Waitlist SMS Cost Calculator

Enter how many parties join your waitlist, how many texts each one gets, and what you pay per text to see your yearly SMS bill.

By Michael Estephanous · Published July 2026 · Updated October 2026

Waitlist parties per day

Parties added to the waitlist on an average day.

Texts per party

Usually 2: a join confirmation and a table-ready alert.

Cost per text

Pre-filled with a typical wholesale rate. Use the rate on your own bill.

Days open per week

Trading days in a normal week, from 1 to 7.

Waitlist texts per year

$412

Per month: $34
Texts per year: 37,440

That's $412 a year on 37,440 texts. Bzz doesn't use SMS at all: guests follow their place on a live page and get a browser ping when you're ready, so there's no per-message fee to pay.

Start a free waitlist

Most waitlist apps text guests twice: once when they join and once when their table is ready. Each text costs a few pence or cents, which feels like nothing until you multiply it by every party, every service, every week of the year. This calculator does that sum.

The cost-per-text field starts at a typical wholesale rate for your currency. Waitlist apps that bundle SMS into a plan usually charge more than wholesale, through a monthly allowance and an overage price once you pass it, so swap in the rate from your own bill for the real figure.

Where SMS costs hide

Three things push the bill above the simple sum. Long messages split into two billed segments. Replies from guests can be billed too. And allowances are sized for an average month, so a busy summer or holiday season lands you in overage pricing exactly when you are busiest.

The alternative: browser alerts

A guest who scans a QR code to join can follow their place on a live web page instead of waiting for a text. When the table is ready, the page pings them. There is no phone number to collect, so nothing to store or protect, and no per-message charge. If you are comparing tools, the TablesReady alternatives and best waitlist software guides cover which apps text guests and which don't.

Default rates are typical wholesale SMS prices (US about $0.011 including carrier fees, UK about £0.035, EU around €0.07, which varies widely by country). Always use your own bill.

Embed this calculator on your site

Free for blogs, associations and suppliers. Paste this where you want the calculator to appear. It shows the calculator only, with no ads or sign-up prompts inside.

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<p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Waitlist SMS Cost Calculator by <a href="https://www.bzz-app.com/calculators/waitlist-sms-cost">Bzz</a></p>
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Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply the parties you add to the waitlist each day by the texts each one gets, then by your per-text rate and the days you trade. 60 parties a day, two texts each, six days a week at 3.5p a text is about £1,310 a year.

Usually two: a confirmation when the guest joins and a "your table is ready" alert. Many apps add a third, such as a reminder or a link to check their place, and some send another if the guest replies.

Waitlist apps buy texts wholesale and resell them, often as a monthly allowance with overage charges once you pass it. Long messages also split into two or more billed segments. Check your plan for the real rate you pay per text.

Yes. Browser-based waitlists such as Bzz let guests scan a QR code and follow their place on a live web page, then ping that page when the table is ready. There is no phone number to collect and no per-message cost.

Is your number normal?

Compare it against the published figures for your kind of business. Every benchmark shows who published it and when it was last checked.

Full-service restaurantTable service, tipped floor staff, and the highest labour ratio of any format. Median 36.5% of sales.Quick-service restaurantCounter service, faster throughput, and a labour line several points below table service.Coffee shopBeverage COGS, a small average ticket, and a rush compressed into about two hours.Bar and pubPour cost leads, food follows, and the wet-to-dry split decides everything.

All industry cost benchmarks · Labour costs by region

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A waitlist with no SMS bill

Bzz guests scan a QR code, watch their place on a live page, and get a browser ping when their table is ready. No phone numbers to collect, no per-message fees.