective speed is the lower of the two. A faster plan does not help when the carrier limit for your number is lower, and a generous carrier limit does not raise your plan speed.
All figures are “up to” and assume single-segment messages (up to 160 standard GSM-7 characters). See What slows a send down.
Speeds by plan and number type
Section titled “Speeds by plan and number type”Messages per hour, up to:
| Number type | Core | Pro | Ultra | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 10DLC local number ¹ ² | 3,600 | 7,200 | 18,000 | 72,000+ |
| US toll-free | 3,600 | 7,200 | 10,800 | 10,800 |
| Canadian local number ³ | 2,769 | 2,769 | 2,769 | 2,769 |
| Canadian toll-free | 3,600 | 7,200 | 10,800 | 10,800 |
¹ US 10DLC speed depends on your brand’s carrier trust score. These figures assume a vetted brand. Carriers can limit an unscored or low-trust brand to about 4 messages per second (14,400 per hour) or less, whatever your plan. Enhanced (secondary) vetting raises the carrier limit.
² T-Mobile also applies a daily message cap to low-trust brands.
³ Carriers pace Canadian local numbers (long codes) at just under 1 message per second (up to 2,769 per hour), best-effort, on every plan. Use a toll-free number to send faster to Canadian recipients.
How long 10,000 messages take
Section titled “How long 10,000 messages take”Approximate time to send 10,000 single-segment messages:
| Number type | Core | Pro | Ultra | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 10DLC local number ¹ | ~2 h 47 min | ~1 h 23 min | ~33 min | ≤ 8 min |
| US toll-free | ~2 h 47 min | ~1 h 23 min | ~56 min | ~56 min |
| Canadian local number ³ | ~3 h 37 min | ~3 h 37 min | ~3 h 37 min | ~3 h 37 min |
| Canadian toll-free | ~2 h 47 min | ~1 h 23 min | ~56 min | ~56 min |
Footnotes ¹ and ³ are as above. Enterprise speeds start at 20 messages per second, so an Enterprise send can finish sooner.
When you create a campaign, the campaign wizard shows an estimated send time for your audience, based on your plan and sending number.
What slows a send down
Section titled “What slows a send down”- Long or special-character messages. Speeds are metered per segment, not per message. A message longer than 160 characters counts as several segments. A message with emoji or other special characters uses UCS-2 encoding, which fits only 70 characters per segment. A two-segment message sends at half the speed shown above.
- Quiet hours and daily send limits. Sending stops during quiet hours and when you reach your plan’s daily send limit, which stretches the total send time. See SMS Usage, Limits & Billing.
- Carrier trust. An unscored or low-trust US 10DLC brand is limited by carriers, as described in footnote ¹.
How to send faster
Section titled “How to send faster”- Send to Canada from a toll-free number. Canadian local numbers are held to just under 1 message per second on every plan. A toll-free number sends up to 3 per second (10,800 per hour) on Ultra and Enterprise, and 2 per second on Pro.
- Complete enhanced vetting for US 10DLC. A vetted brand gets a higher carrier limit. Request it from your brand in 10DLC Brands & Campaigns.
- Keep each message to one segment. Stay under 160 characters and avoid emoji to send at the full speed shown.
- Upgrade your plan. If your number type allows more than your plan speed, a higher plan sends faster. See Plans & What’s Included, or contact sales about Enterprise speeds.
For US 10DLC, carrier limits apply to your brand, not to each number, so binding more numbers to your campaign does not raise them.