Wondering if an annual SMS marketing plan is right for your business? We’ve identified 7 types of businesses that find an annual SMS marketing plan to be more cost-effective than paying month to month.
Many businesses have busy seasons when they send thousands of messages, followed by quieter periods when they send very few. Others run SMS campaigns consistently throughout the year and simply want to reduce their costs.
With SlickText’s monthly plans, unused message credits roll over for one month. With annual plans, you get your full year’s worth of credits up front, and anything you don’t use rolls over through your entire next billing year, with no cap.
That means you don’t have to choose a plan based on your busiest month. Instead, you can choose one based on your total annual messaging needs and use those credits whenever you need them. If you need more messages during the year, simply upgrade your plan to get additional credits.
Plus, annual plans include two months free compared to monthly billing.
How annual credit rollover works
Annual plan credits don’t trickle in month by month. Your entire year’s worth is available the day your plan starts.
For example, Brand X buys an annual plan on June 1, 2026, and the plan runs through May 31, 2027. Brand X can use any of its credits at any point during that year. Any credits left on May 31, 2027, roll over into the next billing year and stay available through May 31, 2028, as long as the account remains active. There’s no cap on how many credits can roll over.
This is where seasonal senders save money. On a monthly plan, a summer camp that sends 4,000 messages in June but only a few hundred messages in other months would need a plan sized for June, and most of those credits would go unused the rest of the year. On an annual plan, the camp can choose a plan whose yearly credit total covers its annual volume and use most of those credits in June.
A note on carrier fees: Carrier fees are billed monthly and go directly to the wireless carriers. You’re only charged carrier fees for the credits you actually use that month, so banking unused credits doesn’t add to your carrier costs.
Here are seven situations where choosing an annual SMS marketing plan makes sense.
1. Nonprofits with seasonal fundraising campaigns
Fundraising isn’t always a year-round activity. Many nonprofits concentrate their fundraising efforts around annual events, giving campaigns, or specific times of the year.
For example, one SlickText nonprofit customer primarily sends fundraising text messages from August through October, with very little messaging activity during the other nine months.
With an annual plan, unused credits can roll over for a full year, giving organizations more flexibility to use their credits during their busiest fundraising periods.
Other examples include:
- Nonprofits running year-end donation campaigns in November and December
- Foundations hosting annual fundraising drives
- Charities promoting one or two major fundraising events each year
- Organizations coordinating seasonal volunteer recruitment
An annual plan lets these organizations match their SMS usage more closely to their fundraising calendar instead of worrying about using credits every month.
Nonprofit discount: Eligible nonprofits receive 20% off standard SlickText monthly plans. The discount can’t be applied to annual plans, so nonprofits choose between a lower monthly price and annual billing’s two free months plus a full year of rollover.
On SlickText’s $129/month plan, for example, the 20% nonprofit discount reduces monthly billing to $103.20, or $1,238.40 per year, compared with $1,290 for annual billing. That’s an additional $4.30 in monthly savings with the nonprofit discount, though annual billing offers a longer credit rollover period.
If your messaging is fairly steady, the discounted monthly plan may cost less. If you send most of your messages in a few months, annual billing may still come out ahead, because you can choose a smaller plan and bank credits for your peak season. The best choice depends on your organization’s sending pattern.
2. Retailers with holiday-heavy sales
For many retailers, the holiday shopping season accounts for a significant portion of annual sales.
Retail SMS marketing activity often follows that same pattern. A retailer might send occasional promotions throughout the spring and summer, then dramatically increase messaging during October, November, and December.
During the holidays, retailers can use SMS campaigns to promote:
- Early Black Friday access
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts
- Holiday shipping deadlines
- Post-holiday clearance sales
An annual plan gives retailers more flexibility to use message credits during these high-volume months.
And because every SlickText plan includes access to features like segmentation, automated workflows, and two-way texting, retailers can build a year-round SMS strategy even when most of their sends happen during the holidays.
3. Seasonal businesses that operate only part of the year
Some businesses make most of their revenue within a relatively short window.
Think summer camps, landscaping companies, pool services, ski resorts, tax preparation services, or seasonal attractions like pumpkin patches and haunted houses.
Their text messaging needs can change dramatically depending on the time of year.
For example, a summer camp may send most of its text messages between March and August, when families are registering, preparing for camp, and receiving updates.
An annual plan can accommodate that pattern by allowing message credits to roll over across billing periods.
Rather than trying to maintain consistent monthly messaging volume, these businesses can concentrate campaigns when customer demand is highest.
4. Event organizers with a few major events each year
Event organizers often have concentrated periods of intense communication.
A conference organizer, for example, may send relatively few messages for several months, then increase activity dramatically as the event approaches.
Those event text messages might include registration promotions, early-bird deadlines, schedule announcements, and last-minute reminders.
An annual plan can be especially useful for organizations hosting:
- Annual conferences and conventions
- Trade shows and expos
- Music festivals
- Community festivals and fairs
- Sporting events and tournaments
- Seasonal fundraising galas
If most of your texting happens around one or two major events, having a full year of credit rollover provides flexibility that a monthly plan might not.
5. Schools and educational organizations
Schools have natural peaks and valleys in their communication schedules.
A school might send more messages during back-to-school season, registration periods, fundraising campaigns, and major school events.
During summer break, school text messaging activity may decline significantly.
An annual SMS plan can help schools accommodate this uneven schedule.
For example, a school could use text messaging for:
- Enrollment and registration reminders
- Back-to-school announcements
- School events and fundraisers
- Parent-teacher conference reminders
- Weather-related closures
- End-of-year activities
With annual credit rollover, schools can save unused message credits from quieter periods for times when communication needs increase. You also never know when severe weather or an emergency might require a school-wide text alert, so having unused credits available gives you the flexibility to reach everyone when it matters most.
6. Churches with major seasonal outreach campaigns
Church texting often increases around holidays and major events.
Easter and Christmas are two of the busiest periods, but churches may also run seasonal giving campaigns, vacation Bible school programs, and community outreach events.
A church might send weekly reminders to a small audience throughout the year, then reach thousands of people during an Easter outreach campaign.
With an annual plan, churches have more flexibility to use message credits across these different seasons.
And with SlickText’s unlimited users, ministry leaders and volunteers can manage their communication efforts without additional per-user fees.
Eligible churches can also receive a 20% nonprofit discount on standard monthly plans. The discount can’t be applied to annual billing, so churches should compare the discounted monthly price against an annual plan’s two free months and year-long rollover to see which fits their outreach calendar.
7. Businesses that send consistently and want to save money
You don’t need seasonal fluctuations to benefit from an annual SMS marketing plan.
If your business already uses SMS marketing every month and expects to continue, switching to an annual plan can be an easy way to save.
SlickText annual plans include two months free compared to paying monthly.
For example, a business on SlickText’s $129/month plan, which includes 3,500 message credits per month, would pay:
| Billing option | Annual cost |
| Monthly billing | $1,548 |
| Annual billing | $1,290 |
| Total savings | $258 |
That’s $258 in annual savings, plus the flexibility to roll over unused message credits for a full year instead of just one month.
Example excludes applicable taxes, carrier fees, and other additional charges.
This makes annual billing attractive for businesses with established SMS marketing programs, including:
- Ecommerce brands sending weekly promotions
- Restaurants running loyalty and promotional campaigns
- Service businesses sending regular reminders
- Businesses using automated SMS workflows throughout the year
If you know you’re going to continue using SMS marketing, why not save on the same platform and features?
Monthly vs. Annual SMS marketing plans: What’s the difference?
Both monthly and annual SlickText plans include access to the same SMS marketing features, including mass texting, automated workflows, audience segmentation, list-growth tools, and two-way messaging.
The biggest differences are how you’re billed and how long unused message credits can roll over.
| Feature | Monthly plan | Annual plan |
| Billing | Monthly | Annually |
| Credits available | Each month | Full year up front |
| Unused credit rollover period | 1 month | Through the entire next billing year |
| Plan downgrades | At the next monthly billing period | At the next annual billing period |
| Subscription savings | Standard pricing | 2 months free |
| Access to SlickText features | All features | All features |
| Unlimited contacts | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited users | Yes | Yes |
Choose a monthly plan if: You’re testing SMS marketing, have short-term messaging needs, qualify for the nonprofit discount and send fairly steadily, or want the option to downgrade month to month. On an annual plan, you can’t downgrade until your next billing period. If you need more messages mid-year, though, upgrade your annual plan and only pay the difference for the additional credits on the new plan..
Choose an annual plan if: You already know you’ll use SMS marketing throughout the year, send heavily during specific seasons, or want to save money on your subscription.
Make your SMS plan work around your business
Your text messaging needs don’t have to be the same every month.
Whether you send thousands of fundraising messages every fall, run major holiday promotions, or communicate with customers consistently throughout the year, an annual SlickText plan can help you get more value from your SMS marketing budget.
With two months free, a full year of message credit rollover, and access to every SlickText feature, an annual SMS marketing plan gives you the flexibility to send when it matters most.
Ready to find the right plan for your business?