Check-in Presets: does including location cost extra?

If you include your location in a preset message, there is no charge, it's not included in your tracking point budget.

Just FYI, “Preset Messages” have been replaced with “Check-In Messages” for new subscribers, but they can still include location information and do not count against your message allowance.

Not sure what the question is. ALL messages, including presets (or the crippled-up check-in replacement for presets) include location information IN the message. The question is how (or if) the location is exposed to the outside world.

You can designate MapShare as a recipient for a preset/check-in message. That will cause the message to show up on the MapShare map, at the appropriate location. You configure this on the Messages tab at explore.garmin.com by editing recipients for the check-in/present message. There is no cost for this.

You can also include location (in two different ways) for SMS recipients. You can include coordinates as text in the SMS message. And/or you can include a link to "map page" which shows the location. You configure this in the lower right corner to the Account tab at explore.garmin.com. This applies to ALL SMS recipients for ALL message types. This has no additional cost for preset/check-in messages.

The bottom line is that there is NEVER a charge to the sender for a preset/check-in message. It does not matter how many recipients there are, are who they are. Inclusion/exclusion of visible location information does not matter.

I don't remember if you can configure an inReach device address as a recipient. If so, the RECIPIENT will be charged for the message. The sender will not be charged.

The question is about the "include location" option in the "presets" section of the messenger function (highlighted in red in the image to the right):

Does turning this on count towards the tracking point budget each month?

I was digging around online and found some mention of messages sent to emails always including location, but no mention as to whether these count towards your tracking point budget. If it does, for the three addresses I've put on for my presets, does this count as one tracking point or three? Because if its three, then that will be a $0.30 charge per preset message to an email (assuming the location is always included in messages to emails) at the "safety" subscription level.

But it sounds like you're confident that what you're describing is what my message was about - correct, now that I've elaborated a little further?

You are in one of the many garbage Garmin mobile apps. I am not even sure which one this is. I stay as far away from that mess as possible.

Various places in the apps are the ONLY place where you can suppress the inclusion of the sending location in the message itself. There is some use case where suppressing it is desirable. I don't think it applies here. In general, you should just include the location in EVERY message you send from the app. 

That way, you can control the visibility of the location as explained above. (If you suppress it here, you can't see it ANYWHERE because it's not in the message.)

To answer the specific question, including location in a preset message DOES NOT incur charges of any kind. Preset messages are always free to the sender.

When you include the location, it does not go against tracking point budget. Some people on the Safety Plan, use that fact to send a single preset message as a substitute for sending tracking points. 

Explore was originally designed for Garmin handhelds which were used by hikers, backpackers, explorers, etc.

Connect was originally designed for Garmin watches which were used by athletes or others involved with fitness programs.

In the last couple of years, Garmin seems to be trying to make both apps available to both groups of users.

My real problem with the Apps is that Garmin keeps adding more and more and more... Latest is Messenger. Some of the apps have limited device compatibility, which confuses everybody. Different devices use different channels, sometimes including mobile apps, for firmware updates and data sync. It's just massively confusing, even when it works.