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SMS Service
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Service Plans / SMS Service
Choose the Right Satellite Texting Plan
This category covers two-way satellite texting and one-way tracking, not voice calls. Bivy plans let a Bivy Stick send and receive real messages, share GPS location and trigger an SOS. SPOT plans handle simpler tracking and check-ins for SPOT Gen4 and SPOT Trace.
Start here
How to choose a texting or tracking plan
Decide first whether you need two-way texting or one-way tracking, since that splits the whole category in two. From there, size the plan to how often the device gets used: occasional seasonal trips favor a monthly plan, and a device that goes out most of the year favors the yearly version of the same tier.
Step 1
Decide if you need two-way texting
If someone needs to be able to text you back, not just receive a preset check-in, a Bivy plan is the only option on this page. If a simple location ping and an OK or SOS button covers the need, a SPOT plan is enough and there is no reason to pay for two-way messaging you will not use.
Step 2
Size the credit allowance to real usage
Bivy plans differ mainly by monthly message credits, from Standby up through Basic, Plus, Unlimited and Premium. Think about a typical week on the device, not a worst case: a Basic Plan covers occasional check-ins, while a crew sending frequent updates will run through it fast and should look higher up the tier list.
Step 3
Match the plan to the exact device
A SPOT Gen4 plan and a SPOT Trace plan are not interchangeable, and neither works with a Bivy Stick. Confirm which device the plan needs to activate before ordering, especially if buying the device and the plan separately or replacing a device that already has an active plan on it.
Step 4
Choose monthly or yearly based on the season
A monthly plan can be started and stopped around actual trips, which suits a device that spends part of the year in a drawer. A yearly plan trades that flexibility for a single annual commitment, which only pays off if the device gets used across most months rather than a single season.
Choose a network
SMS Service plans by network
Side by side
Bivy and SPOT side by side
| Bivy | SPOT Gen4 | SPOT Trace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Satellite messaging with no cell signal required | Satellite tracking with no cell signal required | Satellite tracking with no cell signal required |
| Plan types | Standby, Basic, Plus, Unlimited and Premium plans, monthly or yearly | Basic Monthly and Extreme Monthly plans | Basic Monthly and Extreme Monthly plans |
| Best for | Two-way texting, GPS location sharing and SOS from a handheld device | Location tracking and check-in messages | Location tracking and check-in messages |
| Hardware | ACR Bivy Stick messenger | SPOT Gen4 | SPOT Trace |
Popular picks
Plans people start with
Everyday Bivy plans
These are the Bivy tiers most people choose first, enough message credits for regular check-ins without paying for a tier built for constant, all-day messaging.
SPOT tracking plans, also available here
SPOT Gen4 and SPOT Trace plans are simpler than Bivy: no two-way texting, just reliable location tracking and check-in messages with less to manage.
Bivy plans versus SPOT plans
The plans grouped under SMS Service split into two families. Bivy plans belong to the ACR Bivy Stick, a two-way satellite messenger: you can send and receive real texts, share GPS location and trigger an SOS. Standby, Basic, Plus, Unlimited and Premium plans differ by how many message credits are included each month, with a yearly version of each for people who would rather not renew monthly. SPOT plans are simpler: SPOT Gen4 and SPOT Trace send tracking and check-in messages rather than full two-way conversations, and each comes in a Basic or Extreme monthly tier. Both device families, along with Garmin trackers and ZOLEO, are sold at satellite trackers.
When texting is not enough
None of the devices on this page carry a voice call or general internet data, only short messages and location pings. If a trip needs an actual phone conversation, look at Phone Service instead, and if it needs real data throughput for email attachments or file transfer, look at Land Data. Many travelers carry a Bivy or SPOT device alongside a satellite phone rather than instead of one: the messenger handles routine check-ins without using phone minutes, and the phone is there for anything that needs a real conversation.
Why a small device still needs the right plan
A Bivy Stick, a SPOT Gen4 or a SPOT Trace is only as useful as the plan sitting behind it. The device itself just sends and receives short packets over satellite; the plan is what turns those packets into a real message, a location share on a map, or an SOS that actually reaches someone. Buying the hardware without picking the matching plan first leaves a device that turns on but has nothing to talk to. Anyone replacing a lost or upgraded device should also confirm the old plan is moved or cancelled before starting a new one at Bivy, so there is no overlap paying for two plans on one person.
Questions
SMS Service plan questions, answered
Not covered here? The help centre has dialing guides, activation steps and coverage maps for every network.
Help centreBivy is two-way: you can send and receive real text messages, not just preset check-ins. SPOT is tracking and check-in messaging from SPOT Gen4 or SPOT Trace. If you need someone to be able to text you back, Bivy is the only option here; if you just need to broadcast your location and an OK or SOS signal, SPOT plans are simpler.
Not sure which device this plan is for?
If you already own a Bivy Stick, SPOT Gen4 or SPOT Trace and are not sure which plan matches it, call (800) 279-2366 before ordering. Activating the wrong plan on the wrong device wastes a renewal cycle, and a quick call sorts it out faster than guessing from a product photo.
Every plan
All SMS Service plans
Sort by price using the toolbar below; each network page above has its own Price and Plan Type filters.