Costs and Payment

Q1: What is the cost of each SMS message?

SMS sending via Postman V2 is chargeable with effect from 1 July 2025. According to the GovTech Finance newsletter (October 2025), the revised charge rates with effect from 1 Feb 2026 are:

• Foreign mobile numbers: $0.26 per segment

• Local mobile numbers: $0.052 per segment

One SMS message can contain up to 7 segments (the maximum allowed per transmission). Therefore, the maximum cost per SMS would be:

• Foreign mobile numbers: $1.82 per SMS ($0.26 × 7 segments)

• Local mobile numbers: $0.364 per SMS ($0.052 × 7 segments)

Q2: Are units/organising committees required to seek AOR approval and pay for SMS messages intended for citizens and mixed groups?

No. DDF has approved the exemption of SMS fees from the AOR process for messages sent to citizens or mixed groups through Postman. The SMS fees incurred will be funded by a central MINDEF fund. Refer to MINDEF Finance Directive 5500-11 Approval of Requirements for more details.