SMS on invoice & automatic top-up
By default SMSBOX works prepaid: you buy credits and pay for them in advance. For business customers it can also work differently — invoicing afterwards, where you receive the credits immediately and pay on invoice. And with automatic top-up, your balance replenishes itself as soon as it drops below a threshold, so a campaign never stalls halfway.
Pay in advance or afterwards on invoice?
Nothing changes about usage or pricing — the only difference is the moment you pay and the moment the credits appear on your account.
| Pay in advance (prepaid) | On invoice (postpaid) | |
|---|---|---|
| When do you receive the credits? | After the payment is confirmed | Immediately upon ordering |
| When do you pay? | Right away, via Bancontact, card or bank transfer | Afterwards, within the agreed term |
| For whom | Standard for every account | Business customers, after request and approval |
| Rate per SMS | From €0.06 | Identical — no surcharge |
| Automatic top-up | With a direct debit mandate | Without a mandate — it simply appears on the invoice |
We enable invoicing afterwards per customer — so you cannot tick it yourself. Request it via the contact form and we will look into it together with you.
Automatic top-up: never run dry again
The most inconvenient moment to run out of credits is in the middle of a campaign or a series of automatic notifications. With automatic top-up you decide when to replenish and by how much — the rest happens by itself.
You choose the threshold
Decide at which remaining balance a top-up should happen. Don't set it too low: a large send-out can make a balance drop quickly.
You choose the number of credits
Decide how many credits are added per top-up. A minimum applies per top-up; the larger it is, the lower the price per credit.
It runs by itself
If your balance drops below the threshold, a top-up is performed and sending simply continues. The top-up appears in your order history.
How is a top-up settled?
If you work prepaid, you link a direct debit mandate. That is needed because an automatic top-up by definition happens at a moment when you are not there to pay. You sign the mandate once; you can always revoke it.
If you work on invoice, no mandate is needed. The top-up is simply invoiced along, just like any other order.
In both cases purchased credits remain valid for one year, including the credits added via an automatic top-up.
Who is this interesting for?
| Situation | Your best choice |
|---|---|
| Continuous notifications | Automatic top-up — otherwise an empty balance halts your order confirmations or alerts. |
| Purchasing procedure with purchase order | Invoicing afterwards, so the purchase follows your usual administrative route. |
| Government or larger organisation | Invoicing afterwards — paying in advance by card rarely fits internal procedures. |
| Unpredictable consumption | Automatic top-up with a generous threshold, so a peak doesn't catch you off guard. |
| A few campaigns per year | Simply prepaid — you buy when you need to and the credits remain valid for a year. |
