Optimize the message itself
- Count the number of SMS segments
- Check for accidental Unicode characters
- Remove unnecessary copy
- Use a clear branded link
- Calculate cost per delivered recipient
- Measure revenue per recipient
Table of Contents
- SMS vs MMS for dispensaries at a glance.
- SMS cost depends on segments, not just messages.
- MMS costs more, so the image needs a job.
- Is SMS more deliverable than MMS?
- When should a dispensary use SMS?
- When is MMS worth the additional cost?
- Does MMS drive more dispensary sales than SMS?
- Which format should a dispensary use?
- How to test SMS against MMS correctly.
- SMS and MMS use the same customer permission.
- Common SMS vs MMS mistakes.
- SMS vs MMS for dispensaries FAQ
- Start with SMS. Make MMS prove it is worth more.
The quick answer
SMS should usually be the default format for dispensary text marketing. It is simpler, typically less expensive, and works well for offers, reminders, loyalty messages, win-back campaigns, order notifications, and most customer communication.
MMS is worth testing when an image or other supported media materially improves the customer’s understanding of the campaign. The right question is not whether MMS looks better. It is whether the additional media produces enough incremental purchasing behavior to justify its higher cost and added delivery complexity.
Best default
SMS for most dispensary campaigns and automations
Use MMS when
The visual communicates something the text cannot efficiently explain
Cost
SMS depends heavily on segments, while MMS generally carries a higher message cost
Sales impact
Measure purchases and revenue per recipient instead of assuming images perform better
01
Comparison
SMS vs MMS for dispensaries at a glance.
Both formats can support dispensary marketing. They differ most in media capability, billing structure, creative complexity, and the situations where each format adds value.
| Factor | SMS | MMS |
|---|---|---|
| Primary content | Text and links | Text plus supported images, GIFs, video, or other media |
| Typical cost | Lower, but long or Unicode messages may create multiple billable segments | Usually higher per recipient |
| Creative production | Minimal | Requires media design, sizing, testing, and content review |
| Best for | Offers, reminders, loyalty, win-back, links, alerts, and transactional communication | Visual campaigns where the image materially helps explain the event, brand, product category, or promotion |
| Carrier registration | Required when applicable to the sender and route | Required when applicable to the sender and route |
| Filtering | Can be filtered based on the complete messaging program | Can also be filtered and is not a workaround for SMS filtering |
| Measurement | Delivery, clicks, replies, purchases, revenue, cost, and opt-outs | The same metrics, with additional creative and media cost considered |
Default operating rule
If the campaign works just as well without an image, use SMS. Move to MMS when the media itself has a specific job and you can measure whether it improves the business result.
02
SMS cost
SMS cost depends on segments, not just messages.
A message that appears as one text on the customer’s phone may be transmitted and billed as several SMS segments.
A standard GSM-7 SMS can contain up to 160 characters in a single segment. When it becomes a concatenated message, each segment generally carries fewer characters because part of the segment is used to tell the phone how to reassemble the message.
Character encoding matters too. Emojis, smart quotes, some symbols, and non-Latin characters can cause the message to use Unicode encoding, which substantially reduces the number of characters available in each SMS segment.
| SMS type | Single segment | Concatenated segment | Cost implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 text | Up to 160 characters | Typically 153 characters per segment | A longer message may be billed as two, three, or more SMS segments per recipient. |
| Unicode / UCS-2 | Up to 70 characters | Typically 67 characters per segment | A single Unicode character can cause a message to require substantially more segments. |
A longer SMS can erase much of the price advantage over MMS.
Compare the actual segment count before deciding between formats. A tightly written one-segment SMS and a three-segment SMS are very different cost structures even though both appear as one conversation on the customer’s phone.
03
MMS cost
MMS costs more, so the image needs a job.
MMS pricing varies by provider, sender type, carrier, destination, and messaging route.
Justify the additional media cost
- Include the MMS message cost
- Include carrier and provider fees
- Include creative-production cost
- Test the media across common devices
- Measure the same purchase window as SMS
- Compare incremental gross profit, not just clicks
Do not compare only the headline SMS and MMS rates.
Compare the complete campaign. A two-segment or three-segment SMS can narrow the cost gap, while an MMS campaign may require additional design, approval, testing, and media preparation.
04
Deliverability
Is SMS more deliverable than MMS?
There is no useful universal rule that SMS always delivers better than MMS. Deliverability depends on the complete sending program.
Both SMS and MMS can be delivered reliably when the sender, registration, audience, consent, route, traffic pattern, content, links, and customer response are healthy.
Both formats can also be filtered. Switching a blocked SMS campaign to an image does not repair an unsupported route, weak consent, poor sender reputation, excessive complaints, or a campaign that does not match its registered use case.
SMS and MMS both matter
Applicable business messaging registration should accurately describe the sender, use case, customer opt-in, examples, links, and traffic.
The customer should expect the message
A high-quality list with clear permission is more important than choosing one media format over another.
History follows the program
Complaints, opt-outs, failures, repeated filtering, and inconsistent traffic can affect future delivery.
The destination matters
Branded, consistent destinations are preferable to confusing redirect chains or unrelated domains.
MMS adds another content layer
The image or media should be reviewed alongside the text, sender, offer, customer eligibility, and linked page.
Volume and velocity still matter
Large audience changes, repeated campaigns, sudden spikes, and excessive frequency can affect messaging performance regardless of format.
MMS is not a carrier-filtering workaround.
If SMS delivery falls, diagnose the sender, route, registration, audience, complaints, message history, traffic pattern, content, and links before changing formats.
05
When to use SMS
When should a dispensary use SMS?
SMS is the stronger default when the customer can understand the message without seeing an image.
01
Simple promotional campaigns
A clear offer, store name, expiration, and link generally do not require an image to communicate the customer action.
02
Customer win-back
Reactivation depends primarily on audience quality, purchase recency, relevance, offer strategy, and timing rather than decorative media.
03
Loyalty messages
Point balances, unlocked rewards, birthday benefits, tier changes, and redemption reminders are usually clearer as concise text.
04
Order notifications
Confirmation, readiness, delays, substitutions, and pickup instructions should prioritize speed and clarity over creative media.
05
Review requests
A short explanation and clear feedback link often communicate the task without requiring an image.
06
Two-way customer support
Plain text keeps the conversation focused on the customer’s question or issue.
06
When to use MMS
When is MMS worth the additional cost?
Use MMS when the visual changes what the customer understands, remembers, or does.
The event is inherently visual
A strong event creative can communicate the date, theme, experience, or recognizable campaign identity faster than text alone.
Recognition matters
Media may help when the objective is introducing a new brand, packaging identity, or visual concept customers should recognize in-store.
Location awareness matters
A carefully designed visual may help establish a new location, reopening, remodel, or other major store announcement.
Creative carries useful information
MMS can make sense when visual hierarchy helps explain a complex promotion that would otherwise require too much SMS copy.
The expected economics support testing
A higher-value customer cohort may justify the additional cost when the campaign has a measurable objective and appropriate comparison.
You need evidence
Send comparable SMS and MMS versions to equivalent audiences and determine whether the media changes purchasing behavior enough to justify itself.
Do not send an image merely because MMS is available.
Generic promotional graphics, oversized text embedded in an image, repetitive brand art, or images that repeat the exact SMS copy add cost without necessarily adding customer value.
07
Sales impact
Does MMS drive more dispensary sales than SMS?
Do not assume that a richer message produces a stronger business result.
MMS may increase visual attention, but attention is not the same as incremental revenue.
The only useful way to determine whether MMS is worth the additional cost is to compare similar customer groups receiving the same campaign concept through SMS and MMS, then measure customer purchasing behavior over the same attribution window.
| Metric | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Delivered recipients | Establishes how many customers actually received each format. |
| Click rate | Shows whether the campaign drove customers to the linked destination, but does not prove a purchase occurred. |
| Purchasing recipients | Shows how many recipients completed a qualifying purchase during the attribution window. |
| Attributed transactions | Measures transactions connected to recipients after the campaign. |
| Attributed revenue | Shows revenue associated with campaign recipients during the defined window. |
| Revenue per recipient | Normalizes the result across differently sized SMS and MMS audiences. |
| Gross profit | Accounts for product margin and promotion economics rather than evaluating revenue alone. |
| Messaging cost | Captures SMS segments, MMS charges, applicable fees, and other campaign expenses. |
| Opt-out rate | Shows whether either format creates greater customer fatigue or dissatisfaction. |
| Incremental effect | Estimates whether the campaign changed purchasing behavior compared with an appropriate holdout or baseline. |
Clicks can make MMS look better without making it more profitable.
If MMS produces more clicks but the same number of purchases as SMS, the additional media cost may have created engagement without creating additional business value.
08
Use cases
Which format should a dispensary use?
Start with the customer action, then select the least expensive format that communicates it well.
| Dispensary use case | Default format | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend promotion | SMS | A concise offer, date, store, and link usually communicate everything required. |
| Customer win-back | SMS | Audience quality and relevance are more important than decorative media. |
| Reward unlocked | SMS | The customer primarily needs the reward status and redemption details. |
| Birthday benefit | SMS | Eligibility, expiration, and next action can normally be communicated efficiently in text. |
| Order ready | SMS | Speed, accuracy, and clarity matter more than visual presentation. |
| Review request | SMS | A concise request and link are usually enough. |
| Major in-store event | Test MMS | A strong event visual may provide useful context or recognition. |
| New store opening | Test MMS | The announcement may benefit from strong visual identity and location recognition. |
| Large brand activation | Test MMS | Visual brand recognition may materially support the campaign. |
| Customer-service conversation | SMS | Keep the communication direct unless a customer or employee needs to exchange a useful image. |
09
Testing
How to test SMS against MMS correctly.
Change the format without changing the entire campaign.
Step 01
Select one campaign
Use an offer or customer message that can reasonably be communicated through either SMS or MMS.
Step 02
Create comparable audiences
Split customers using similar recency, frequency, value, store, purchase history, consent, and prior engagement.
Step 03
Keep the business proposition consistent
Use the same offer, expiration, store availability, destination, and general call to action.
Step 04
Control timing
Send the two versions at comparable local times and give customers the same amount of time to act.
Step 05
Calculate the real format cost
Count SMS segments, MMS charges, applicable fees, and incremental creative-production expense.
Step 06
Measure purchases, not only engagement
Compare purchasing recipients, transactions, attributed revenue, gross profit, revenue per recipient, opt-outs, and total campaign cost.
Step 07
Repeat before creating a permanent rule
One campaign may be affected by the creative, offer, holiday, inventory, store traffic, weather, or customer mix.
10
Compliance
SMS and MMS use the same customer permission.
Adding an image does not create a new compliance category that bypasses messaging or cannabis advertising requirements.
01
Consent
The customer should have appropriate permission for the sender and message type regardless of whether the campaign is text-only or multimedia.
02
Sender identification
Customers should be able to recognize the dispensary or messaging program responsible for the message.
03
Opt-outs
STOP and other valid revocation requests should suppress future covered messages across both formats and connected campaigns.
04
Age and audience controls
Apply the required customer eligibility, age, store, jurisdiction, and linked-page controls regardless of media format.
05
Media review
An image is campaign content. Review it for the same cannabis advertising, offer, audience, brand, and customer-experience issues as the written message.
06
Registration
The registered messaging use case should accurately reflect SMS and MMS traffic that the business actually sends.
11
Common mistakes
Common SMS vs MMS mistakes.
Most format mistakes come from optimizing the creative before understanding the customer, cost, or campaign objective.
01
Assuming every SMS costs one message
Long copy or Unicode characters can split the message into several billable segments.
02
Using MMS because it looks more impressive
An image should improve customer understanding or action enough to justify the additional campaign cost.
03
Comparing click rate instead of purchases
A visual campaign can earn more clicks without generating more revenue or gross profit.
04
Ignoring creative production cost
MMS requires image production, review, file preparation, testing, and maintenance that SMS may not require.
05
Using MMS to escape filtering
The same registration, consent, sender, complaint, reputation, route, and customer-expectation problems may remain.
06
Embedding the entire promotion in the image
Keep the important sender, offer, expiration, customer action, and necessary disclosures understandable without relying entirely on the graphic.
07
Sending every campaign as MMS
Use the lower-cost format by default and reserve media for campaigns where it earns its additional cost.
12
FAQ
SMS vs MMS for dispensaries FAQ
What is the difference between SMS and MMS?
SMS is primarily text-based messaging. MMS adds supported multimedia such as images, GIFs, video, or audio to the message.
Should dispensaries use SMS or MMS?
SMS should usually be the default. Use MMS when the visual content materially improves the customer’s understanding of the campaign and produces enough additional business value to justify its higher cost.
Is MMS more expensive than SMS?
MMS generally has a higher per-message cost. However, SMS is billed by segment, so a long or Unicode-heavy SMS may cost several times the base SMS rate.
How many characters can an SMS contain?
A GSM-7 SMS can contain up to 160 characters in one segment. Longer concatenated messages generally use 153 characters per segment. Unicode encoding can reduce those limits to approximately 70 characters for one segment and 67 per concatenated segment.
Can an emoji make an SMS more expensive?
Yes. An emoji or another character outside the GSM-7 character set can cause the message to use Unicode encoding, reducing the number of characters available in each segment and potentially increasing the number of billable SMS segments.
Does MMS deliver better than SMS?
Not automatically. Delivery depends on the sender, route, registration, audience, consent, carrier, customer complaints, traffic pattern, content, links, and messaging-provider policies.
Can MMS avoid cannabis carrier filtering?
No. MMS is not a workaround for filtering. Registration, sender reputation, consent, customer complaints, traffic behavior, links, content, and provider policies can affect both SMS and MMS.
Does 10DLC apply to both SMS and MMS?
Yes. Applicable U.S. A2P 10DLC registration covers both SMS and MMS business messaging sent through ten-digit long-code routes.
Does MMS generate more dispensary sales?
It can, but it should be tested rather than assumed. Compare equivalent SMS and MMS audiences using purchasing recipients, attributed revenue, gross profit, revenue per recipient, message cost, and opt-outs.
When is MMS worth using for a dispensary?
MMS is most useful when visual information has a clear job, such as communicating a major event, new-store opening, brand activation, or campaign concept that is difficult to explain efficiently through text alone.
Should order notifications use MMS?
Usually not. Order confirmation, readiness, delays, pickup instructions, and delivery updates generally benefit more from speed and clarity than from media.
How should dispensaries test SMS against MMS?
Split comparable customers into similar groups, keep the offer and timing consistent, change only the format, and compare purchases, revenue per recipient, gross profit, messaging cost, and opt-outs over the same measurement window.
Choose the format that earns its cost
Start with SMS. Make MMS prove it is worth more.
Keep text concise, watch SMS segmentation, use MMS only when the media improves the customer experience, and judge both formats by purchases, revenue per recipient, gross profit, opt-outs, and total campaign cost.