Cost for texting someone in Canada?
Gonski
Enthusiast - Level 2

Hello Verizon Community,

I am sure this question gets asked a lot, however I have been looking around for an answer and have only found old posts that may be outdated or many answers that contradict each other.

I am on a Family Plan with verizon and that plan includes unlimited texting. I live in Illinois and I have a friend in Canada. I am wondering if texting them is going to result in a larger bill.

Some have said that Canada is considered domestic now and not international, so it would be the same as texting someone in Wisconsin, New York or any other state. Other posts say that there is a higher rate for texts to Canada even with unlimited texting.

Can someone please shed some light on this? Proof or a source would be highly appreciated. Thank you.

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
Gonski
Enthusiast - Level 2

I just got this in an Email from a Verizon rep I messaged:

Good afternoon Daniel,

My name is Steve and it will be my pleasure to provide you with information on sending and receiving text messages to a phone in Canada.

I am happy to inform you that if you are sending and receiving text messages to a U.S. cell phone that is in Canada then your texting will be unlimited and there is no extra charge. If you are sending text messages to a phone that is not a U.S. cell phone (Canadian cell phone w/Canadian cell phone service) then you will be charged $.25 for every message you send and $.20 for every message you receive.

Picture messaging is not included in your allowance. If you send or receive a picture message it will be $.25 per message regardless of if the phone you are contacting is a U.S. or Canadian phone.

I have included a direct link to our web site as a confirmation of the information I shared with you today.

http://businessportals.verizonwireless.com/international/traveling_to/North_America/Canada.html

We appreciate you taking the time to contact us via email and I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Sincerely,

Steve

Verizon Wireless

Customer Service

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

The only "proof" source I have is my own experience - TEXTING a 10-digit Canadian cell phone number is counted as DOMESTIC text.  We too have a family plan with unlimited texting, my daughter has friends in Canada that she texts consistently, and there have been no charges on our account, and the bill shows them as domestic texts.

CALLS, on the other hand, WILL be billed at international rates, so she knows NOT to make a call, just stick with the texting!

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
Gonski
Enthusiast - Level 2

I just got this in an Email from a Verizon rep I messaged:

Good afternoon Daniel,

My name is Steve and it will be my pleasure to provide you with information on sending and receiving text messages to a phone in Canada.

I am happy to inform you that if you are sending and receiving text messages to a U.S. cell phone that is in Canada then your texting will be unlimited and there is no extra charge. If you are sending text messages to a phone that is not a U.S. cell phone (Canadian cell phone w/Canadian cell phone service) then you will be charged $.25 for every message you send and $.20 for every message you receive.

Picture messaging is not included in your allowance. If you send or receive a picture message it will be $.25 per message regardless of if the phone you are contacting is a U.S. or Canadian phone.

I have included a direct link to our web site as a confirmation of the information I shared with you today.

http://businessportals.verizonwireless.com/international/traveling_to/North_America/Canada.html

We appreciate you taking the time to contact us via email and I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Sincerely,

Steve

Verizon Wireless

Customer Service

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

I went to the link he gave, and read this:

Rates

While traveling in the U.S.,Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico text messages sent to non-U.S. phone numbers of participating carriers will not be applied against any monthly text messaging allowance and are charged the following:

  • $0.25/address sent
  • $0.20/message received

Text messages sent to phone numbers in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico are charged domestic rates per your plan.

And based on my personal experience, my daughter has texted friends in Canada, Canadian cell phones, Canadian numbers, and they were listed as domestic text  and we were not charged any extra - we have unlimited texting on a 1400 shared family plan.

CALLS will be charged international rates, TEXTS are domestic rates. 

Gonski wrote:

... I am happy to inform you that if you are sending and receiving text messages to a U.S. cell phone that is in Canada then your texting will be unlimited and there is no extra charge. If you are sending text messages to a phone that is not a U.S. cell phone (Canadian cell phone w/Canadian cell phone service) then you will be charged $.25 for every message you send and $.20 for every message you receive. I haven't found this to be the case...we were never charged per text for any texts to or from Canada.

Picture messaging is not included in your allowance. What plan do you have? You said a family plan with unlimited texting - and that DOES INCLUDE picture messaging.  So this is confusing me.  Do you get charged for picture messaging now?  If you send or receive a picture message it will be $.25 per message regardless of if the phone you are contacting is a U.S. or Canadian phone.

I have included a direct link to our web site as a confirmation of the information I shared with you today. Information I found in the link contradicts his words above AND my experience.  No wonder folks are confused.

http://businessportals.verizonwireless.com/international/traveling_to/North_America/Canada.html

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the time you take to help out our fellow community members.

Gonski, I apologize for the contradicting information you have received regarding text messages to Canada.

All text messages send and received are covered under your unlimited messaging plan. You will not be billed additional for message send to a Canadian number or received from a Canadian number. They are consider domestic rates.

I hope this answers your concern.

John B
VZWSupport

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
Gonski
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thank you for the clarification. Hopefully this thread will stick around for a while so anyone else that is confused will be able to reference it without needing to make one of their own. Thanks again you two.

Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
PQRS
Newbie

I read the link you provided and it said texting to Canada was free. Why is it so difficult for Verizon to answer simple questions?

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Re: Cost for texting someone in Canada?
rcschnoor
Legend

@PQRS wrote:

I read the link you provided and it said texting to Canada was free. Why is it so difficult for Verizon to answer simple questions?


Because the link which was provided was done so 7 years ago when plan were different. The information provided at the link most likely has changed within that time since plans have certainly changed and where you are able to text(included in your plan) has changed.