LINE OA message limits: what counts, what is free, and the cap
Updated
LINE counts one message for every person a message is sent to. Replies are free. When you hit your monthly limit, the extra messages are not sent unless your plan allows extras and you have set a cap.
Written for: You sent a broadcast last month, got surprised by the number LINE showed you, and you want to plan a month of sends without guessing.
The rule in one table
| Type of send | Counts? | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcast | Yes, per recipient | A message to your friends |
| Narrowcast or targeted broadcast | Yes, per recipient | A message to a chosen group |
| Push or multicast | Yes, per recipient | A message you start to named users, often from a system |
| Reply | No | You answer someone who wrote to you |
| Message the user cannot receive | No | LINE says it does not count as sent |
Two things surprise people. First, the count is per person, not per bubble: LINE's developer page says several message objects in one request still count once per person. Second, a broadcast to 1,000 friends costs the same 1,000 messages whether it holds one text or five images.
What happens at the limit
LINE's developer page says that when a plan's monthly limit is reached, an error is returned and the messages are not sent. On the Free plan there is no way around it: 300 is the ceiling. Basic and Pro can send extra messages at a per-message rate, and in LINE Official Account Manager you can set a maximum number of additional messages. If you upgrade partway through the month, LINE says the free allowance for that month goes up.
Worked example: a month on Basic with a cap
6,000 friends, 3 broadcasts, 400 friends have blocked you
- Reachable friends: 6,000 - 400 = 5,600. Blocked friends cannot receive, so they are not counted.
- Messages: 5,600 x 3 = 16,800.
- Basic includes 15,000. Extra: 16,800 - 15,000 = 1,800 messages.
- Extra cost: 1,800 x 0.10 = 180 baht. Total before VAT: 1,280 + 180 = 1,460 baht. With 7% VAT: 1,562.20 baht.
- If you had forgotten the blocked friends, you would have budgeted 6,000 x 3 = 18,000 messages, 300 baht of extras and 1,580 baht before VAT.
- A cap of 3,000 extra messages would limit the extra charge to 300 baht, so a mistake cannot become a big bill.
How to plan a month in five minutes
Count reachable friends
Use the friend count in Manager and subtract a few percent for blocks.
List every send that starts a conversation
Broadcasts, reminders from a booking system, shipping notices. Replies do not go on the list.
Multiply
Friends times sends, per group. Add the groups.
Compare with the plan
Free 300, Basic 15,000, Pro 35,000. Price the overage at 0.10 or 0.06 baht.
Set the cap
In Manager, choose a plan that allows extras and set the maximum number of additional messages.
Three checks before your next send
- Use a number lower than your total friend count in your sum, because friends who blocked you are not counted.
- Write the month's sends on one line, for example 4 broadcasts x 2,500 friends = 10,000 messages. If the total is above what your plan includes, change the plan or the audience before you press send.
- Set the cap first, then send. A cap set after a surprise bill protects nothing.
If you only remember one thing: replies are free, so the cheapest habit is to answer questions in chat and keep broadcasts for real news.
Questions people ask
Does a reply to a customer use my quota?
No. LINE does not count reply messages.
Do I pay for friends who blocked me?
LINE's page says a message that the user cannot receive does not count as sent.
Can the Free plan send extra messages?
No. Free is capped at 300 a month. Basic and Pro allow extra messages at a per-message rate.
Does a rich menu tap cost anything?
Opening a rich menu is not a message. If your system answers the tap with a reply message, that reply is free. A push message you start would count.
What to do next
Keep reading
- LINE OA price in Thailand: the plans and what a month really costs
Free, Basic or Pro? The 2026 LINE Official Account plans in Thai baht, what each includes, and how to pick one from your follower count.
- LINE broadcasts that do not burn your quota or your followers
How to plan a LINE OA broadcast: counting, targeting by group, message types, and a worked example that saves 500 baht a month.
- LINE auto reply without AI: keywords, business hours and the double reply trap
Set up LINE OA auto replies with keywords and business hours, learn how they rank against the AI chatbot, and avoid replying twice.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Prices are before 7% VAT unless we say otherwise. LINE can change fees and screens at any time.