Frequently Asked Questions

SMS for AI is a REST API and MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI agents, chatbots, and automation workflows send SMS messages to 190+ countries. It uses a pay-per-use credit system — no monthly subscription required.

It is designed for developers and builders who work with AI agents. Whether you use LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, Claude Desktop, n8n, or a custom agent, SMS for AI provides a simple HTTP API and MCP server to add SMS capability.

Sign-up is free with no credit card required. You get immediate access to everything: API tokens, the MCP endpoint, the dashboard, and full documentation. Credits are purchased separately when you are ready to send SMS, starting at $10.

Currently SMS for AI is optimized for outbound (mobile-terminated) SMS. Inbound SMS (receiving replies) is not supported in the current version.

Yes. SMS for AI exposes a native MCP server at https://smsforai.com/api/mcp. This is compatible with Claude Desktop and any MCP-compatible agent framework.

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json: {"mcpServers":{"smsforai":{"url":"https://smsforai.com/api/mcp","headers":{"Authorization":"Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"}}}}. Restart Claude and the send_sms, get_balance, and list_sms tools appear automatically.

Three tools: send_sms (send an SMS to any country), get_balance (check remaining credits in USD), and list_sms (list recently sent messages).

E.164 format: a plus sign followed by the country code and subscriber number, e.g. +14155552671 (US) or +447911123456 (UK). No spaces or dashes.

The name or number displayed on the recipient's phone as the message sender. Can be an alphanumeric string up to 11 characters (e.g. "MYAPP"). Sender ID support varies by country.

Yes. GET /api/v1/balance returns the current credit balance in USD. GET /api/v1/countries returns all country rates. Both endpoints work with the standard Bearer token.

The API returns HTTP 402 (Payment Required). You can enable auto-recharge in the billing dashboard so Stripe automatically tops up your balance when it drops below a threshold.

Create a custom Tool that sends POST /api/v1/sms/send with Authorization: Bearer <token> and a JSON body with "to" (E.164 phone) and "body" (message text). Wrap it in LangChain's Tool class and add it to your agent's tools list.

Yes, when scoped correctly. Each token supports: specific permission scopes (e.g. sms:send only), an IP whitelist, per-minute and per-day rate limits, and a USD spending cap. Together these strictly limit what the agent can do even if the token is compromised.

sms:send (send messages), sms:read (view SMS logs), and balance:read (check credit balance). Tokens with only sms:send cannot read logs or check balances.

Yes. Tokens can be revoked instantly from the Dashboard → API Tokens page. A revoked token returns HTTP 401 on all subsequent requests.

Credits are deducted at the destination-country rate per SMS. The US rate is $0.01/SMS. Query GET /api/v1/countries for the full list of rates.

No. Credits never expire, regardless of your subscription plan.

No. The Free plan gives full API and MCP access. Subscriptions (Starter $5/mo, Pro $19/mo, Scale $49/mo) only add a percentage bonus on credit top-ups.

Stripe: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and other major cards. Stripe handles all payment processing securely.