How RCS pricing works for business messaging

In 2025, 84% of consumers are opting in to receive text messages from businesses – that’s a 6% jump from the year before. And with Apple now rolling out Rich Communication Services (RCS) support on iPhones/iOS, a massive opportunity has opened for brands to engage customers in fresh, exciting ways. 

Why is this such a big deal? RCS messaging lets businesses send rich, branded messages that go way beyond what traditional SMS can offer, all within a customers’ native mobile messaging inbox. This means brands can grab their customers’ attention with more interactive, visually appealing content, right where they’re already spending their time.

Source: SimpleTexting’s texting and SMS marketing statistics in 2025 

But before jumping into RCS, you’re probably wondering: How much does it cost, and how does it compare to SMS?  

In this guide, we’ll break down RCS pricing, covering everything you need to know before sending RCS messages to consumers. From the steps to get started to the different message types (or billing categories) and what goes into pricing each message type, we’ve got you covered.

Before diving into pricing, let’s talk first about how businesses actually send RCS messages. To use RCS as a brand, you must first set up an RCS Agent, which acts as your business’s identity within the RCS ecosystem. Setting up an RCS Agent involves creating a profile, configuring your brand identity like the logo shown in your messages, defining message automation triggers, and completing the necessary verification to ensure compliance with carrier and Google guidelines.  

Once your RCS Agent is set up, you can begin sending RCS for Business messages based on the preferences and configurations you’ve chosen. The type of RCS Agent you set up will play a key role in pricing, so it’s important to understand how that works. 

_{Learn how to set up an RCS for Business Agent from start to finish with this step-by-step walkthrough.}

When it comes to RCS for Business (previously called RCS Business Messaging or “RBM”), pricing isn’t set by a global entity – it’s managed by mobile operators (MNOs/carriers). This means there’s no single, global price for RCS messages. Instead, RCS pricing varies depending on factors like carrier agreements, market conditions, and the message volume you’re looking to send.  

If you’re considering RCS for your business, it’s important to check with your messaging provider to understand the pricing specific to your region. Since RCS is a carrier-managed service, the cost can differ significantly depending on the carrier, the market you’re in, and how much you’re messaging. Keep this in mind when planning your RCS strategy.

So, while RCS pricing is managed by carriers, it also comes with different billing models. Let’s take a closer look at those next. 

Brands have multiple ways to connect with customers via RCS. The two main types of RCS for Business messages are Basic and Single messages. The names for these may vary by region, but for the most part, they work consistently where they’re supported.

Basic messages are the simplest forms of RCS, limited to 160 characters of text. They function much like SMS but with the added benefit of verified, branded sender profiles and URL previews. They’re great for sending one-off updates like one-time passwords that don’t need a response. 

Single messages, on the other hand, allow businesses to include images, videos, GIFs, buttons, carousels, and more. They’re ideal for marketing campaigns or product showcases. 

A brand can send both Basic and Single messages, but how a business sets up its RCS Agent will determine the billing model. Let’s explore that next. 

RCS pricing isn’t one-size-fits all; it depends on how a brand’s RCS Agent is configured, and the type of message being sent. There are two main RCS Agent billing configurations that determine how pricing applies: Non-conversational, and Conversational.  

If a business sets up a Non-conversational Agent (which include both “Basic” or “Single” message categories), each message is billed separately, similar to SMS messaging. The pricing depends on the type of message being sent: 

• Basic messages: Text-only messages (up to 160 characters) 

• Single messages: More than 160 characters of text and multimedia 

It’s worth noting that even if a business has a Non-conversational Agent, two-way conversations are still possible if a customer replies. However, these conversations will be billed per message. 

Conversational Agents enable real-time, two-way interactions between brands and consumers. Pricing works as follows:  

• The first message sent is billed as either Basic or Single, depending on its content.  

• If the recipient responds, a 24-hour conversation session begins, during which all messages are covered under a flat Conversational rate.  

The takeaway? If a user doesn’t respond, each message is charged separately, based on the message type sent (Basic or Single). If they do respond, the pricing shifts to the session-based Conversational model. This setup usually makes Conversational RCS most cost-effective for ongoing interactions, like for customer support or chatbot engagements. 

To help clear up any lingering questions you may have about RCS pricing, we’ve put together some of the most common questions businesses have when exploring RCS for their messaging strategy. 

RCS costs vary by carrier, region, and message volume. Some carriers might offer bulk discounts, while others may have different pricing structures based on how the RCS Agent is configured. Businesses should consult with their messaging provider for precise cost details in their target markets. 

For the most part, carriers set RCS pricing based on different billing categories and usage patterns. Some factors include the type of message being sent and regional market conditions.

Typically, SMS follows a per-message pricing model. RCS pricing, on the other hand, varies depending on the message type a business is sending. Basic and Single messages are billed individually; setting up a Conversational Agent allows businesses to send multiple messages within a session at a fixed rate.  

Free to End User (FTEU) messaging, which is usually available for SMS, is not an option for RCS. This means that because RCS messages rely on Wi-Fi or mobile data for delivery, end users may be subject to their mobile data plans when receiving these messages. This is similar to messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage, where data or Wi-Fi is needed to send and receive messages.  

It depends. Businesses may find some message/billing categories may have a higher per-message cost than SMS, and Conversational RCS can be more cost-effective for ongoing interactions. Since multiple messages fit into a single session, businesses doing customer support or conversational messaging with their customers will probably find it delivers better value.  

It’s also important to distinguish between costs and pricing. The cost of delivering an RCS is determined by carriers, but the price a service provider charges a business can vary. At Sinch, we offer competitive pricing for RCS, often aligning it with SMS to ensure businesses get the best value.  

If your business already uses SMS, transitioning to RCS can be super simple. Many businesses will choose to start sending Basic RCS messages using the same API and pricing that they do to send SMS – basically, an automatic capability check ensures messages send as RCS when possible, and default to SMS when not.  

While RCS pricing varies by carrier and region, businesses can optimize costs by selecting the right messaging partner and use case for their needs. 

At Sinch, we’re focused on transforming digital communications by focusing on helping businesses create real, meaningful connections with customers. RCS is just one of the tools that can help businesses do this more effectively. Whether you’re focused on customer engagement, improving service delivery, sending timely authentication messages, or offering personalized customer experiences, RCS will allow you to provide richer, more personalized interactions that keep the customer at the center of every interaction. And with higher engagement and improved ROI, investing in RCS can be well worth it. 

Ready to explore how RCS can elevate your messaging? Let’s talk and see how we can help you create more meaningful connections with your customers.