If you’re using 8×8 or thinking about signing up, you might be wondering if its SMS feature can keep up with how your customers want to reach you. Most people expect quick, convenient ways to contact a business, and for many, that means texting.
In this guide, we’ll break down 8×8’s SMS texting feature, what it costs, and its limitations. Plus, we’ll show you an alternative that makes it easier to develop better customer relationships.
Can you send text messages with 8×8?
8×8 only offers SMS services for businesses in the US and Canada. And you can only send texts to US and Canadian phone numbers.
Things get trickier with international texting. According to 8×8’s support documentation, international texting isn’t fully supported. You can receive texts from customers or team members in international countries. But you can’t reply to their messages. That leaves your business in a tough spot. Customers abroad may think you’re ignoring them, but 8×8 simply doesn’t let you respond.
And if you want to go beyond just basic texts, you have to set up 8×8’s SMS API.
8×8 SMS API
In 8×8’s pre-built pricing plans, texting only covers the bare minimum. To access more features, you’ll need to use the 8×8 SMS API. Setting it up isn’t straightforward. The process can be confusing and time-consuming — not to mention expensive if you have to hire an outside developer for help.
Once the API is set up, you can:
- Send automatic SMS notifications, like appointment confirmations and delivery updates
- Schedule texts to arrive during customers’ business hours so you stay TCPA compliant
- Set up two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA. This lets your team receive login passcodes by text, helping prevent accounts from being hacked
- Send bulk SMS texts and large volumes of outbound messages
How much does 8×8 charge for SMS?
Finding out how much all these SMS texting features cost isn’t easy. 8×8 doesn’t make its prices public, so you have to talk to sales to get information. Even the details of each plan’s features aren’t clear unless you dig into 8×8’s support docs and tutorial videos to find out more.
One thing is clear, though: You don’t get unlimited SMS or MMS on any plan. Messages max out at 50 per user per month, and every text you send beyond that costs $0.0012. This makes it hard to estimate monthly costs, especially if you don’t have detailed data about your average usage.
The cost of A2P 10DLC registration is also a factor. 8×8 charges a one-time registration fee of $89 when you submit your application. You won’t have to pay an additional monthly fee after that or a resubmission fee if your application is rejected, since 8×8 covers both in its plans.
If you don’t complete the US carrier registration, all of your outbound SMS messages will be blocked.
8×8 SMS API pricing
Unfortunately, the cost of the API isn’t public. You either need to have an active 8×8 account or contact sales for a quote. The price also appears to vary depending on your location, the SMS use cases, and the number of texts you send every month.
Here’s what people say about using 8×8 to text customers:
Some 8×8 users have run into issues with its SMS setup and limitations.
Here’s what 8×8 users are saying about the business texting features:
- “Poor technical support and customer service. There was an issue with the initial setup regarding SMS texting not working that they could not resolve, and then they couldn’t figure out how to refund my purchase, which was still within the trial period. Onboarding and setup were overly complicated for my situation and never worked to my satisfaction.” — G2
- “The most difficult thing about 8×8 is the fact that we cannot text groups. We would love the ability to group program participants into a single message.” — Capterra
6 8×8 texting limitations you should keep in mind
8×8 has several other limitations you should be aware of:
1. Users say the texting registration process is frustrating
According to one Reddit user, completing A2P 10DLC registration with 8×8 can be a chore. The user’s account got stuck in onboarding, and support couldn’t offer any help aside from formulaic replies like “our sales team will call.”
But when the user tried to set up a call the same day, they were told to wait for sales because support was “at capacity.” 8×8 didn’t send any updates — not even an estimate for when sales would respond.
8×8 lets team members use shared phone numbers for calls, but not for SMS. If reps need to collaborate on a text conversation to solve a problem, only the rep assigned to the number can see the full thread. That can leave teammates without the full picture and cause delays when customers have to repeat details.
3. Toll-free numbers don’t support SMS or MMS texts
If your business has a toll-free number, customers may assume it can receive texts. But 8×8 doesn’t support this, which means that messages customers send to your toll-free number won’t come through. You’ll never know how many texts you’re missing — or how many customers you’re losing because they think you’re ignoring them.
4. You won’t have access to texting automations
Automations are only available with the 8×8 SMS API. Even something simple like sending an auto-reply or scheduled text message could require paying for a developer. That means extra time, cost, and leaving customers waiting until the setup is complete.
In contrast, a business phone system like Quo includes auto-replies and scheduled texts on every plan. This ensures your customers will always get a timely response without having to spend time developing custom solutions for your team.
5. It’s difficult to cancel your subscription when you’re ready to move on
If you try 8×8 and realize it’s not the right fit for your business, you have to submit a cancellation case at least 30 days in advance. Then you’ll have to talk to a cancellation agent to complete your request.
Canceling can be expensive if you want to stop using 8×8 before your contract term is up. You may have to pay contract buy-out fees or early termination fees. Plus 8×8 won’t give you a refund for services you don’t use during the 30-day notice period.
6. You won’t be able to include emojis in your texts
Emojis add personality to your texts and can make conversations feel friendly and natural. But 8×8 doesn’t let you send or receive any emojis — not even the classic yellow smiley face. ☹️ This might not make or break your SMS campaigns, but it definitely takes some of the fun and familiarity out of customer conversations.
Why Quo is the best texting alternative to 8×8 SMS
8×8’s setup and limitations can frustrate your customers and keep your team from using basic texting features. If you’re looking for an 8×8 alternative, Quo is a small business phone system that gives you all the texting tools you’ll need.
Take a look at how Quo SMS compares to 8×8 SMS:
| Feature | 8×8 SMS | Quo SMS |
|---|---|---|
| Message limits ✉️ | Limited to 50 free SMS and MMS per month, then $0.012 per outbound message | Unlimited SMS per MMS to US and Canadian numbers |
| Shared numbers 👥 | X | Team members can text from a shared number |
| Send emojis 😀 | X | ✅ |
| Toll-free texting ☎️ | X | Toll-free numbers support unlimited SMS and MMS to US and Canadian numbers |
| Automations 🤖 | Only through the SMS API, developer setup is needed | Available on all plans: auto-replies, scheduled texts, text message templates |
| Pricing transparency 💵 | X | ✅ |
Here’s a breakdown of what you can do with Quo’s SMS tools:
- Send and receive unlimited texts to US and Canadian numbers on any plan without worrying about paying $0.0012 per message like you would with 8×8. You can also send international texts, and the rates are publicly available.
- Use SMS and MMS messaging on local and toll-free numbers — no need for your customers to text different phone numbers.
- You can use shared numbers that let groups of reps make and receive calls and texts from the same phone number.
- Your team can have access to customers’ messages in one place with shared SMS inboxes.
- Save time with SMS automations like scheduled texts, snippets, and auto-replies so your team doesn’t have to manually send texts.
- Log conversations in real time to your CRM with Quo’s HubSpot, Zapier, Make, and Salesforce integrations.
- Tag teammates on specific messages with internal threads when you need help solving a customer issue.
Quo: The best small business communication tool
Trying to use 8×8 for business texting could leave you without features you need to increase customer engagement. A system like Quo can help you save time with a full range of modern business texting tools right out of the box.
You’ll be able to send messages from your desktop, mobile, or browser app — whichever works best for your team. You can also access features like AI call tags. They label conversations at the end of every call, like “billing issue” or “new lead,” so your team knows which customers to follow up with first. And with Quo’s AI voice agent, Sona, you’ll never miss a call. It can answer the call, take customer messages, and respond to FAQs when your team can’t pick up the phone.
You can also streamline your SMS workflows to save time with the Quo API. For example, when someone books an appointment in Calendly, you can set it up to automatically send them a reminder text.
Try it free for 7 days to see if it’s right for you.
