Send SMS to China online
Beijing and Shanghai are China's busy hubs, where small businesses like tea shops, delivery services, and tutoring centers thrive. Schools, clinics, and local shops frequently use text messages to stay connected with their customers. They might text to confirm a tutoring session, notify patients of a clinic appointment, or update customers on a delivery. Texts are practical here because they reach everyone instantly, even in rural areas, and require no internet connection.
China
+86 · East Asia
Price per message
$0.00648
- For $40
- 6,172 SMS
- Alphabet
- Unicode (UCS-2)
- 1,000 messages
- $6.48
- Example number
- +86 131 2345 6789
What a bulk SMS campaign to China costs
Need a different count? The pricing calculator works it out for any number of messages, and the workspace shows the exact total for your own list, including names merged into the text.
| Recipients | 1 segment | 2 segments |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $0.65 | $1.30 |
| 500 | $3.24 | $6.48 |
| 1,000 | $6.48 | $12.96 |
| 5,000 | $32.40 | $64.80 |
| 10,000 | $64.80 | $129.60 |
Who sends text messages to customers in China
Tutoring centers
Tutoring centers in Shanghai text parents about class schedules, exam updates, and special workshops.
Clinics
Clinics in Beijing send reminders for appointments, test results, and vaccination schedules.
Delivery services
Delivery companies in Guangzhou text customers about order status, driver updates, and delivery windows.
Tea shops
Tea shops in Hangzhou text customers about new arrivals, special promotions, and tasting events.
Phone number format in China
A mobile number in China has 11 digits after +86 and no leading 0, so 131 2345 6789 becomes +86 131 2345 6789 in international format. With China as the default country you can paste the local form.
Alphabet and message length
Writing in Chinese characters always uses Unicode, so a message to China in Mandarin Chinese holds 70 characters in one segment and 67 in each part of a longer text. Short notices in English or plain Latin letters hold 160 characters, which keeps a long message in fewer segments.
Main languages: Mandarin Chinese.
Best time to send to China
China has more than one time zone, from UTC+6 in Urumqi to UTC+8 in Shanghai in January. A campaign scheduled for 10:00 in Shanghai reaches other regions earlier or later, so for local reminders split the list by region and schedule each part for its own morning.
Your business
Text Message · Today 09:30
Hi Lee, your order is ready. Collect it today from 2 pm at the front desk.
More SMS destinations in East Asia
Questions about texting China
How much does it cost to send an SMS to China?
One message (one segment) to China costs $0.00648. A campaign to 1,000 people with a short text costs $6.48, and a two-segment text costs twice that. Failed messages are refunded to your credit.
How many messages to China does a $40 top-up send?
$40 sends 6,172 single-segment messages to China, and more with the bonus on your first top-up. Credit has no expiry date, so what you do not use stays in your account.
How long can a text to China be?
Writing in Chinese characters always uses Unicode, so a message to China in Mandarin Chinese holds 70 characters in one segment and 67 in each part of a longer text. Short notices in English or plain Latin letters hold 160 characters, which keeps a long message in fewer segments.
What number format do I use for China?
A mobile number in China has 11 digits after +86 and no leading 0, so 131 2345 6789 becomes +86 131 2345 6789 in international format. With China as the default country you can paste the local form.
Should I send texts in Mandarin or English?
Mandarin is preferred, but English can be useful for reaching expats and tourists in major cities.
Are there busy seasons when texts are more effective?
Texts are especially useful during the Spring Festival and before major holidays like National Day.
Ready to text China?
Create an account, paste your China numbers and see the exact total before you send. Top up from $40: that is 6,172 messages to China.