AT&T Announces New A2P SMS & MMS Pass-Through Fee Increases Effective April 1, 2026

AT&T has announced new A2P messaging pass-through fees that will impact 10DLC, Short Code, and Toll-Free SMS and MMS traffic beginning April 1, 2026.

AT&T A2P Pass-Through Fees: Current vs. New

To put this increase into perspective, here’s how AT&T’s new pass-through fees compare to current rates:

These pass-through fees apply uniformly to MT (Mobile Terminated, outbound) and MO (Mobile Originated, inbound) traffic across 10DLC, standard-rated Short Code, and Toll-Free messaging, and are charged in addition to existing messaging and platform fees.

The updated fees will appear on May 2026 invoices for April traffic.

What’s Increasing At a Glance

• SMS
  
  • Increase of $0.0005 per message (MT and MO)
  • Approximately a 16.7% increase over current AT&T SMS pass-through fees
• MMS
  
  • Increase of $0.0015 per message (MT and MO)
  • A 20% increase, further widening the cost gap between SMS and MMS at scale

While the per-message changes may appear small, they can quickly become material for platforms sending high volumes of transactional, marketing, or automated messaging—particularly when MMS is involved.

Part of a Broader 2026 Carrier Cost Trend

AT&T’s announcement follows similar 2026 A2P pass-through fee increases from T-Mobile and US Cellular, both announced in December and effective as of January 19.

Together, these updates reinforce a broader industry trend:

• Carrier pass-through fees continue to rise across all major A2P routes
• 10DLC, Short Code, and Toll-Free messaging are increasingly aligned under similar cost structures
• Messaging costs are becoming harder to predict without proactive throughput management

As carriers continue tightening enforcement and adjusting pricing, platforms should factor these increases into customer pricing, margin planning, and messaging strategy earlier—especially as volumes scale in 2026.