Charges for imessage?

If you use your 3G for iMessages it will use a minor amount of data from your plan but there are no other charges.

There is no charge for iMessage itself, but it does use data which will count against any cap you have on your 3G plan.

Regard.

Just checked my Verizon account -- though I've only sent messages via iMessage to one other person (who also has an iPhone), I've been charged for all 32 iMessages as if they were texts.

So that's pretty much the end of that.

Are you sure you have iMessage enabled? Are the text bubbles blue when you send someone a message and reply to them?

And does the person on the other end also have iMessage enabled? I believe that iMessage will rever to sending as SMS if it can't find iMessage on the other end.

I too just received an alert from Verizon. Upon calling them, I learned that I had just short of 30 texts I would be charged for. I only text with family who have iphones and ipads. The key is GREEN in the text balloon. I have noticed this with my iPad on occasion. I smell a 'glitch'. Blue is good. Green is bad ($$)

I see what happened now -- we both bought iPhones and got the big iMessage sales pitch -- but they left out the part about both of us having to download the newest iOS in order for our texts to be free.

I'm curious to know if there are any further updates on this? I was just reviewing my Verizon bill and see I've been charged for about 20 Imessage text messages sent between 2 current Iphones. Verizon tells me that texts between are phones are not free.

Text (SMS) messages between phones is not free. IMessages between iOS 5 devices is. If you are texting from an iPhone with 5.0 to another with 5.0 with iMessage activated the send button will be blue and it won't be charged as a text message. If you have Send as SMS on and for some reason it can't send it as an iMessage it will send it as a text and show up on your bill.

IMessage is turned on on both Iphones and the messages sent were blue. But I was still charged by Verizon for all of these messages.

If you still have the messages go back and look and see if they have changed to green which can happen after the fact. I have only had one do so and appear on my AT&T bill.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/built-in-apps/messages.html

"*Normal carrier data rates may apply. Messages may be sent as SMS when iMessage is unavailable; carrier messaging fees apply. "

They are still blue which is why I don't understand why/how Verizon has charged me for these.

I figured it out an important feature to save you money!!! The automatic setting on iMessage is that when iMessage is NOT available (Server is Busy), it automatically sends as an SMS text instead, thus charging you money! You can turn OFF this feature. iMessage uses a internet as a server to send the text as you can imagine that the server can get busy with everyone using iMessage.

You have to goto Settings- Message - iMessage - turn OFF "send as SMS text if iMessage is not available." Take a look. Once the feature is turned off the iMessage server will keep the text and send it when the server is not busy. There may be a very slight delay, but you save money.

Clip from article:

"SMS texts you've sent will show up with a green background, while iMessage texts show up in blue. While you'll still have to pay the traditional fees for any SMS texts you send, it bears repeating that all iMessage texts go out over Wi-Fi or 3G and are completely free."

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/12/ios-5-features-imessage-brings-free-texting-to-ip ad-ipod-touch/

(Note- Data usage charges apply)

I found that for Verizon, even though the bubbles are blue and that Send as SMS is turned off, I'm still getting charged for iMessages by Verizon. Turns out that the if the iMessages are being sent to the other person's Verizon phone number (even though they have ios5.x, even though the bubble is blue, even though Send as SMS is off, you WILL BE CHARGED! However, if you set iMessage to send to the other person's Apple ID, then you are NOT charged and the texts don't count.