Free text message allowance
Eligible services get an annual allowance of free text messages.
The size of the allowance depends on the organisation you work for.
| Organisation | Allowance per service |
|---|---|
|
Central government departments and national organisations |
20,000 free text messages |
| Local authorities and regional organisations | 10,000 free text messages |
| State-funded schools | 5,000 free text messages |
| GP surgeries | No free allowance |
| Other organisations | 5,000 free text messages |
You can keep sending messages once your service has used its allowance, you’ll just be charged for each additional message that you send.
Terms of the free allowance
The free text message allowance is discretionary.
GOV.UK Notify can stop your free allowance at any time if you do not keep to the terms.
To qualify for the free allowance, your service must:
- belong to an eligible organisation
- be the only one of its kind run by your team or department
- not be for testing purposes
Different campaigns or projects run by the same team may not qualify for a free allowance.
The free allowance renews on 1 April. Unused free text messages expire on 31 March.
If you send a very high volume of text messages in a single financial year, we may not renew your free allowance.
Mobile phone network operators review their prices at the end of the financial year. If prices go up, GOV.UK Notify may need to reduce the free allowance. We’ll announce any changes before 1 April.