Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones that permits the sending and receiving of short messages typically 160 characters in length. The terms text messaging, text messages, more colloquially SMSes, texts, or even txts and its variants are more commonly used in North America, the UK, Spain and the Philippines, while most other countries prefer the term SMS.

Short messages are particularly popular amongst young urbanites. In many markets, the service is comparatively inexpensive. In the United States, an SMS message usually costs only US$0.10, with many providers offering monthly text messaging plans.

SMS is widely used for delivering digital content such as news alerts, financial information, logos and ringtones. Such messages are also known as premium rate short messages (PSMS). The subscribers are charged extra for receiving this premium content, and the amount is typically divided between the mobile network operator and the value added service provider (VASP) through a fixed transport fee.

Premium short messages are increasingly being used for "real-world" services. For example, some vending machines now allow payment by sending a premium-rated short message, so that the cost of the item bought is added to the user's phone bill or subtracted from the user's prepaid credits.

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