It's been known for a while that using the AIM app, you can send free text messages to people in USA and Canada. There is some confusion however and I wanted it to be clarified by anyone who lives in the US and uses AIM for the iPhone - specifically for texting.

Is it true that in the US people get charged to receive txt messages? I found this a bit bizarre but a lot of blog authors who published this story about txting via AIM have a few lines saying this etc. I thought the US was the same as the rest of the world - that it costs money to send a text message, but it was free to receive one. I know most people either get charged on a per text message basis or it's included as part of their plan eg 100 text messages a month.

Depending on the phone I guess, some people are able to reply back to the text message they receive from the iPhone via the AIM application. For those of you who can, is the reply number considered a local one? My girlfriend couldn't really tell and she just wanted to know if she would be charged more for replying to this number. She currently gets all her text messages on a monthly basis included in her phone plan. She only pays for a text message when it goes to an international number, otherwise its free as it is included in her plan. So what I want to know is if her replying to the AIM message will be free for her as it is considered a local US number and therefore included as part of her plan or if its some sort of special number which therefore she will get charged for on a per message basis for each one she replies too (sends out)?

Thanks for any insight!

unlike other countries where you don't get charged for incoming minutes or text messages the US likes to double charge things, so yes we get charged for incoming text messages. i've never used aim for texting but i think some of my friends do. if i find out anything i'll post it.

u get charged for incomming txts in the us? thats mental i thought the usa was a democracy thats crazy, unheard of in europe.

you wont get charged a penny if you text back n forth with the AIM app. it uses internet and ur login and its basic instant messaging.

but sending actual text msg cost money. but for a few extra dollars you get unlimited. so whats all the fuss about

Originally Posted by bigfishman

u get charged for incomming txts in the us? thats mental i thought the usa was a democracy thats crazy, unheard of in europe.

I agree....it is a major cash grab here.....but not enough folks know we are being screwed as they do not travel, or speak up and complain.....