Quick answerRCS basics
What is RCS?
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the modern upgrade to SMS, verified, branded messages with images, carousels, buttons, and read receipts, delivered in the phone's default messaging app.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS basics
What does RCS stand for?
Rich Communication Services, the GSMA standard that replaces SMS/MMS with app-grade messaging in the native inbox.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS basics
How does RCS work?
RCS runs over data (Wi-Fi or cellular) through the carriers and Google's Jibe platform, and falls back to SMS/MMS automatically when a device can't receive it.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS basics
Is RCS replacing SMS?
RCS is becoming the default rich layer on top of SMS, not a hard replacement, SMS remains the universal fallback, so every RCS program still reaches 100% of phones.
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What are the benefits of RCS?
Verified brand identity, rich media and interactive buttons, read/delivery analytics, and far higher engagement than SMS, all in the app customers already use.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS basics
What is a verified sender?
A business RCS identity vetted by Google and the carriers, shown with your name, logo, and a verification checkmark, the anti-spoofing trust signal SMS lacks.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS vs other channels
RCS vs SMS, what's the difference?
SMS is plain text from an anonymous number; RCS is branded, verified, and interactive with rich media, at a similar price, with automatic SMS fallback.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS vs other channels
RCS vs WhatsApp?
WhatsApp needs an installed app and per-conversation fees; RCS lives in the phone's default messaging app with no download and per-message pricing.
Read the full guideQuick answerRCS vs other channels
RCS vs iMessage?
iMessage is Apple-only and consumer-focused; RCS is the cross-platform business standard, and reaches iPhones on iOS 18.1+ in the Messages app.
Read the full guideQuick answerCarriers & devices
Which carriers support RCS?
All four major US carriers, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular, support RCS Business Messaging.
Read the full guideQuick answerCarriers & devices
Does Apple / the iPhone support RCS?
Yes, iPhones on iOS 18.1 or newer receive RCS in the native Messages app; older devices fall back to SMS/MMS.
Read the full guideQuick answerCarriers & devices
Which countries support RCS?
RCS is live across the US and dozens of countries worldwide; SimplyRCS focuses on US business messaging.
Read the full guideQuick answerSecurity & compliance
Is RCS secure?
RCS uses verified sender identity, carrier vetting, and TLS in transit; business RCS through a verified agent is far harder to spoof than SMS.
Read the full guideQuick answerSecurity & compliance
Is RCS encrypted?
RCS is encrypted in transit; person-to-person RCS in Google Messages adds end-to-end encryption. Business RCS is sender-verified and transport-encrypted.
Read the full guideQuick answerSecurity & compliance
How does RCS consent work?
RCS follows US opt-in/opt-out rules (TCPA, CTIA): customers opt in, STOP/HELP are honored automatically, and consent is logged.
Read the full guideQuick answerCost & pricing
How much does RCS cost?
With SimplyRCS, carrier-rate messaging plus a flat $250/month per verified RCS Agent, software included, no platform fee, every carrier/registry/tax pass-through itemized at cost.
Read the full guideQuick answerCost & pricing
Is RCS more expensive than SMS?
RCS is priced comparably to SMS, and SimplyRCS charges the same for rich and basic RCS, no rich-message surcharge.
Read the full guideQuick answerFor business
Is RCS worth it for my business?
If you send branded campaigns, alerts, or support messages, RCS lifts trust and engagement well above SMS, most programs see materially higher read and click rates.
Read the full guideQuick answerFor business
Can small businesses use RCS?
Yes, RCS isn't enterprise-only. SimplyRCS handles brand registration and carrier approval so any US business can launch.
Read the full guideQuick answerFor business
How do I migrate from SMS to RCS?
Keep your numbers, register your brand and RCS agent (we handle carrier approval), and run RCS with SMS fallback so nothing breaks during cutover.
Read the full guideQuick answerFor business
How long does it take to go live?
SimplyRCS targets 2-4 weeks for US first send, including brand registration, 10DLC, carrier vetting, and RCS sender verification.
Read the full guideQuick answerTechnical
What is an RBM agent?
An RBM (RCS Business Messaging) agent is your business's verified RCS sender identity, the branded entity, with an agent ID, that sends your messages.
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What is a rich card?
A rich card is an RCS message with an image or video, title, description, and tappable suggested actions, like a mini landing page in the chat.
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What is a carousel in RCS?
A horizontally-swipeable set of rich cards in one message, ideal for product drops, menus, or multiple offers.
Read the full guideQuick answerChoosing a provider
How do I choose an RCS provider?
Look for US carrier coverage, done-for-you approval, published pricing, a no-code builder plus API, and a real support channel.
Read the full guideQuick answerChoosing a provider
Who are the best RCS providers?
It depends on your needs, global CPaaS (Twilio, Sinch, Infobip) for worldwide scale, or a US-focused, transparently-priced specialist like SimplyRCS for done-for-you RCS.
Read the full guideGuideRCS Fundamentals
What is RCS?
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the modern upgrade to SMS text messaging. It’s an open standard from the GSMA that turns the phone’s built-in messaging app into a rich, interactive channel,…
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How does RCS work?
RCS works by sending messages over the internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data) through the phone’s native messaging app, instead of over the legacy cellular text channel. When two devices both support RCS,…
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Who owns RCS?
No single company owns RCS. It’s an open standard owned and maintained by the GSMA, the global association of mobile operators. In practice, Google operates the dominant RCS backend (the Jibe…
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Is RCS replacing SMS?
RCS is upgrading and gradually replacing SMS, but it isn’t fully replacing it yet. RCS is designed to be the successor to SMS, and adoption accelerated sharply after Apple added support in 2024.…
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What are the benefits of RCS?
The core benefits of RCS are trust, richness, interactivity, and measurability, without making customers download an app. Messages carry a verified business name and logo (cutting spam suspicion),…
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RCS vs SMS
RCS and SMS both reach the native inbox, but RCS is the rich, branded, interactive upgrade while SMS is plain text with universal reach. RCS sends images, video, buttons, and verified branding over…
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RCS vs MMS
RCS and MMS can both send media, but RCS does it in far higher quality with interactivity, while MMS is the older, lower-resolution, universally compatible option. MMS attaches an image or short…
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RCS vs WhatsApp
RCS and WhatsApp both enable rich, branded, two-way business messaging, but RCS lives in the phone’s built-in inbox with no app required, while WhatsApp is a separate app the customer must have…
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RCS vs iMessage
iMessage is Apple’s proprietary messaging service for Apple devices only; RCS is the open, cross-platform standard that works between Android and iPhone. On an iPhone, messages to other Apple users…
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RCS vs Email
RCS and email are complementary: RCS wins on immediacy and engagement, email wins on long-form content, attachments, and archiving. RCS messages land in the phone’s inbox and are read within minutes,…
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RCS vs Push Notifications
Push notifications require the customer to have installed your app and opted in; RCS reaches the native inbox with no app at all. Push is effectively free per message and great for re-engaging…
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RCS vs Mobile Apps
A mobile app offers the deepest experience but demands a download, ongoing updates, and fighting app fatigue; RCS delivers much of the app-like experience, rich cards, buttons, two-way flows,…
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RCS vs Facebook Messenger
RCS reaches customers in their phone’s built-in inbox; Facebook Messenger reaches only people who use Messenger and have connected with your business there. RCS needs no third-party app and falls…
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RCS vs In-App Messaging
In-app messaging only reaches customers while they’re actively using your app; RCS reaches them in the native inbox anytime, with no app required. In-app messages are powerful for guiding users…
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What businesses should use RCS?
Any business that texts customers and would benefit from branding, rich content, interactivity, or measurable engagement should consider RCS, which is most of them. It's especially valuable for…
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What industries benefit from RCS?
Industries with frequent, visual, time-sensitive, or trust-critical customer messaging benefit most from RCS: retail and e-commerce, restaurants and QSR, financial services, healthcare, travel and…
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What is the ROI of RCS?
The ROI of RCS is the incremental revenue it drives minus its all-in cost, divided by that cost, and for fitting use cases it's typically strong, because RCS's much higher click-through and…
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How does RCS improve customer experience?
RCS improves customer experience by making business messages trustworthy, useful, and effortless. Customers see a verified brand instead of an anonymous number, get rich, clear information (images,…
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Can small businesses use RCS?
Yes, small businesses can use RCS, there's no app to build and a platform handles the technical setup, but there are real entry requirements: you must register your brand and campaign, get a verified…
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When should I use RCS instead of SMS?
Use RCS instead of SMS when your audience is RCS-capable and the message benefits from branding, rich media, interactivity, or measurement, which covers most marketing and many transactional flows.…
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How do I migrate from SMS to RCS?
Migrating from SMS to RCS is additive, not a cutover: you keep SMS as the fallback and add RCS on top. The steps are: register your brand and campaign, get a verified RCS sender approved, enable…
Read the guideGuideRCS for Business
What is an RCS-first strategy?
An RCS-first strategy means defaulting to RCS for customer messaging and using SMS only as the automatic fallback. Every message is built to deliver richly, branded, with media and tap-to-act…
Read the guideGuideTechnical RCS & Developers
How does RCS messaging work technically?
Technically, RCS sends messages over IP (not the cellular SMS channel) using the GSMA’s RCS Universal Profile to ensure interoperability. When a message is composed, the sending client or platform…
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What is an RBM agent?
An RBM (RCS Business Messaging) agent is a brand’s verified sender identity in the RCS ecosystem, the entity through which a business sends and receives RCS messages. It carries the brand’s name,…
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What is a verified sender?
A verified sender is a business RCS identity that Google and the carriers have vetted and approved, displayed to recipients with the brand’s name, logo, and a verification checkmark. Verification is…
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What is an RCS chatbot?
An RCS chatbot is an automated, two-way conversational experience delivered through an RCS agent. Using the Messaging-as-a-Platform (MaaP) framework, the bot can greet users, present suggested…
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What is the Google Jibe platform?
Jibe is Google’s RCS platform, the backend infrastructure that powers RCS delivery for most carriers worldwide and for the Google Messages app. It handles the RCS network functions (registration,…
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What is Universal Profile?
The RCS Universal Profile is the GSMA’s single, industry-agreed specification that defines how RCS works, so the standard is interoperable across different carriers, devices, and messaging apps.…
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How does RCS fall back to SMS?
RCS falls back to SMS (or MMS) automatically, per recipient, so a single send still reaches everyone. Before delivering, the platform runs a capability check on each destination number: if the phone…
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How does RCS routing work?
RCS routing starts with a capability check: before sending, the platform asks the RCS backend whether the destination number can receive RCS. If yes, the message is routed over IP through the backend…
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RCS API overview
The RCS API is a REST interface for sending RCS messages from a verified agent and receiving user interactions via webhooks. You authenticate, check a number’s RCS capability, then POST a message…
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RCS webhook guide
A webhook is the HTTPS endpoint where the RCS platform sends you real-time events: inbound user messages, taps on suggested replies/actions (with their postbackData), delivery and read receipts,…
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RCS event types
RCS gives you far richer events than SMS. The common ones are: message delivered, message read (“seen”), inbound user message (free-form text or media), suggestion response (a tap on a suggested…
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RCS message formats
RCS business messages come in a few formats: plain text (optionally with a chip list of suggestions), a standalone rich card (media + title + description + buttons), and a carousel (2-10 rich cards…
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RCS carousel examples
A carousel is a horizontally swipeable set of rich cards in one RCS message, great for showing multiple products, menu items, or properties. A carousel must contain at least 2 and at most 10 cards,…
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RCS rich card examples
A rich card is a single message combining media (image, GIF, video, or PDF), a title, a description, and tap-to-act buttons, at least one of media, title, or description is required. Cards render…
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RCS suggested reply examples
A suggested reply is a tappable button that sends a predefined response back to your agent in one tap, no typing. Each reply has display text (up to ~25 characters) and a postbackData string your…
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RCS suggested action examples
A suggested action is a tappable button that triggers a device action: open a URL, dial a number, view a location on a map, share the user’s location, or add an event to their calendar. Like replies,…
Read the guideGuideCarriers, Devices & Market
Which carriers support RCS?
In the US, all three major carriers, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, support RCS, along with UScellular and a long list of prepaid and MVNO brands (Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, Visible, Xfinity Mobile,…
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Does Verizon support RCS?
Yes, Verizon supports RCS. Verizon customers get RCS through the Google Messages app on Android and through the Messages app on iPhone (iOS 18.1+), and Verizon is one of the carriers supporting the…
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Does AT&T support RCS?
Yes, AT&T supports RCS. AT&T customers use RCS through Google Messages on Android and the Messages app on iPhone (iOS 18.1+), and AT&T supports the end-to-end-encrypted RCS added in iOS 26.5. AT&T is…
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Does T-Mobile support RCS?
Yes, T-Mobile supports RCS, in fact, it was the first US carrier to launch RCS messaging. T-Mobile customers get RCS through Google Messages on Android and the Messages app on iPhone (iOS 18.1+), and…
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Does Google support RCS?
Yes, Google is the driving force behind RCS. Google operates the dominant RCS backend, the Jibe platform, which powers RCS for most carriers worldwide, and its Google Messages app is the primary RCS…
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Does Apple support RCS?
Yes, Apple supports RCS on iPhone. Apple added RCS to the Messages app starting with iOS 18.1 in late 2024, ending years of iPhone-only SMS/MMS fallback for messages to Android. In May 2026, iOS 26.5…
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Does Samsung support RCS?
Yes, Samsung phones support RCS, but increasingly through Google Messages rather than the Samsung Messages app. Samsung devices are fully RCS-capable, and historically Samsung Messages had its own…
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Which countries support RCS?
Consumer RCS, through Google Messages, is available in most countries worldwide. Business RCS (verified, branded A2P messaging) is available in a smaller but fast-growing set, strong markets include…
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Global RCS adoption statistics
RCS adoption has scaled rapidly, especially since Apple added support in late 2024. Juniper Research put RCS at roughly 1.1 billion active users in 2024 and projects about 3.8 billion by the end of…
Read the guideGuideCompliance & Security
Is RCS regulated?
Yes. RCS business messaging in the US is governed by the same layered framework as SMS: the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), enforced by the FCC and through private lawsuits; the…
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10DLC vs RCS: what is the difference?
10DLC and RCS are not competing channels, they answer different questions, and most business programs use both. 10DLC (“10-digit long code”) is a registration framework: it is how a US business…
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What is 10DLC?
10DLC stands for "10-digit long code", and it is the approved way for a US business to send application-to-person (A2P) text messages from an ordinary 10-digit phone number. Before 10DLC existed,…
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How does 10DLC registration work?
10DLC registration happens in two stages: you register your brand, then you register each campaign. Brand registration submits your legal business identity, legal name, EIN, address, and website, so…
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What is 10DLC compliance?
Being 10DLC compliant means two things at once: your sender is properly registered, and your messaging follows the consent rules that sit on top of registration. Registration is the carrier layer,…
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What is the 10DLC campaign registry?
The Campaign Registry, usually shortened to TCR, is the central clearing house the US carriers use to vet A2P text messaging on 10-digit numbers. It holds two record types: brands, which identify the…
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How does RCS consent work?
RCS consent works on an explicit opt-in model: a business must get a consumer’s clear, affirmative permission before sending RCS messages, consent can never be presumed from browsing or a past…
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RCS privacy rules
RCS privacy is governed by general data-protection and consumer-privacy law plus messaging-specific duties, not a single “RCS privacy law.” Businesses must protect the personal data they collect,…
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RCS compliance checklist
A compliant US RCS program needs, at minimum: a registered brand and approved use-case/campaign; a verified RCS sender; a clear opt-in call-to-action with all required disclosures; documented,…
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Is RCS encrypted?
Yes, and as of 2026, more than ever. All RCS messages are encrypted in transit (TLS) as they move between devices, carriers, and platforms. On top of that, person-to-person RCS chats are now…
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Is RCS secure?
RCS is among the more secure mainstream messaging channels, and notably safer than SMS for business use. Three things make it secure: messages are encrypted in transit; person-to-person chats are now…
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Can RCS be spoofed?
RCS business messaging is far harder to spoof than SMS, by design. Every legitimate business RCS message is sent from a verified RCS agent, a sender identity that carriers and Google have vetted and…
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RCS security best practices
The core RCS security best practices for a business are: send only from a verified RCS sender, get explicit opt-in and pre-approve your use cases and templates, protect your platform credentials (API…
Read the guideGuideRCS by Industry
RCS for Restaurants
Restaurants and QSR brands use RCS to turn the messaging inbox into a branded ordering and loyalty channel: reservation and order confirmations, time-sensitive offers with mouth-watering imagery and…
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RCS for Retail & E-commerce
Retail and e-commerce brands use RCS for product showcases, promotions, order and shipping updates, back-in-stock alerts, abandoned-cart recovery, and loyalty, all with carousels, full-resolution…
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RCS for Healthcare
Healthcare organizations use RCS for appointment reminders, patient communications, prescription and refill notifications, and billing, with a verified sender that patients trust and one-tap…
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RCS for Financial Services
Banks, card issuers, and lenders use RCS for fraud alerts, account and payment notifications, OTP/authentication, and loan servicing, with a verified sender that directly counters the phishing…
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RCS for Travel & Hospitality
Airlines, hotels, and travel brands use RCS for booking confirmations, boarding passes, real-time flight and gate updates, hotel check-in with mobile keys, and upsells, rich, timely messages in the…
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RCS for Automotive
Dealerships and automakers use RCS for service reminders, recall notifications, vehicle-status and pickup alerts, test-drive follow-ups, and new-model showcases, with how-to videos, high-resolution…
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RCS for Real Estate
Real-estate agents and brokerages use RCS for new-listing promotions, property tours, lead nurturing, and appointment scheduling, sending image carousels of properties with one-tap "Book a tour,"…
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RCS for Insurance
Insurers use RCS for claims status updates, policy renewals, payment reminders, and document collection, from a verified sender policyholders actually trust, which matters in an industry where…
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RCS for Fitness & Wellness
Gyms, studios, and wellness brands use RCS for class bookings and waitlists, membership renewals, session reminders, and motivational programs, with the visual punch the category lives on. A class…
Read the guideGuideRCS Loyalty Programs
Can RCS replace a loyalty app?
For most businesses, RCS can replace the everyday functions of a loyalty app, enrolling members, showing points balances, sending personalized offers, and letting customers redeem rewards, without…
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How can RCS increase loyalty engagement?
RCS increases loyalty engagement by putting the program where customers already look, the native inbox, and making it interactive. Instead of a buried app or an ignored email, members get a verified,…
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RCS loyalty program examples
RCS loyalty programs typically use the inbox for five moments: enrollment (“Reply JOIN to start earning”), points updates (“You now have 240 points”), reward alerts (“You’ve earned a free drink,…
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Digital rewards via RCS
Digital rewards via RCS means delivering and redeeming rewards, coupons, free items, discount codes, vouchers, and tiered perks, directly inside a branded inbox message with a one-tap redeem button.…
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Why most loyalty apps fail
Most loyalty apps fail not because the rewards are bad but because customers never adopt the app. App abandonment is brutal, a large majority of downloaded apps are dropped within weeks, and…
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How much does RCS cost?
RCS is priced per message, with the rate depending on the message type and the destination carrier. Simple branded text typically costs about the same as SMS, on the order of $0.008 per message,…
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RCS ROI calculator
RCS ROI is the incremental revenue RCS generates minus its cost, divided by its cost. To estimate it: take your audience size, multiply by RCS delivery rate, then by the click-through rate, then by…
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Choosing an RCS provider
Choosing an RCS provider comes down to five things: transparent, all-in pricing (so the quote equals the invoice); what's actually included (inbox, bots, analytics, support, SMS/MMS fallback) versus…
Read the guideGuideProvider Comparisons
Best RCS providers
The best RCS provider depends on your needs, and the leading options serve different ones. For global reach and breadth, the major CPaaS platforms lead, Twilio (deepest ecosystem), Sinch and Infobip…
Read the guideGuideFuture of Messaging
The future of business messaging
The future of business messaging is branded, interactive, AI-assisted, and transactional, a shift from one-way alerts to two-way conversations that happen in the customer’s native inbox. RCS is the…
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RCS and AI agents
RCS is emerging as the ideal channel for AI agents, autonomous, conversational assistants that act on a brand’s behalf, because it is native (no app), verified (trusted identity), rich (cards,…
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RCS and conversational commerce
Conversational commerce, buying and selling through a chat conversation, finds a natural home in RCS, which can carry an entire purchase journey inside one branded thread: discover products in a…
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RCS and customer service
RCS is reshaping customer service by turning support into a branded, two-way, partly self-service conversation in the customer’s inbox. Customers can resolve issues with suggested replies and…
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RCS and customer engagement
RCS raises customer engagement by meeting people in their most-read channel with content worth engaging, branded, visual, interactive, and timely. Compared with plain SMS and email, RCS consistently…
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RCS and digital transformation
RCS is a practical lever for digital transformation: it modernizes how a business communicates without forcing customers to adopt anything new. It consolidates fragmented outreach (SMS, app push,…
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RCS in 2030
By 2030, RCS is likely to be the default for business messaging in supported markets, with SMS relegated to a pure universal fallback. Expect near-universal rich-messaging reach across Android and…
Read the guideGlossaryGlossary
10DLC
Ten-digit long code: the US system for registered application-to-person SMS/MMS over standard local phone numbers. The same brand and campaign registration underpins RCS business messaging.
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5G
The latest generation of cellular network technology. RCS works over 5G like any internet connection (also 4G/LTE or Wi-Fi), since it is IP-based.
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A/B testing
Comparing two or more message variants on a subset of an audience to see which performs better before a full send, used to optimize RCS engagement.
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A2P
Application-to-Person messaging: messages sent programmatically by a business or application to a consumer (alerts, OTPs, marketing), as opposed to person-to-person texting.
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Abandoned cart recovery
Messaging that reminds customers of an incomplete purchase and invites them to complete it; RCS rich cards with the product image and a one-tap checkout button recover carts SMS and email often miss.
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Agent
In RCS, the verified brand identity through which a business sends and receives messages. Also called an RBM agent or RCS agent.
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Agent ID
The unique identifier for a verified RBM agent, included in API requests so messages are sent from the correct branded sender.
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Agent message
A message sent from an RBM agent to a user via the RCS Business Messaging API, addressed to the recipient's phone number.
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Agentic AI
Autonomous AI systems that can take actions on a user's or brand's behalf. RCS is considered an ideal channel for agentic AI because it is native, verified, rich, and two-way.
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Aggregator
A messaging intermediary that connects businesses to carriers and the RCS ecosystem, handling registration, routing, and delivery. Many RCS providers operate as aggregators.
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AI agent
An automated conversational assistant that understands requests, offers suggested replies and actions, completes tasks, and hands off to a human when needed, increasingly delivered over RCS.
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Allowlist
A list of approved test phone numbers permitted to receive messages from an RBM agent before it is fully launched, used for development and review.
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Android
Google's mobile operating system, on which RCS is delivered primarily through the Google Messages app.
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Apple
The maker of iPhone and iMessage. Apple added RCS support in iOS 18.1 (2024) and default cross-platform end-to-end encryption in iOS 26.5 (2026).
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Apple Messages for Business
Apple's business-chat channel within the Messages app on Apple devices, distinct from RCS. RCS handles cross-platform business messaging to Android and iPhone alike.
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Brand
In registration terms, a business's verified legal identity, registered before it can run messaging campaigns. Distinct from a campaign (the specific use case).
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Brand color
A brand's primary color shown in its verified RCS sender presentation, part of the branded experience that distinguishes RCS from anonymous SMS.
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Brand profile
The configured identity of an RBM agent, name, logo, hero image, color, description, and contact details, shown to recipients.
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Brand registration
The process of registering a business's legal identity with The Campaign Registry (and Google/carriers) as a prerequisite for sending A2P messages, including RCS.
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Brand vetting
Additional verification of a registered brand's legitimacy, improving trust scores and messaging throughput; an enhanced vetting tier is also available at higher cost.
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Broadcast
Sending a single message to many recipients at once (bulk messaging), as in a promotion or alert, as opposed to a one-to-one conversation.
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Bulk messaging
Sending the same message to many recipients at once; synonymous with broadcast.
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Campaign
A registered, approved messaging use case under a brand (for example marketing, alerts, or support). Both a brand and a campaign are required to send A2P messages.
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Campaign registration
Registering a specific messaging use case under a brand with The Campaign Registry, including sample messages and opt-in details, before sending.
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Capability check
A query to the RCS backend, before sending, to confirm whether a destination number can receive RCS. If not, the message is sent as SMS/MMS instead.
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Card carousel
An RCS message containing multiple rich cards (2-10) that the user swipes through horizontally; all cards share the same width and media height.
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Card orientation
Whether a rich card is laid out vertically or horizontally. Vertical cards can be combined into a carousel.
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Carousel
A horizontally swipeable set of 2-10 rich cards in a single RCS message, ideal for showing multiple products, menu items, or properties.
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Carrier
A mobile network operator that provides cellular service and delivers messages to subscribers. US carriers supporting RCS include AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular.
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Carrier filtering
Spam and abuse filtering applied by carriers to A2P traffic; non-compliant or unregistered messaging can be throttled or blocked, making registration and consent essential.
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CCMI
Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative: a joint venture announced by major US carriers in 2019 to deliver a unified RCS experience; it was later dissolved as the industry standardized on Google's…
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CCPA
California Consumer Privacy Act (with CPRA amendments): California privacy law granting disclosure, access, deletion, and opt-out rights that affect how messaging data is handled.
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Chat features
Google Messages' user-facing name for RCS. Turning on chat features enables RCS functionality such as read receipts, typing indicators, and high-resolution media.
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Chatbot
An automated conversational agent delivered through an RCS agent using the MaaP framework, offering suggested replies and actions and handing off to a human or AI as needed.
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Chip list
A row of suggestion buttons (suggested replies or actions) shown below a message or card; up to 11 chips can appear below a rich card.
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Click-through rate
The percentage of message recipients who tap a link or button. RCS click-through commonly runs 15-30%, well above typical SMS.
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Click-to-chat
An entry point, a link, button, ad, or QR code, that opens a messaging conversation with a business, a common way to start RCS conversations.
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Concatenation
Joining multiple 160-character SMS segments into one longer text, each segment billed separately. RCS avoids this by supporting long messages natively.
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Consent
A recipient's permission to receive messages. RCS requires explicit opt-in; marketing needs prior express written consent and transactional needs prior express consent.
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Content message
The payload of an RBM message, containing text and/or a rich card plus any suggestions, sent to the recipient.
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Conversation
An ongoing two-way message thread between a user and an agent. Some providers also bill or measure by conversation session.
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Conversation ID
An identifier grouping the messages of a single conversation/session, used for threading and analytics.
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Conversational AI
AI that powers natural, automated conversations; combined with RCS it delivers branded, interactive, two-way experiences with human handoff.
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Conversational commerce
Buying and selling through a chat conversation. RCS can host an entire purchase journey, discover, decide, buy, track, support, in one branded thread.
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Conversion rate
The percentage of recipients who complete a desired action (purchase, booking). RCS often lifts conversion versus SMS due to richer, one-tap experiences.
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CPaaS
Communications Platform as a Service: a cloud platform offering messaging, voice, and related APIs. Providers like Twilio, Sinch, and Infobip are CPaaS vendors.
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Create calendar event action
A suggested action that lets a user add an event to their calendar with one tap, including start/end time, title, and description.
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Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative
A 2019 joint venture by major US carriers to deliver unified RCS; later dissolved as the industry consolidated on Google's RCS platform.
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CTA
Call-to-action: the message or interface element inviting opt-in, which must disclose the brand, purpose, frequency, data-rate notice, and opt-out instructions.
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CTIA
The US wireless industry association whose Messaging Principles and Best Practices set consent, content, and opt-out standards for A2P messaging, including RCS, enforced by carriers.
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Customer journey
The end-to-end path a customer takes across touchpoints. RCS can carry much of it, discovery, decision, purchase, support, in one thread.
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Deep link
A URL that opens a specific location inside an app rather than a website, often used in suggested actions to drive app actions.
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Default messaging app
The app a phone uses to send and receive texts. RCS works in the default app, Google Messages on Android, the Messages app on iPhone.
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Deliverability
How reliably messages reach recipients, influenced by registration, trust scores, carrier relationships, and fallback handling.
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Delivery rate
The percentage of sent messages confirmed delivered to recipient devices, reported via delivery receipts.
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Delivery receipt
A webhook event confirming a message reached the recipient's device.
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Delivery window
A time range within which a scheduled message should be delivered, configurable via the API.
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Dial action
A suggested action that opens the phone dialer pre-filled with a number, letting the user call with one tap.
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DNC
Do Not Call: registries and internal lists of contacts who must not be solicited; suppression of opted-out and DNC contacts is a compliance requirement.
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Double opt-in
A consent method where the user confirms a subscription (for example by replying YES) after signing up, proving the number belongs to them.
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Drip campaign
An automated sequence of messages sent over time based on triggers or schedules, used for onboarding, nurturing, or re-engagement.
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Dynamic content
Message content that changes per recipient using variables (name, order, balance), enabling personalization at scale.
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E.164
The international standard format for phone numbers (country code plus number, e.g., +14155550123), used to address RCS and SMS messages.
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E2EE
End-to-end encryption: encryption readable only by sender and recipient. Personal RCS chats are E2EE (Universal Profile 3.0 via MLS); business RCS is encrypted in transit but not end-to-end.
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Emulator
A developer tool that simulates how RCS messages render and behave, used to build and test payloads without consuming live carrier quota.
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End-to-end encryption
See E2EE, encryption where only the communicating users can read the messages.
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Engagement rate
A measure of how much recipients interact with messages (opens, reads, clicks, replies). RCS typically drives higher engagement than SMS or email.
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Express written consent
The standard of consent required for marketing messages: a clear, signed (including electronically) agreement to receive them.
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Failover
Automatic switching to an alternate path or channel (such as SMS) when primary delivery fails, ensuring messages still reach recipients.
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Fallback
Automatic downgrade of an RCS message to SMS or MMS when the recipient can't receive RCS, so the message still arrives.
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FCC
Federal Communications Commission: the US regulator that administers and enforces the TCPA, including consent and revocation rules for messaging.
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File transfer
RCS's ability to send files such as high-resolution images, video, and PDFs over the internet, well beyond MMS limits.
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First-party data
Customer data a business collects directly, with consent. It underpins compliant, personalized RCS messaging and reliable opt-in records.
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FTC
Federal Trade Commission: the US consumer-protection regulator whose Telemarketing Sales Rule requires keeping consent records for at least five years.
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Funnel
The stages a prospect moves through toward conversion. RCS can compress the funnel by enabling discovery-to-purchase within one conversation.
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GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation: the EU privacy law governing personal-data processing, including consent and data-subject rights, relevant when messaging EU contacts.
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Google Jibe
Google's RCS platform and backend, powering RCS delivery for most carriers and the Google Messages app. See Jibe.
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Google Messages
Google's messaging app, the primary RCS client on Android and the default on many devices.
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Group chat
A conversation among multiple participants. RCS group chats offer richer features than SMS/MMS group texts for participants who have RCS.
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GSM-7
The default 7-bit SMS character encoding that limits a single SMS to 160 characters; longer texts are split into segments. RCS has no such cramped limit.
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GSMA
The GSM Association, the global mobile-operator body that owns and maintains the RCS Universal Profile standard.
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HELP keyword
A standard keyword that, when received, should return help or contact information to the user, as expected by CTIA and TCPA guidance.
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Hero image
The main banner image at the top of a verified agent's profile or a rich card, part of the branded RCS experience.
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High-resolution media
Full-quality images and video that RCS sends natively, without the heavy compression and size limits of MMS.
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iMessage
Apple's proprietary messaging service for Apple devices. Distinct from RCS, which Apple supports for cross-platform messaging with Android since iOS 18.1.
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In-app messaging
Messages shown to users inside a mobile app while they use it. Unlike RCS, it only reaches active in-app users.
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Inbound message
A message or event sent from a user to an agent (mobile originated), delivered to the business's webhook.
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Interoperability
The ability of RCS to work consistently across different carriers, devices, and apps, ensured by the GSMA Universal Profile.
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iOS
Apple's mobile operating system. RCS is supported on iPhone since iOS 18.1 (2024); iOS 26.5 (2026) added default cross-platform end-to-end encryption.
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Jibe
Google's hosted RCS backend handling registration, capability discovery, routing, and delivery for most carriers and Google Messages.
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Launch
The point at which a verified RBM agent is approved and goes live, able to message production users beyond the test allowlist.
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Lead nurturing
Guiding prospects toward conversion with timely, relevant follow-ups. RCS supports this with branded, interactive messages and one-tap actions.
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Live agent handoff
Transferring a conversation from an automated agent (chatbot/AI) to a human representative within the same RCS thread.
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Logo
A brand's mark shown with its verified RCS sender, displayed alongside the name and verification badge.
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Long code
A standard ten-digit phone number used for messaging; registered for A2P use under 10DLC.
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MaaP
Messaging as a Platform: the framework enabling chatbots and interactive services within RCS, allowing app-like conversational experiences in the inbox.
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Media height
The fixed display height (short, medium, or tall) of media within a rich card; all cards in a carousel must use the same media height.
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Media message
An RCS message whose primary content is a file such as an image, GIF, video, or PDF.
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Message and data rates
The standard disclosure that carrier message/data charges may apply, required in opt-in calls-to-action.
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Message ID
A unique identifier for an individual message, used to correlate sends with delivery, read, and interaction events.
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Message template
A predefined, reusable message structure with placeholders for dynamic content, often pre-approved for a use case.
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MIVC
Messaging-Initiated Video Calls: the headline feature of Universal Profile 4.0 (2026), letting users start a video call from a text conversation; rollout depends on carriers and devices.
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MLS
Messaging Layer Security: the protocol underpinning end-to-end encryption added in RCS Universal Profile 3.0 for personal chats.
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MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service: the cellular standard for sending media in texts, limited by heavy compression and small file sizes. RCS supersedes it where supported, with MMS as a fallback.
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MNO
Mobile Network Operator: a carrier that owns its network infrastructure and spectrum, such as AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile.
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Mobile Originated
A message or event originating from the user's device and sent to the agent (inbound). Abbreviated MO.
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Mobile Terminated
A message sent to the user's device from the agent (outbound). Abbreviated MT.
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Multi-use
An RBM agent use case combining transactional and promotional messaging in one agent, but excluding one-time passcodes (OTP).
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MVNO
Mobile Virtual Network Operator: a carrier that resells service on another operator's network. Many MVNOs (Cricket, Metro, Visible) support RCS via Google Messages.
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Native messaging app
The texting app built into a phone, where RCS operates without any separate download, Google Messages on Android, the Messages app on iPhone.
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Number lookup
Querying attributes of a phone number, such as carrier, line type, or RCS capability, before sending, to route and personalize correctly.
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Omnichannel
An approach that coordinates messaging across multiple channels (RCS, SMS, WhatsApp, email, voice) so the customer experience is consistent regardless of channel.
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Open rate
The share of recipients who open a message. SMS open rates are around 98%; RCS read rates are also high, supporting strong engagement.
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Open URL action
A suggested action that opens a web link, optionally in an app or webview, when the user taps it.
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Opt-in
A recipient's explicit agreement to receive messages, required before a business may send RCS. Must be clear, affirmative, and recorded.
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Opt-in keyword
A word a user texts (for example JOIN or START) to subscribe to a program, a common consent-capture mechanism.
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Opt-out
A recipient's withdrawal of consent. Senders must honor keywords like STOP, stop within 10 business days, and may send only one confirmation.
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OTP
One-Time Passcode: a single-use code sent for authentication. RCS supports a dedicated OTP agent use case, with the verified sender reducing phishing risk.
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OTT messaging
Over-the-top messaging apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram) that run over the internet independent of carriers. RCS differs by living in the native inbox.
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Outbound message
A message sent from an agent to a user (mobile terminated).
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P2P
Person-to-Person messaging: ordinary texting between individuals, as opposed to A2P business messaging. Personal RCS chats are end-to-end encrypted.
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Personalization
Tailoring message content to the individual recipient (name, history, preferences), which lifts RCS engagement and conversion.
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Phishing
Fraudulent messages impersonating a trusted party to steal information. RCS verified senders make brand impersonation far harder than over SMS.
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Phone number
The mobile number that addresses RCS and SMS messages, formatted in E.164 for APIs.
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Postback
The data returned to a business when a user taps a suggested reply or action; see postbackData.
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postbackData
A developer-defined string attached to a suggested reply or action, returned to the webhook when the user taps it, so the tap maps to intent without parsing text.
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Prior express consent
The consent standard for non-marketing (transactional/informational) messages: clear permission to be contacted, though not necessarily in writing.
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Privacy
The handling of personal data in messaging, governed by laws such as TCPA, CCPA/CPRA, and GDPR, plus a linked privacy policy at opt-in.
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Promotional
An RBM agent use case for marketing messages (offers, campaigns), which require prior express written consent.
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Provisioning
The carrier-side process of enabling RCS for a subscriber or sender, including registration on the RCS backend.
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Push notification
An alert delivered through an installed app. Unlike RCS, it requires the customer to have downloaded the app and enabled notifications.
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QR code opt-in
Subscribing by scanning a QR code that opens a pre-filled opt-in message or sign-up, popular for in-store and print enrollment.
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Quick reply
An informal name for a suggested reply, a tappable button that sends a predefined response.
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Quiet hours
Time windows (often overnight) during which marketing messages should not be sent, per regulations and best practice.
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Rate limiting
Limits on how many API requests or messages can be sent in a time window, to protect platform stability; high-volume senders manage throughput accordingly.
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RBM
RCS Business Messaging: the framework and ecosystem for verified brands to send rich, interactive RCS messages to customers, with SMS fallback.
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RBM Agent
A brand's verified sender identity in RCS Business Messaging, carrying its name, logo, and verification, with an assigned use case and an agent ID.
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RCS
Rich Communication Services: the GSMA's open standard that upgrades SMS/MMS into a rich, interactive, internet-based messaging experience in the native inbox, with SMS fallback.
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RCS Agent
Synonym for RBM agent, a business's verified RCS sender identity with a use case and agent ID.
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RCS API
The REST interface for sending RCS messages from a verified agent and receiving interactions via webhooks, after a capability check, addressed by agent ID.
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RCS Business Messaging
The application-to-person side of RCS, managed by Google, that lets verified brands send rich, branded, interactive messages with SMS fallback. Abbreviated RBM.
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RCS messaging
Sending and receiving messages over the RCS protocol, richer for consumers and verified, interactive, and branded for businesses.
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RCS routing
How RCS messages are directed: a capability check determines RCS versus SMS/MMS, then RCS-capable messages travel over IP through the backend to the device.
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Re-engagement
Messaging lapsed or inactive customers to win them back; RCS reaches them in the inbox even if they abandoned a brand's app.
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Reaction
An emoji response applied to a message (e.g., a thumbs-up), supported in RCS like modern chat apps.
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Read rate
The percentage of delivered messages that recipients read, reported via read receipts; RCS read rates are typically high.
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Read receipt
A webhook event (or chat indicator) confirming the recipient opened/read a message. Users can disable read receipts in personal chats.
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Registration
Enrolling a brand, campaign, and sender with the registry, Google, and carriers so a business can send compliant RCS.
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REST API
A web API style using standard HTTPS requests and JSON. The RCS API is RESTful, so any language that makes HTTPS calls can use it.
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Revocation
A recipient's withdrawal of consent by any reasonable means. Under FCC rules (effective April 2025) senders must honor it within 10 business days.
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Rich card
A single RCS message combining optional media, a title, a description, and tap-to-act buttons (at least one of media/title/description required), with up to four suggestions.
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Rich Communication Services
The full name of RCS: the GSMA standard modernizing SMS/MMS with rich, interactive, branded messaging in the native app.
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Rich text formatting
Text styling (bold, italics, strikethrough) added to RCS in Universal Profile 4.0 (2026); availability depends on carrier and device rollout.
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Roaming
Using a mobile network outside the home network's coverage. RCS works while roaming with a data connection and supporting networks; otherwise it falls back to SMS.
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ROI
Return on investment: incremental revenue minus all-in cost, divided by cost. RCS ROI is often strong because higher engagement lowers cost per outcome.
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Sandbox
A non-production environment for building and testing RCS integrations without sending to live users.
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Scheduled message
A message queued to send at a future time or within a delivery window, configured via the API or app.
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Schema markup
Structured data (Schema.org) added to web pages so search and AI systems understand content.
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Seen
A read indicator/event signaling the recipient viewed the message; equivalent to a read receipt.
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Segmentation
Dividing an audience into groups by attributes or behavior to send more relevant, personalized messages.
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Sender ID
The identity a message appears to come from. In RCS this is a verified agent (brand name, logo, badge), unlike easily-spoofed SMS sender IDs.
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Session
A bounded period of two-way conversation between a user and agent; some pricing and analytics are session-based.
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SHAFT
Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco: content categories restricted or prohibited in A2P messaging; carriers can penalize senders for prohibited content.
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Share location action
A suggested action that prompts the user to share their current location with the agent in one tap.
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Short code
A 5-6 digit number used for high-volume A2P messaging, leased and approved through carriers; an alternative addressing option to 10DLC long codes.
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Smishing
SMS phishing: fraudulent text messages designed to steal information. RCS verified senders help recipients distinguish genuine brand messages.
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SMPP
Short Message Peer-to-Peer: a protocol for high-volume SMS exchange between applications and carriers, offered by some providers alongside REST APIs.
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SMS
Short Message Service: the original 160-character plain-text cellular messaging standard. Universal and reliable, it is the fallback layer beneath RCS.
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SMS fallback
Automatically delivering a message as SMS (or MMS) when the recipient cannot receive RCS, preserving reach.
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SMS segment
A single 160-character (GSM-7) unit of an SMS message; long messages are split into multiple billed segments. RCS sends long messages without segmentation.
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Spam
Unsolicited bulk messaging. RCS reduces it through enforced opt-in, registration, and verified senders, with carriers filtering abusive A2P traffic.
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Spoofing
Faking a sender's identity. SMS sender IDs are easily spoofed; RCS resists this through verified, vetted senders shown with a badge.
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Standalone card
A single rich card sent on its own (not in a carousel), combining media, title, description, and suggestions.
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STOP keyword
A universal opt-out keyword; receiving it (or QUIT, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, OPT OUT, REVOKE) requires the sender to stop messaging.
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Streaming video
Video that plays within a rich card, added to business messaging in Universal Profile 4.0 (2026); rollout depends on carriers and devices.
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Subscribe event
A webhook event signaling a user opted in to an agent, used for consent management.
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Suggested action
A tappable button that triggers a device action, open URL, dial, view/share location, or create a calendar event, with display text and postbackData.
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Suggested reply
A tappable button that sends a predefined response in one tap (up to ~25 characters), returning postbackData to the webhook, the cleanest way to capture intent.
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Suggestion
An umbrella term for suggested replies and suggested actions, the tappable buttons that make RCS interactive.
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Super app
A single app combining many services (chat, commerce, payments, services). RCS is increasingly described as evolving toward a super-app surface in the inbox.
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TCPA
Telephone Consumer Protection Act: the US federal law governing automated calls and texts, including consent and opt-out rules, enforced by the FCC and via private lawsuits.
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Telemarketing Sales Rule
An FTC rule governing telemarketing that, among other things, requires keeping consent records for at least five years.
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Test device
A phone on the agent's allowlist used to preview and test messages before launch.
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The Campaign Registry
TCR: the US registry managing brand and campaign registration for A2P messaging, charging brand, vetting, and campaign fees that providers pass through.
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Throughput
The rate at which messages can be sent, often expressed as transactions per second; influenced by trust scores and provider limits.
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Time zone targeting
Scheduling messages to arrive at an appropriate local time for each recipient, improving engagement and compliance with quiet hours.
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TLS
Transport Layer Security: the encryption protecting RCS messages in transit between user, provider, and backend. Business RCS uses TLS but is not end-to-end encrypted.
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Toll-free messaging
A2P messaging over toll-free numbers, a verified alternative to short codes and 10DLC long codes for business texting.
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TPS
Transactions Per Second: the throughput limit governing how many messages an account can send per second.
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Tracking link
A URL with parameters that records clicks, letting senders measure engagement from message buttons and links.
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Transactional
An RBM agent use case for non-marketing notifications (confirmations, updates, alerts), which require prior express consent.
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Trust badge
A general term for the verification checkmark and branded identity that signal a genuine, vetted RCS business sender.
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Trust score
A rating of a registered brand's or campaign's legitimacy that influences messaging throughput and deliverability; better vetting raises it.
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Two-factor authentication
Verifying identity with a second factor, commonly a one-time passcode. RCS can deliver these via a verified OTP agent.
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Two-way messaging
Conversational messaging where recipients can reply and interact, enabling support, surveys, and commerce, native to RCS.
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Typing indicator
The animation showing that the other party is composing a message, supported in RCS but not SMS.
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Universal Profile
The GSMA specification defining RCS features and technical enablers so implementations interoperate across carriers and devices.
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Universal Profile 3.0
The RCS Universal Profile version (March 2025) that introduced end-to-end encryption for personal chats via the MLS protocol.
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Universal Profile 4.0
The RCS Universal Profile version finalized March 2026, adding Messaging-Initiated Video Calls, rich-text formatting, and streaming video in rich cards; rollout depends on carriers and devices.
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Unsubscribe event
A webhook event signaling a user opted out of an agent, used to suppress further messaging for consent compliance.
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URL click tracking
Measuring taps on links within messages, often via tracking links, to gauge engagement and conversion.
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UScellular
A US carrier that supports RCS, alongside the three major operators; it also applies per-message A2P carrier surcharges.
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Use case
The defined purpose of an RBM agent or campaign, OTP, transactional, promotional, or multi-use, governing what it may send.
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Validity period
How long a message remains valid for delivery before it expires if undeliverable.
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Variables
Placeholders in a message or template (such as name or order number) replaced with recipient-specific values at send time.
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Verification badge
The checkmark shown with a verified RCS sender, signaling that Google and carriers have vetted the brand, RCS's anti-spoofing cue.
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Verified sender
A business RCS identity vetted by Google and carriers, displayed with the brand's name, logo, and verification badge, the core anti-spoofing feature of RCS.
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Verified SMS
Google's earlier feature that displayed brand verification on SMS, a precursor to the verified senders now native to RCS Business Messaging.
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Vetting
The review process that validates a brand's legitimacy for messaging, affecting trust scores and throughput; enhanced vetting is available at higher cost.
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Video calling
Starting a video call from a conversation, introduced to RCS as Messaging-Initiated Video Calls in Universal Profile 4.0 (2026).
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View location action
A suggested action that opens a map at a specified location (latitude/longitude with a label) when tapped.
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Webhook
An HTTPS endpoint where the RCS platform sends real-time events, inbound messages, suggestion taps, delivery and read receipts, typing, and opt-in/out.
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Webhook event
A single notification delivered to a webhook, such as delivered, read, inbound message, suggestion response, typing, failure/fallback, or subscribe/unsubscribe.
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WhatsApp Business
Meta's business-messaging product on the WhatsApp app. It offers rich, two-way messaging but requires the app, unlike RCS which lives in the native inbox.
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