Text Request is a business texting platform built around a shared team inbox — front-desk staff, sales reps, and service agents replying to customers from a single screen, with review requests and SMS payment links baked in. It’s a polished product for local and service businesses that need a team to manage inbound customer texts. But if you’re texting at volume for lead generation, or you need drip automation and a lead pipeline without bolting on separate tools, Text Request’s bundled pricing model starts working against you quickly. This guide lays out where Text Request is the right call, where it isn’t, and why outbound-focused teams consistently turn to platforms like ZeitBlast.
The Short Version
- Pick Text Request if your core use case is a team sharing a single inbox to field inbound customer texts, collect Google reviews, and send SMS payment links — especially at moderate volume that fits inside a bundled plan.
- Pick ZeitBlast if you’re running outbound campaigns at scale, need automated drip sequences, and want a platform where the per-text cost doesn’t spike once you outgrow a monthly bundle.
- The inflection point: Text Request’s Basic plan is 59.99/monthfor1,000texts.Athighervolumes—say,20,000textspermonth—you′relookingat575+ on their Enterprise tier. ZeitBlast’s Market Dominator plan covers 65,000 texts at $1,495/month, and unused texts roll over.
At a Glance
| Feature | Text Request | ZeitBlast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $59.99/mo (Basic) | $495/mo (I’m Serious) |
| Texts included | 1,000 (Basic) → 20,000 (Enterprise) | 15,000 (I’m Serious) |
| Overage cost | ~0.055–0.032/text | Credit rollover, no overage |
| Inbound messages | Counted against bundle | ✅ Always free |
| Review requests | ✅ Built in | ❌ Not a feature |
| SMS payments | ✅ Built in | ❌ Not a feature |
| Drip campaigns | Limited | ✅ Automated drip campaigns |
| AI automation | Add-on | ✅ AI Conversation Agent (included) |
| 10DLC approval speed | Standard | As little as 48 hours |
| DNC/litigator scrub | Not specified | ✅ Unlimited, built-in |
| API access | Add-on (~$50/mo on lower tiers) | ✅ Push to CRM — included |
| Deliverability | Standard | 98% deliverability rate |
| Best for | Team inbox + reviews + payments | Outbound lead gen at volume |
Text Request Pricing (2026)
Text Request prices by tier, and each tier bundles a fixed number of texts per month plus a set number of “dashboards” (each dashboard is one text-enabled line):
| Plan | Monthly Price | Texts Included | Dashboards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $59.99 | 1,000 | 1 |
| Starter | $145 | 2,500 | 2 |
| Corporate | $295 | 6,500 | 5 |
| Enterprise | From $575 | 20,000 | 10 |
Unlimited users and contacts are included on all plans — that’s genuinely good for a team setup.
Overage rates when you exceed your bundle:
- Basic: ~$0.055/text over limit
- Starter: ~$0.050/text
- Corporate: ~$0.042/text
- Enterprise: ~$0.032/text
The add-on list matters. Several features that seem standard are billed separately on lower tiers:
- Scheduled messages: ~$20/mo (Basic)
- Keywords: ~$15/mo
- Chrome extension: ~$15/mo
- Reviews management: ~$50/mo per block of dashboards
- API access: ~$50/mo (included on Enterprise)
- HIPAA compliance: ~$50/mo
- SSO: ~$250/mo
Reviewers consistently flag this: the headline price is approachable, but your real monthly bill depends heavily on which add-ons you actually need.
ZeitBlast pricing:
| Plan | Price | Texts/Month |
|---|---|---|
| I’m Serious | $495/mo (billed quarterly) | 15,000 |
| Time to Scale | $795/mo | 30,000 |
| Market Dominator | $1,495/mo | 65,000 |
No overage tiers. Credit rollover means unused texts carry forward. Unlimited inbound replies are always free. API access (Push to CRM for Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho) is included — not a $50/month line item.
What You Pay at Volume
| Monthly Outbound Texts | Text Request | ZeitBlast |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | ~$60 (Basic) | $495 (15,000 included) |
| 6,500 | ~$295 (Corporate) | $495 (15,000 included) |
| 15,000 | ~$575+ (Enterprise + overage) | $495 (all included) |
| 30,000 | Enterprise custom + overage | $795 |
At 15,000 texts per month, Text Request requires their Enterprise tier plus overage. ZeitBlast’s entry plan covers that volume entirely, with credits rolling over if you don’t use them all.
Features and Depth
Text Request’s center of gravity is the shared inbox. Multiple team members can work the same conversation, assign threads to specific agents, use canned reply templates, and maintain a clean two-way message history — all from your existing business number. The built-in features around that inbox — review requests that nudge customers toward Google or Facebook reviews, SMS payment link generation, scheduled sends, and keyword capture — make it genuinely useful for local service businesses.
Where it’s thinner is outbound automation. Text Request can blast a list and schedule messages, but it’s not built around trigger-based drip sequences that branch by behavior and move leads through defined stages. If your job is following up with every new lead for two weeks until they book a call, you’ll do a lot of that by hand.
ZeitBlast’s automation-first approach:
- Automated Drip Campaigns — Multi-step sequences that run automatically based on triggers: opt-in, lead stage, time elapsed. Once set up, they work without manual intervention.
- AI Conversation Agent — Handles incoming replies, qualifies leads based on your rules, and follows up on its own. The alternative is hiring a VA to staff the inbox — or letting leads go cold.
- Carrier-Safe Batching — Messages dispatched at carrier-approved rates to protect deliverability at scale.
- Real-Time Analytics — Live campaign metrics, not next-day batch reporting.
- Unlimited DNC and Litigator Scrub — Automatic list protection on every plan.
- Credit Rollover — Unused monthly texts carry forward. No wasted spend at billing cycle end.
Honest gaps: ZeitBlast doesn’t do review requests or SMS payments. These are genuinely useful Text Request features. If collecting Google reviews by text or sending invoice payment links is a core workflow, Text Request ships those tools and ZeitBlast doesn’t. Know your use case.
> Image suggestion: ZeitBlast platform dashboard showing an active drip sequence with open/reply stats. Alt text: “ZeitBlast SMS drip campaign dashboard with real-time analytics”
10DLC and Deliverability
Both platforms handle 10DLC registration — you’re not navigating carrier registration yourself. The difference is execution time: ZeitBlast’s 48-hour 10DLC approval is the fastest in the industry. Standard platforms run 1–3 weeks. If you’re trying to launch a campaign, that delay is real money.
TCPA compliance — documented opt-in, honoring opt-outs, quiet hours — sits with the sender either way, as required under 47 U.S.C. § 227. Business senders must also register campaigns with The Campaign Registry (TCR) before texting at scale. ZeitBlast includes unlimited DNC and litigator scrub on every plan, handling the list hygiene layer automatically. The FCC and CTIA Messaging Principles are the governing sources; this isn’t legal advice.
ZeitBlast’s direct carrier relationships support a 98% deliverability rate — meaningfully higher than platforms routing through intermediate networks when you’re sending at volume.
What Reviewers Say About Text Request
Text Request holds about 4.6 stars across 1,200+ reviews on major software directories, with a solid Trustpilot presence:
Pros:
- Shared inbox makes team-based customer texting genuinely easy
- Texting from your existing business number reduces friction for customers
- Strong support reputation — responsiveness is called out repeatedly
- Review requests and SMS payments valued by local service businesses
Cons:
- Add-on fees accumulate; reviewers flag price creep as they activate features
- Lighter on outbound automation — no real trigger-based drip campaigns or sales pipelines
- Overage charges can surprise growing teams
- API gated behind a top tier or $50/month add-on
Where Text Request Genuinely Wins
For a local or service business where the daily job is a team fielding inbound customer texts — and where review collection and SMS payment links are active workflows — Text Request is purpose-built and worth recommending. Unlimited users and contacts on every plan, clean shared inbox UX, and a strong support reputation make it low-friction to deploy. If that’s the job description, it fits well.
Where ZeitBlast Wins
Volume economics: ZeitBlast’s I’m Serious plan includes 15,000 texts per month — more than Text Request’s entire Enterprise tier for $80 less per month. Credits roll over if you don’t use them.
Free inbound replies: Every ZeitBlast plan includes unlimited incoming and reply messages at no cost. Text Request counts inbound against your bundle on some tiers.
48-hour 10DLC approval: The fastest in the industry. Launch campaigns in two business days instead of two-plus weeks.
AI Conversation Agent: Handles replies, qualifies leads, and follows up automatically based on your rules. No add-on fee — included on plans.
Real drip automation: Multi-step sequences triggered by lead behavior. Text Request can schedule sends; ZeitBlast can run a 10-message follow-up campaign autonomously.
Push to CRM — included: Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho integration is part of every plan. Text Request gates API access behind add-on fees on lower tiers.
Unlimited DNC and litigator scrub: Built in. Not a setting you have to configure or an add-on to purchase.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Text Request if you:
- Run a team answering inbound customer texts from a shared inbox
- Need review requests and SMS payment links in your texting tool
- Send moderate volume that fits inside a bundled plan without overage
Choose ZeitBlast if you:
- Run outbound lead generation campaigns at 5,000+ texts per month
- Need automated drip sequences and AI-powered inbox handling
- Want all-inclusive pricing without per-feature add-on fees
- Need 48-hour 10DLC approval and 98% deliverability from day one
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Text Request cost? Text Request starts at 59.99/month(Basic:1,000texts,1dashboard),then145 (Starter: 2,500 texts), 295(Corporate:6,500texts),andfrom575 (Enterprise: 20,000 texts). All plans include unlimited users and contacts. Overage runs 0.055downto0.032/text depending on tier. Several features — scheduled messages, keywords, API, reviews management — are paid add-ons on lower plans.
Is Text Request cheaper than ZeitBlast? At low volumes (under ~2,000 texts/month), Text Request’s entry pricing is lower. At 15,000 texts per month, ZeitBlast’s I’m Serious plan (495)coversthefullvolumewithrollover—lessthanTextRequest′sEnterprisetier(575+) plus overage.
Does Text Request have an API? Yes, but it’s a paid add-on (~$50/month) on most plans and included only on Enterprise. ZeitBlast includes Push to CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho on all plans.
What’s the best Text Request alternative for real estate? ZeitBlast. It’s built specifically for real estate and sales teams running outbound SMS lead generation — with automated drip campaigns, an AI Conversation Agent, 48-hour 10DLC approval, and 15,000+ texts per month starting at entry level.
What does credit rollover mean in ZeitBlast? Unused texts from one month carry forward to the next. You’re never losing the credits you paid for at the end of a billing cycle, unlike bundle-based platforms where unspent texts disappear.
Related Reading
Start Texting with ZeitBlast
Text Request is a solid tool for inbound customer service teams. If that’s not your use case — if you’re running outbound lead generation campaigns, following up with real estate prospects, or scaling an SMS-driven sales operation — you need a platform designed for that job.
