OMG! Text message charges soar

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Texting your boss that you'll "brb" (be right back) can save a lot of time and energy, but chances are it won't save you money.

Although teenagers have been driving the trend, nearly everyone is texting (also known as SMS, or "short message service"). According to Forrester Research, now more than one-third of all cell phone subscribers are on board with "txt" - and sending almost a billion messages each day.

But that convenience comes at a price. If you don't shell out for a texting package, which can cost $3 to $20 a month depending on the provider and the plan, most carriers will charge you for each message whether sent or received, read or unread, solicited or unsolicited.

And the price per text is on the rise. Earlier this year, T-Mobile, AT&T (Charts, Fortune 500) and Verizon (Charts, Fortune 500) raised their rates to 15 cents a text, from 10 cents, while Sprint (Charts, Fortune 500) upped the cost to 20 cents per domestic text, and those prices get even higher across the board for international messaging.

That can really add up. Especially with incoming texts - even spam - that you can't control. Paying per text can exponentially impact your monthly billl.

But that's the idea. Cell phone operators have invested billions of dollars in network upgrades that enable text messaging along with other mobile data services (MDS) like Internet access, hoping to offset the declining price of voice minutes, according to Forrester Research. And that's paying off handsomely - MDS has proved to be a cash cow for wireless carriers, driven primarily by text messaging.

In fact, text messaging takes up much less space on the network, explained a spokesman from AT&T, so it actually costs less money for the carrier than connecting a voice call. As for the rising cost to consumers, carriers want to keep the pricing competitive, cover the costs of the infrastructure and "make money on them - no surprise there," he said.

Mobile operators will rake in $52 billion in text messaging revenues in the U.S. this year, according to technology research firm Gartner.

"People get [surprisingly large] bills" said Christopher Guttman-McCabe, vice president of CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group representing the wireless telecommunications industry. "But there's no desire to ever anger a customer."

"Carriers want customers to be fully aware of what the plans are." At the same time, "there has to be a bit of personal responsibility," he said, referring to the onus on consumers to understand the plan that they have signed up for and its limitations.

To avoid getting hit with a huge bill, the best option is to explore cost-effective packages which can offer a few hundred texts per month for a few dollars extra. T-Mobile, for example, offers a package that includes 300 text messages for only $2.99. For unlimited texting capability, packages run around $20.

Consumers can also track their messaging activity during the billing cycle by reviewing their account online. Once you near your limit, cutting down on texts will keep your bill under control.

And if you do go over your limit, it doesn't hurt to explain your situation to a customer service representative. Although there are no hard and fast rules, they may be willing to waive some charges or at least help you find a different plan that's a better fit.

But a surefire plan is to avoid texting completely, and stick with old fashioned calling. Some carriers will block texting capabilities from your account if you call customer care. Telling your wife that you'll see her "@TEOTD" (at the end of the day), may just be easier to communicate over the phone.

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