At Gloo, our mission has always been to serve those who serve, equipping churches with the tools they need to reach and grow their communities. Keeping those tools accessible and affordable is something we take seriously, and that commitment shapes every decision we make about pricing.

As part of that commitment, your first 5,000 texting credits each month are provided essentially at cost. The updates below reflect what it takes to sustain that for the long run, and we want to make sure you have everything you need to communicate effectively within your membership.

To check your annual renewal date and details about any powerpack subscriptions you have:

Click Profile -> Account Settings -> Subscriptions

Once your monthly texting credits are used, your ability to send outbound messages will pause until the following month or until you add more credits via a Powerpack. Note that since inbound messages are always free, you will continue to be able to receive inbound messages even if you have run out of messaging credits.

You can check your credit balance at any time by clicking on Credit Usage in the bottom left corner of your screen.

If you're seeing a warning that you don't have enough credits to send your current broadcast or if you've already run out completely and need to send a message right away, don’t worry — you have a few options!

In case you still have credits left but they are not enough for your standard broadcast, it’s worth taking a quick look at whether a Smart Broadcast or a Memo could help you accomplish what you need with the credits you have left. Smart Broadcasts can be especially helpful when you have a longer or more formatted message to send, since they will only cost 1 credit per recipient, no matter how long, formatted, or complex the message is, and whether or not it contains pictures or videos. You can create a Smart Broadcast by going to Communications → Outbound → Broadcasts → Create New Broadcast → Smart Broadcast. A Memo may also be a good alternative depending on what you're trying to communicate. Taking a moment to see whether one of these options fits your current need could help you make the most of the credits you still have.

However, if you've completely run out of credits and can't send anymore messages, you still have two options.

The first is to purchase a Messaging Powerpack, which gives you additional credits to use right away. Gloo+ members can purchase Powerpacks in increments of 5,000 messaging credits. To purchase one, click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner of your Gloo account, select Account Settings, then Subscriptions, and click +$75/mo next to Messaging Powerpacks. From there, select the number of Powerpacks you’d like and click Subscribe. Once your payment clears, the additional credits will be added to your account. Credit card purchases are generally available within a few minutes, while ACH payments can take 2–3 business days. One thing to keep in mind is that Powerpacks are recurring monthly add-ons, and their credits expire/refresh at the same time as your regular messaging credits.

Finally, if you don't need to send your message immediately, it may be worth checking your next credit renewal date to see whether you can simply wait for your credits to refresh. You can find this information in your Gloo account by clicking your profile icon in the bottom-left corner → Account Settings → Subscriptions. Your Gloo+ billing and renewal information is displayed there. Gloo+ messaging credits and Messaging Powerpack credits refresh at the start of the day after your subscription renewal date. For example, if your renewal date is September 30, your new credits will be available starting October 1. If your communication can wait until that next cycle, you may be able to avoid purchasing additional credits altogether.

We know 5,000 credits goes a long way for most churches, and for those who send more frequently, there are a couple of newer features already included in your Gloo+ membership that most churches haven't fully explored yet. These tools can help you communicate more efficiently and get the most out of every credit.

Smart Broadcasts are one of the most powerful and underutilized features in Gloo+.

With a standard broadcast, sending a long message with images or video can use multiple credits per recipient. Smart Broadcasts work differently - instead of sending a long text, a Smart Broadcast sends a single-credit message with a link that opens into a beautifully formatted landing page, complete with images, videos, rich text, and more. It always costs just 1 credit per recipient, no matter how long or detailed the content is.

As a Gloo+ member, you also get engagement analytics - see who opened your message, who hasn't, and how your broadcasts are performing over time. This answers the question ministry leaders ask all the time: "Did people actually see this?"

Smart Broadcasts are ideal for:

Standard broadcasts are still great for:

Your Gloo+ membership includes 5,000 email credits per month, completely separate from your texting credits. If your congregation has email addresses on file, email is a powerful channel for:

Memos are a great tool for content your congregation might want to revisit over time - service times, giving links, FAQs, event details, ministry schedules, and more. Think of a Memo as a living digital document you create once and update whenever things change, while the link stays the same.

Since Memos are accessed via a link rather than sent as a text, they don't consume additional credits when your congregation visits them. You can share a Memo link in a broadcast, in a Workflow, or in an individual message, and update the content anytime without having to resend.

Workflows let you set up automated sequences of texts triggered by a keyword or manually by a team member. Once set up, they run on their own, saving you time and making sure the right people get the right information at the right time.

Common uses include:

If you find you need more texting credits in a given month, you can add a 5,000-credit Messaging Powerpack for $75 at any time, even mid-month. Powerpacks auto-renew monthly but can be cancelled anytime, so you're never locked in.

Email Powerpacks are also available if you need additional email credits.

To add a Powerpack, visit your subscription settings under Profile -> Account Settings -> Subscriptions.

These changes weren't made lightly. We're deeply committed to keeping Gloo+ accessible and affordable for churches, and to continuing to build tools that help your ministry communicate effectively. If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team by clicking the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen. We're always happy to help.