RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a richer messaging format that works inside compatible messaging apps, such as Google Messages on supported Android phones. With RCS Business Messaging, a business can send rich cards with images, carousels, suggested replies and tappable actions. After the brand has completed the applicable verification and launch process, the conversation can show the business's name, logo and a verification mark.
How RCS Differs from SMS
An SMS is plain text, and how much text fits in one message depends on its encoding. A message written only with the standard GSM 7-bit alphabet can carry up to 160 characters in a single SMS. A message that contains any Unicode character - Hindi or another Indian script, many symbols, or an emoji - is encoded differently and carries up to 70 characters. A few GSM characters, such as €, [ and ], count as two.
Longer texts are split into several parts (segments) and joined back together on the phone. Each part then carries slightly fewer characters (153 for GSM 7-bit, 67 for Unicode) because some space is used to link the parts, and each part is usually counted as a separate message for billing. In India, the sender appears as a short DLT-approved header.
RCS Business Messaging, in general, can support:
- Images, GIFs and video, and PDF documents where the messaging app supports them
- Carousels of cards that customers swipe through
- Suggested replies, and suggested actions such as opening a website, calling a number, viewing a location or adding a calendar event
- Delivery and read events, and typing indicators, where the platform and device support them
- A branded sender identity - business name, logo and verification mark - after brand verification and launch
These are general capabilities of RCS Business Messaging. What a particular provider offers, including SMSTAKE, depends on its platform and your account - see RCS with SMSTAKE below.
RCS in India
In India, RCS business messages are received mainly in Google Messages on Android phones. Whether a customer receives one depends on their phone, messaging app and mobile network, and on whether the business's RCS agent has been launched on that network. RCS is not available on every phone or network.
That's why RCS works alongside - not instead of - Bulk SMS. SMS reaches almost any mobile phone, while RCS adds rich content where it's supported. Businesses use RCS for order updates, reminders, promotions and customer support where pictures and buttons help.
Common RCS Use Cases
- E-commerce - product carousels and sale banners
- BFSI - branded payment and fraud alerts
- Travel - boarding passes and booking confirmations
- Retail - festive campaigns with rich creative
Brand Verification and Launch
Before a business can message customers over RCS, its brand is verified and its RCS agent goes through launch approval. An authorised contact at the business confirms the brand details, and Google and/or the participating mobile networks review the launch. The verification mark appears only after this process is complete. Approval is not guaranteed, and timelines vary. For launches in India, Google's agent settings also ask for the business's DLT Principal Entity ID.
Getting Started with RCS
- Decide which messages benefit from pictures and buttons, and how customers without RCS will be reached
- Prepare your brand details for verification, such as business name, logo, contact details and use case
- Design your rich cards, suggested replies and suggested actions
- Set up sending and, if you need it, SMS fallback - fallback has to be configured and depends on the provider setup
- Go live after verification and launch approval, and test on the devices and networks your customers use
For the full list of what an agent needs, see our RCS onboarding checklist for Indian businesses, and for campaign ideas, our 10 RCS campaign examples.
RCS with SMSTAKE
SMSTAKE provides RCS Business Messaging alongside Bulk SMS and WhatsApp Business API. Details such as pricing, supported networks, delivery and read reporting, and SMS fallback setup depend on your account and use case, and our team confirms them with you during onboarding.
How RCS Business Messaging works with SMSTAKE → | Talk to our team