SimplyRCS answers all seven in writing below, with every rate on the pricing page. Book a meeting to see it on your own phone.
The seven questions to ask any vendor
| What to check | Ask the vendor | How SimplyRCS answers |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | Which of SMS, MMS, RCS, toll-free and short code can I send on, from one campaign? | RCS with automatic SMS and MMS fallback, on 10DLC, toll-free and short code |
| Verification | Who files the 10DLC brand and campaigns and the RCS sender, and how long until the first send? | We file all of it; first verified US send targeted in 2 to 4 weeks |
| Compliance | How are STOP and HELP handled, and are consent records kept per program? | STOP, HELP and START are handled by the platform before any bot or AI; consent is tracked per channel and program |
| Inbox | Can a team share the conversations, and can a person take over from automation? | A shared team inbox, with handoff from a bot to a person |
| AI | What can the AI say on its own, and how is that limited? | It builds bots from a plain-English description; in conversations it only chooses among replies you wrote |
| Pricing model | Per message, per credit or per seat? Are carrier fees at cost or blended into the rate? | Per message: $0.0039 a text segment, $0.0150 a card or media message; carrier fees at cost; no platform or seat fee |
| Contract | Is there a term, a monthly minimum or a fee to leave, and can I take my numbers with me? | No contract or monthly minimum; we port your numbers in and run alongside your old provider at no overlap charge |
How pricing models compare
Per-message pricing bills each message at a published rate, so a quiet month costs little. Credit pricing sells a bundle of credits and spends more than one on a picture or an RCS message, so the cost of a message depends on its type. Seat pricing charges per user of the inbox, whatever you send. The number to compare is the total for your own month, carrier fees included; how much RCS costs works through it with published rates.
What to have ready before you choose
Know your monthly volume by message type, the numbers you already text from, and how customers opt in today; carriers will ask to see the opt-in. With those, any vendor can give you a written monthly estimate, and you can compare like for like.
- A business text messaging platform sends and receives customer texts at scale, with campaigns, automation and a shared inbox.
- The seven checks are channels, verification, compliance, inbox, AI, pricing model and contract terms.
- Compare platforms on your total monthly bill with carrier fees included, not on the headline rate.
- Ask who files 10DLC and RCS verification; a self-service process costs weeks even when it costs nothing.