Why does outgoing text messages to short codes claim to be minutes?

[EdmondY]

While it's not a big deal, I'm still be billed correctly, but was just curious why it does that...

I noticed that texts to normal numbers (the ones with (xxx) xxx-xxxx) show up as SMS but texts to short codes shows up as minutes.  It does only count as a sent text message (on the $10 limited plan), but I find it funny why it does that.  Incoming text messages from short codes show up as SMS again on Public Mobile's self serve. 

Why does it think it's using a minute for texting to short codes when it's using up SMS?

Sending and receiving messages from Translink's next bus short code number (33333):

Apple IPhone automatically pinging home (used up four messages by itself, two of which were sent at a later time than this picture...):

The system only marks outgoing texts to short codes as minutes and any incoming ones from short codes are marked as SMS like other text messages.

Does anyone have a explaination for this sort of thing from self serve's usage history?  I'd like to know why it does that if anyone else knows.

[rtutton]

and it is Active status, sorry.

[rtutton]

I do have the 10$ plan but that doesn't make sense because I have made no calls. That's why I'm wondering if maybe these texts are counted as minutes somehow?

[Anonymous]

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@rtutton wrote:

I have been having this problem as well but I believe that they are taking away from my talking minutes because I am not able to call local numbers and cannot recive calls. Does anyone have a solution or has seen this?

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 @rtutton

Is your account in Active or suspended status? If suspended status, you'll need to pay in to renew it.

Do you have the $10 plan? Perhaps you've used all the minutes and outgoing texts.

[rtutton]

I have been having this problem as well but I believe that they are taking away from my talking minutes because I am not able to call local numbers and cannot recive calls. Does anyone have a solution or has seen this?

[EdmondY]

Not sure about if they station has one or not but "premium numbers" or "short codes" are just five to six digit numbers that you can text to.  If there's no extra charge to the person texting it to the number, it should work and inbound from those numbers should work as well provided it's at no charge to you.  If the number charged $5/txt, for example, it shouldn't work but ones where only standard messaging rates apply, it will work.

[Anonymous]

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@ImFM wrote:

Seeing the problem on my account as well, but the text messages are actually countes as SMS correctly. I'm wondering though why it seems that some of them were counted multiple times with the same timestamp. Could this be because my son was texting a radio station? I thought it would not be possible to text premium numbers and I actually don't think this station has one.

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Longer text messages technically get broken up into smaller pieces and then those pieces are counted and then sent and then re-assembled at the other end seamlessly. Maybe that's why the multiple times. The subject and premium stuff I dunno.

[ImFM]

Seeing the problem on my account as well, but the text messages are actually countes as SMS correctly. I'm wondering though why it seems that some of them were counted multiple times with the same timestamp. Could this be because my son was texting a radio station? I thought it would not be possible to text premium numbers and I actually don't think this station has one.

[EdmondY]

I'm on the $10 limited talk + text plan and I believe that it doesn't consume minutes, just texts.  I just counted up the the outgoing text message usage and it's correct so I'm being billed properly.  Just not sure why it displays as a minute used when it takes a message away instead.

[MoreYummy]

Does your plan have talking minutes that is NOT unlimited, if so, see if its uses up minutes.  

Text to any code or short code should not count as minutes.   If so, that's problem for those has limited talking minutes. 

[EdmondY]

They do, typically ones that aren't billed to me at all (meaning if I had a talk only plan, it should deliver anyway) don't show up under usage.  I've sent messages to short codes that I don't get billed for at all and they don't show up at all under history.

[NDesai]

@EdmondY Do those texts showing up as minutes count towards your text limit? If not, may be it does that because text to selected short codes suppose to be free?

[EdmondY]

I knew the Apple auto text home thing after a google search before when they originally showed up but it's funny how it's showing up as a minute instead of a SMS on the usage history.

[NDesai]

Not exactly sure why those outgoing text messages are marked as minutes. May be @CS_Agent or someone else who might have contacted them regading this can chime in to explain. 

However, Apple using up those auto sent texts is totally normal as iPhones do that to verify its services such as iCloud or iMessages.