RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a more sophisticated version of SMS. It can be used to send visual and interactive content such as high-resolution images, links, videos and buttons to Android phones. RCS does not require the installation of a separate application; the native messaging application on Android phones, which is also used for SMS (Messages), supports RCS messaging as such.
“RCS brings new ways for companies to interact with and activate customers. With more visual content, customers can be addressed more effectively and have a greater impact on both sales and customer experience.”, says Quriiri's Business Director and co-founder Lasse Lohikoski.
How does an RCS message differ from a traditional SMS message?
RCS makes text messaging more versatile and efficient. Because the message is easier and more attractive to interact with, it gets higher click-through rates than traditional text messages.
Verified sender information
The sender of an RCS message is always verified, so the recipient can be confident that the message comes from a trusted source. Any company wishing to send RCS messages goes through a brand registration process, which entitles them to send messages on behalf of their brand. This provides additional security and effectively prevents spam and phishing messages.
Visuals and buttons
RCS messages are more visual than existing text messages and make interaction easier, more pleasant and smoother. A variety of buttons and interactive content make the messages even more effective.
Images in an RCS message are not compressed, but can be sent in their original quality. WhatsApp, for example, reduces the size of the images sent, resulting in a significant loss of quality. An RCS message can include a video, which is displayed directly on the user's phone in the RCS message thread.
Carousel
With the carousel, up to 10 product cards can be included in the message for customers to browse and click on.
Localisation and map links
RCS supports location sharing - for example, showing the nearest store or branch on a map.
Analytics
The analytics features of RCS give you a comprehensive picture of the effectiveness of your campaign. See when customers open your messages, link clicks and responses. Track how your campaigns are performing and make follow-up actions and improvements.
Security and trust
Only approved, verified brands can send RCS messages. This prevents scam attempts and creates a safe messaging experience for customers.
Other features of the RCS message
There is no limit on the length of a single RCS message. The maximum length of a single message in a traditional SMS is 160 characters. Messages longer than this will appear as a single message to the recipient, but operators, for example, charge for two or more messages. RCS messages are read receipts and also display an ”Elsa is writing...” style message indicating that the other party is in the process of writing a message.
RCS supports the fallback function. This means that if an RCS message cannot be delivered, it can be automatically resent, e.g. as an SMS message.
RCS vs SMS - what's the difference?
RCS messages offer significantly more functionality than traditional SMS messages. While SMS is limited to 160 characters and plain text, RCS offers an app-like user experience directly in the messaging application.
With RCS, companies can:
- send high-resolution images and videos
- distribute interactive product carousels
- add action buttons to your messages, for example to buy or book
- all directly in your phone's messaging app
These features create a smoother, more engaging and inclusive customer experience that increases engagement and builds brand loyalty.
The main differences are:
- Safety and reliability: sending messages requires registration of the sender, which increases reliability.
- Multimedia: RCS supports rich media - images, videos, GIFs and audio files - all in the same message.
- Branding: companies can personalise their messages with a logo, colours and name - SMS does not support this.
- Delivery and reading references: RCS provides a real-time view of whether a message has been delivered, read or whether the recipient is writing a reply.
- Interactive elements: carousels, buttons and suggested answers allow for a seamless purchase path directly from the message.
- Analytics: The RCS message allows for more sophisticated analytics than the SMS message. Track delivery, read, click and response rates.
The additional features of RCS offer significant benefits for improving the customer experience and enhancing communications - both in terms of customer journey and operational efficiency.
What are the benefits of the RCS message for businesses?
RCS offers businesses a new way to reach and engage customers:
- Visuality and interactivity: allows for branded messages, calls to action and product cards.
- Two-way communication: customers can reply to messages or make purchases directly from the message.
- Reliability: The sender of an RCS message is always verified, so the recipient can be confident that the message comes from a trusted source.
- Higher engagement: interactive messages increase customer engagement and conversions.
Even though RCS messages can only be sent to Android phones and therefore have a smaller number of recipients, this smaller number of recipients can be quite effective. Messages are more likely to be responded to and conversion rates are significantly higher than traditional SMS (MobileSquared & Google).
RCS allows businesses to deliver visual, branded and interactive content directly to customers' phones. This can significantly increase conversions, open and click-through rates. Both marketing messages and benefit messages will be much more than just text in the future. According to Google, up to 74% people are willing to click or otherwise interact with a company through RCS.
In which countries do RCS messages work?
Finland RCS messages currently work on Elisa subscriptions and Android phones. However, it is promised to expand. During 2024, Apple brought RCS support to iPhone users with the iOS 18 update and we expect support to come to Finland during 2025.
It is estimated that up to 1.47 million people in Finland can be reached through RCS messages, offering companies a significant opportunity for customer communication.
RCS has full coverage in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and India. In some countries, RCS is fully supported through Google services, while in others support is partial and relies on the RCS service provided by local mobile operators.
What kind of content is suitable for an RCS message?
The content of an RCS message can be basically anything you want to communicate to the customer, such as an offer message, an advertisement for a new product, a feedback survey, information about delivery, a confirmation message or a reminder message.
Companies selling products can send offers or information about new products by posting a picture of the product and a link directly to the product page. Feedback surveys become even more effective with a one-touch response. Authentication will also be made easier by adding a button to the two-step authentication message, allowing the user to activate the login. This eliminates the need to enter a pin code when logging in.
Registration and feedback surveys:
Notifications and rewards:
Identification:
How to start RCS communication?
Sending RCS messages via Quriiri is easy:
1. Sender profile: register a sender profile for your brand, including name, logo, colours and contact details.
2. Creating a message: The Quriiri interface allows you to create messages containing text, images, videos or product cards.
3. SMS fall back: if you wish, set SMS fall back, so that the message is sent as an SMS to those who cannot receive RCS messages.
4. Testing: test your message before sending to make sure everything works correctly.
5. Send: send messages to a target group of your choice and track results in real time.
Summary
RCS is a modern and efficient communication channel that combines the reach of traditional SMS with the rich features of modern messaging applications. It offers businesses the opportunity to improve the customer experience, increase engagement and boost marketing effectiveness.
However, there is one area where traditional SMS still has the upper hand. RCS works via mobile data or WiFi, while traditional SMS does not require an internet connection. Therefore, traditional SMS will continue to reach people in areas where there is no internet access.
If you want to adopt RCS and make the most of its potential, contact us Quriiri experts and start your journey towards more effective customer communication.
We are happy to provide you with more information on both SMS and RCS communication.
