How Billing & Credits Work

How You're Billed

Sakura keeps billing simple, but SMS and WhatsApp work differently — here's the full picture.

SMS — pay as you go

• You buy credits up front and spend them as you send. Credits never expire.
• Pricing is per SMS and gets cheaper at volume — from TZS 22 down to TZS 13/SMS at scale. International is billed at a higher rate.
• One SMS = one segment (160 characters for normal text, 70 for messages with special/Swahili characters). Long messages use multiple credits.
• If your balance reaches zero, sending simply pauses until you top up — it's not a missed payment or a penalty. Nothing is lost; you pick up exactly where you left off.

WhatsApp — monthly plans

• WhatsApp is billed as a monthly plan based on conversation volume (Starter, Growth, Business, Enterprise), plus a one-time setup fee.
• Each plan includes a conversation allowance; beyond it you pay a small per-conversation overage.
• All plans include unlimited agent seats.

Invoices & receipts

Every top-up and plan charge has a record under Portal > Billing, where you can download receipts. Need a formal invoice with your business details for accounting? Just ask and we'll issue one.