Transparent, no-surprise pricing — promotional, transactional, and OTP SMS rates with volume discounts. No setup fee. DLT registration included free — a saving most competitors charge ₹3,000-5,900 for.
Quick Answer — How much does bulk SMS cost in India? Promotional SMS starts at ₹0.10/SMS, transactional and OTP SMS from ₹0.11/SMS at standard volumes. Volume discounts apply from 50,000 SMS/month. One-time DLT registration fee (₹5,900 + GST, paid to telecom operator) is separate — MetaReach completes DLT for free as part of onboarding, while most competitors charge ₹3,000-5,900 extra for the same service. See the full pricing plans.
All prices are per SMS. GST extra. Prices are for standard delivery routes. See detailed rates on our promotional SMS and OTP SMS pages.
| SMS Type | Use Case | Price / SMS | Delivery | DND Restriction | Time Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotional SMS | Offers, discounts, campaigns, announcements | ₹0.10 | ~5–30 sec | DND numbers blocked | 9 AM – 9 PM only |
| Transactional SMS | Order confirmations, booking alerts, account updates | ₹0.11 | ~3–10 sec | All numbers (incl. DND) | 24 × 7 |
| OTP / High-Priority | One-time passwords, bank authentication, login codes | ₹0.11 | <5 sec | All numbers (incl. DND) | 24 × 7 |
| International SMS | Global campaigns (US, UK, UAE, etc.) | Custom | Varies | Destination-specific | 24 × 7 |
* Prices are indicative for standard volumes. GST (18%) applicable on invoice. International rates quoted on request. For a plan-by-plan breakdown, see our full pricing page.
TRAI's DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) registration is mandatory for every commercial SMS sender in India, and the telecom operator's own fee — ₹5,900 (₹5,000 + 18% GST) — is unavoidable no matter which provider you choose. Where providers differ is what they charge on top of that. Most bulk SMS companies bill a separate service fee of ₹3,000–5,900 to walk you through entity registration, header setup, and template approval. MetaReach does all of this — entity registration, sender ID/header setup, and template approval — at zero cost, as part of standard onboarding. On a first-time setup, that alone can be a bigger saving than months of per-SMS discounts.
Read the full DLT registration guide →The more you send, the less you pay per SMS. Rates apply per calendar month.
Transactional and OTP pricing available on request. Volume discounts apply similarly — see the full pricing plans or book a free demo for a custom quote above 5 lakh SMS/month.
Estimate your monthly spend — move the slider or pick a volume to see your indicative rate.
Indicative estimate only. Actual rate confirmed after volume review — DLT registration is free either way.
How different businesses typically budget for bulk SMS, based on common usage patterns.
Order confirmations, shipping updates, cart-abandonment nudges, and festive sale blasts. A mid-size store sending ~80,000 transactional + 40,000 promotional SMS/month lands around ₹0.11 and ₹0.11 per SMS respectively.
Est. ₹13,000–14,000/monthAppointment reminders, report-ready alerts, and prescription refill nudges are transactional and DND-exempt. A multi-branch clinic chain sending ~30,000 SMS/month pays around ₹0.11/SMS.
Est. ₹3,300/monthOTPs, EMI due-date alerts, and fraud notifications need <5 second delivery. High-volume OTP senders (5 lakh+/month) move to custom enterprise pricing with priority routes.
Custom enterprise rateOrder-ready alerts, delivery tracking, and weekend offer blasts. A restaurant chain sending ~15,000 promotional + 15,000 transactional SMS/month pays roughly ₹0.12 and ₹0.11 per SMS.
Est. ₹3,450/monthFee-due reminders, exam-result alerts, and admission-drive campaigns. An institute sending ~25,000 SMS/month (mixed promotional and transactional) budgets around ₹2,800/month.
Est. ₹2,800/monthBooking confirmations, check-in reminders, and itinerary updates need reliable 24/7 transactional delivery. A travel agency sending ~40,000 SMS/month pays around ₹0.11/SMS.
Est. ₹4,400/monthEstimates are indicative and based on typical usage at the listed volumes; excl. GST and one-time DLT/template setup (free with MetaReach). Get an exact number for your business — book a free demo.
A side-by-side look at what you actually pay across common providers in India.
| Factor | MetaReach | MSG91 (typical) | Exotel (typical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promotional SMS (1 lakh/month) | ₹0.10/SMS | ₹0.12–0.14/SMS | ₹0.13–0.16/SMS |
| Transactional / OTP SMS | ₹0.11/SMS | ₹0.13–0.15/SMS | ₹0.14–0.17/SMS |
| DLT registration | Free (we handle it) | ₹3,000–5,000 service fee + TRAI charge | ₹4,000–5,900 service fee + TRAI charge |
| Setup fee | ₹0 | Sometimes charged | Often charged |
| Monthly minimum | None | Plan-dependent | Plan-dependent |
| Free trial | 99 SMS free | Limited credits | Limited credits |
| Support | WhatsApp + email, dedicated | Ticket-based | Ticket-based |
Competitor figures are indicative, publicly referenced typical ranges as of 2026 and can vary by plan, negotiation, and volume commitment. Always confirm current rates directly with each provider.
Three factors drive your final cost per SMS.
Direct operator routes (Jio, Airtel, Vodafone-Idea) give faster delivery (<5 sec) and better deliverability but cost slightly more. Aggregator routes are cheaper for high-volume promotional campaigns where speed is less critical. MetaReach uses direct operator routes for all transactional and OTP traffic.
Your per-SMS rate is determined by your monthly volume commitment. Higher committed volume = lower per-SMS price. Most businesses start at 1 lakh/month (₹0.10/SMS) and scale from there. There is no minimum monthly commitment with MetaReach.
Promotional SMS is cheaper (₹0.10) but restricted to non-DND numbers and daytime hours. Transactional and OTP SMS cost slightly more (₹0.11) because they use priority delivery routes and bypass DND restrictions. Choose the right type to avoid TRAI compliance violations. See promotional SMS and OTP SMS details.
MetaReach pricing is transparent. Here's what's included at no extra charge:
One additional cost not included above: The ₹5,900 + GST one-time DLT registration fee is paid directly to the telecom operator (not to MetaReach). This is a TRAI-mandated charge — no provider can waive it. What MetaReach waives is its own service fee for handling that registration.
Tell us your monthly volume and use case — we'll send you a firm per-SMS rate within 2 hours, plus free DLT registration. No commitment needed.
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