Hi
does sprint allow for incoming text messages? If so, how do I send one to my cell number? Btw; is there any charge for sending text messages? receiving text messages?

Thanks all

PS: online account info system still down!!

phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com is the format to do a one-way text message. To do 2-way you would have to go into the wireless web and use the "Short Mail" feature, in which case you just type the 10 digit phone number.

Any costs information that you know?

1) is there any cost to receive messages on my cell?
2) Is there any cost to send messages from my cell?

Thanks!

As long as you have wireless web on your account, it's free. It just uses up your minutes, whether they be anytime or nights/weekends.

Correction. It depends on whether you are talking about 2-way texts or 1-way texts.

• 2-way texts are all messages you send from your phone or messages someone else sends to you by sending a regular text to your phone number from their handset (these are called "Short Mail" if you're talking about a Sprint customer).
  * 2G customers are charged minutes from their plan just as if they were talking on the phone for the entire time they are reading and composing messages (you have to use your web browser). If you don't have the "Wireless Web" option active on your account (WW costs $5/month) then using your web browser costs airtime plus an additional $0.39/minute.
  * 3G (Vision) customers are charged per-kilobyte data usage. It comes out of your monthly allotment of bandwidth, and if you go over it costs $0.02 per extra kilobtye.
  
• 1-way texts are sent from a form on the Sprint messaging website (messaging.sprintpcs.com) or via email (2225553333@messaging.sprintpcs.com) directly to your phone, where 2225553333 is your 10-digit phone number. You do not need to log on to read them, as they are sent directly to (and stored on) your phone just like an alphanumeric page. 1-way text messages only work if you pay $3/month for "text messaging" (you get 30/month) or $5/month for Wireless Web (you get 50/month). If you do not have one of those options on your plan you cannot receive 1-way texts. Any overage is billed at $0.25 per message.

EDIT: As jaggrey mentioned, 2-way texts can be sent from a web browser as well as a phone, but you need to be a Sprint customer logged on to your account first. Anybody can go to messaging.sprintpcs.com and send 1-way texts to a Sprint phone with 1-way texting enabled on it. Only logged-in Sprint customers can send 2-way texts from the web. (They can also send 1-way texts, if they want to).

martianviking.. thanks for your detailed post!

No sweat. Thanks to jaggrey, too; it's always good to see members roaming the threads and answering peoples' questions.

Hi guys!


But what about if I am with Cingular and send a text my friend with Sprint? Do they get charged? and do they get my message?

Intercarrier text messaging has been available for some months now so I was just wondering...

Thanks in advance!

When a Sprint user receives a message, it's billed the same regardless of where it comes from.

No prob at all...you must be willing to give in order to receive!!!

Yes, incoming text messages from all other carriers will show up as Short Mail messages. Of course it's different if they're coming from email or the 1-way form at messaging.sprintpcs.com, but this is how it works if it's from another carrier's handset and the Sprint recipient doesn't have a Vision phone:

The person will receive a message on their phone stating that they have a new "web alert" from Short Mail. They have to start their wireless web browser to read the message. (They will only be charged airtime if they have Wireless Web active on their account, but if not they will be charged airtime plus $0.39 per minute while they connect and read the message.)

EDIT: I wholeheartedly agree, jaggrey.

I have the Sanyo 4900. If I sign up for Wireless Web, I'll be paying $5/month, but will they charge me also per Kb because of my 3G phone? When I go to my optional services on the Sprint web site, wireless web is one of the option and vision is not. I'm not that interested with Vision right now. Thanks!

It's really one way or the other. You can't access the "old" style wireless web at all with a "Vision" phone, so putting Wireless Web on your account probably won't do anything other than maybe give you 50 1-way text messages (if the system even lets you add it).

"Vision" is not an add-on service. Think of it more as a type of service plan. You would need to change your plan to a Vision plan in order to "have it on your account." You can't really add Vision like you can the Wireless Web option.

EDIT: Either way, the only billing option for using the web on a Vision-capable phone is per-kilobyte billing.

Are you saying you still have to pay $5.00 per month, as well as kb???

You would be better off paying the $10 for 2 mb.

No you do not pay $5 per wireless web, the system won let you add it or the scsr wont do it, so you just change the plan to vision plan. And that is just a rip off.