RCS statistics: 30 things you need to know in 2024

RCS messaging has been gaining momentum among enterprises recently, and recent RCS statistics suggest no signs of it slowing down. With its potential to enhance customer engagement through rich media, establish trust through verified senders, and fuel business growth, RCS’ potential is undeniable.

But what exactly is fueling its adoption and success, and what lies ahead in terms of growth?

We compiled the latest and greatest RCS statistics and facts to help you navigate your business’ RCS messaging strategy in 2024.

Before going into specifics, let’s explore some general facts about the RCS market landscape.  

• Groundbreaking initiative: RCS, first developed by the GSM Association (GSMA) in 2006, was first released in 2008.  
• Massive user base: In 2023, Google reported over one billion monthly active users with RCS enabled, and with Apple adding support for RCS in some markets, this number is expected to grow quickly. 
• Android dominates: With Android holding more than 70% of mobile operating system market share worldwide, RCS has a vast user base.  
• Market growth: The global RCS market was estimated to be worth US $8.37 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $19.48 billion by 2028.  
• Growing operator support: RCS has full coverage from operators in nine countries and growing. 

These insights into the RCS market lay the groundwork for understanding its potential to shape the future of business communication. Next, let’s look at what features make RCS so exciting.

RCS stands out for businesses because of its features designed to enhance communication and engagement. Here are a few features that really set it apart.  

• Higher text limits: While SMS has a limit of 160 characters per message, RCS doesn’t have a limit. 
• Send bigger files: RCS allows for large file sharing, with a capacity of up to 10MB in size. 
• Branding opportunities: All RCS business messages are branded with verified sender information, which is especially important for brands sending sensitive messages like OTPs. 
• Deeper metrics: RCS business messages allow you to see three key business metrics: Number of messages sent, delivered, and opened.  
• Wide availability: RCS messages are sent to the native messaging app on an Android user’s mobile device and in iMessage where interoperability is supported, meaning users don’t have to download an app before they can use RCS.

These distinctive features offer enterprises the means to deliver compelling messages and create great customer relationships. Next, let’s look at why businesses are rapidly adopting RCS.

Businesses are quickly embracing RCS. Here are a few key RCS statistics that illustrate the pace of its uptake.  

• Rapid adoption: In June 2023, RCS business messaging adoption surged by over 40% compared to the previous 12 months, outpacing growth of other messaging channels. 
• Markets witnessing noticeable growth: Operator Orange S.A. reported a remarkable 400% growth in 2023 in France compared to the previous year.  
• Explosive rise in messaging volume: Brands sent 25,000 times more RCS messages in November 2023 than they did in February 2022, showcasing the exponential rise in RCS business messaging usage. 

With so many brands quickly and swiftly adopting RCS, it seems like a shift is happening when it comes to customer and business interactions, signaling an important potential for RCS to have on customer engagement.

Customer expectations and preferences are changing, and they’re looking for consistently great customer experiences. RCS, with its unique features and capabilities are available on both Android and in iOS 18, might be a good way to give that to them. Here’s why.  

• Customers want two-way conversations: 89% of consumers have expressed a desire for two-way conversations with businesses via messaging channels and apps.  
• Trust correlates with purchase intent: 87% of customers actively avoid buying from brands they don’t trust. Moreover, 71% of customers say they’ll stop buying from a company altogether if their trust is broken.  
• Customers expect new technologies: 75% of customers expect businesses to use new technologies to create better experiences, and 64% indicate that new communication methods like messaging apps would alter their expectations of companies.  
• Customers want personalization: 71% of customers expect personalized interactions with companies, emphasizing the importance of tailored communication and experiences.  

These statistics show a major shift in customer engagement, and highlight the growing demand from customers for meaningful brand interactions. So, how can RCS rise to meet those expectations? Let’s go through how RCS is already making a difference.

RCS messaging excels in marketing campaigns, delivering high engagement rates and increased readability. Businesses using RCS have also seen major improvements in conversion and click-through rates. Here are some key stats highlighting its effectiveness.  

• High engagement rates: 90% of rich media messages are opened within 15 minutes, and customers engage with RCS content for up to 45 seconds.  
• Increased readability: People are 35 times more likely to read an RCS message than email.  
• Great conversion rates: Business campaigns using RCS messaging have shown an 80% conversion rate, indicating its effectiveness in driving engagement and sales.
• Higher than average click-through-rates: RCS marketing campaigns see between three times and seven times higher click-through rates than Rich SMS. 
• Enhanced performance metrics across channels: Compared to other channels, RCS campaigns have seen 200% increases in click rates. 

RCS has a major potential to drive engagement and boost business performance across a number of different metrics. Here are a few specific examples of this in action.

Case study: Picard’s conversational RCS experience

Picard, a premium frozen food retailer, used RCS messaging as a crucial part of its holiday engagement strategy. 

That meant using the rich messaging channel to help their customers imagine their holiday menus, taking into account things like dietary preferences, budget considerations, and even their desire to cook. 

Here are a few statistics from their holiday campaign: 

• Increase in redirections: The RCS format generated over 10% more clicks to the Picard website than Rich SMS. 
• Higher engagement: Customer engagement was 42% higher. 
• Heightened CTR: Three times higher click-through rate than Rich SMS. 

Without a doubt, Picard’s audience wants conversational experiences, and RCS is a great way to provide them!  

Case study: Micromania-Zing’s holiday marketing strategy

Micromania-Zing, a major video game retail company, used RCS as part of its omnichannel marketing strategy to support its customers with their Christmas purchases. 

A few days before Christmas, Micromania-Zing used RCS messages to reach customers who’d not yet purchased gifts and reminded them to do so.

Here are a few statistics from their RCS campaign:  

• More calls to action: RCS offered up to four calls to action for use in redirecting clients to different categories in its campaigns.  
• Higher click rate: 7x higher click rate than Rich SMS. 
• Improved visibility: 86% higher read rate than newsletters. 

Clearly, Micromania-Zing’s RCS campaign proved to be highly effective in driving engagement during the holiday season.

Case study: RCS statistics from BUT’s retail marketing strategy

BUT, a leading home furnishing retailer in France, used several different messaging channels to seamlessly connect with customers, strategically growing their WhatsApp opt-in base with RCS. 

Here are a few statistics and facts from their omnichannel marketing campaign:  

• Through-the-roof CTR: Their RCS campaign boasted a click-through-rate of 20%. 
• Fully scalable: BUT used RCS to send over 20 campaigns to over five million contacts.  
• Successful omnichannel strategy: Using these channels to the best of their abilities, BUT increased its WhatsApp customer base by 123%!  

When used as part of an omnichannel strategy, RCS messaging has proven to be a powerful tool for enhancing customer engagement and driving conversions.

RCS messaging is revolutionizing communication in 2024, and we expect this momentum to keep growing into 2025 and beyond. Its expanding user base, innovative features, and proven success for marketing campaigns make RCS a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their audience and drive growth.

As we move forward, the possibilities for RCS are endless, and businesses that embrace the technology will stand to gain.  

Want to seize the opportunity to use RCS? Download our actionable guide about how to make a compelling business case for RCS and bring it into your organization.

Or, if you’re already prepared to integrate RCS into your business strategy, let’s chat. Our team is excited to help you harness the power of this messaging channel to elevate customer engagement and drive success.