Overview
Rich Communication Services (RCS) allows businesses to send branded messages with text, images, videos, and interactive elements.
RCS pricing depends on the destination country and message type. There are two main pricing components:
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Registration fees: Charges associated with registering and verifying an RCS sender.
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Messaging list prices: Charges for sending and receiving RCS messages, based on the destination country and message classification.
1. RCS Registration Fees
The following registration fees apply to US RCS sender registration.
| Registration Type | Fee (USD) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Brand verification | $200 | Annually |
| T-Mobile registration submission | $500 | One-time |
Registration requirements and fees may differ for other countries.
2. Understanding RCS Message Types
RCS messages are classified as Basic RCS or Single RCS. The classification determines how messages are billed.
Basic RCS Messages
Basic RCS messages are text-only messages without media attachments.
For the United States:
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Text-only messages remain Basic RCS regardless of length.
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Messages are billed in segments of 160 UTF-8 bytes.
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Messages exceeding 160 UTF-8 bytes are charged for additional segments.
For countries outside the United States:
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Text-only messages containing up to 160 UTF-8 bytes are classified as Basic RCS.
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Basic RCS messages are billed per message.
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Text-only messages exceeding 160 UTF-8 bytes are classified as Single RCS.
Example:
“Hi John, your appointment with ABC Dental is confirmed for tomorrow at 10 AM. Thank you!”
This is a Basic RCS message because it contains only text and is within the 160 UTF-8-byte limit.
Single RCS Messages
Single RCS messages include rich media or, outside the United States, text-only messages exceeding 160 UTF-8 bytes.
A message is classified as Single RCS when:
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It contains an image, video, or other media attachment.
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It includes a rich card or card media.
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It is a non-US text-only message exceeding 160 UTF-8 bytes.
Single RCS messages are billed per message rather than per text segment.
Example:
“Hi John, check out our latest collection! Tap the button below to explore.”
When this message includes a product image or rich card, it is classified as Single RCS.
Basic vs. Single RCS: Quick Comparison
| Message Scenario | United States | Other Countries |
|---|---|---|
| Text-only, up to 160 UTF-8 bytes | Basic | Basic |
| Text-only, over 160 UTF-8 bytes | Basic (multiple segments) | Single |
| Message containing an image | Single | Single |
| Message containing card media | Single | Single |
| Basic billing | Per segment | Per message |
| Single billing | Per message | Per message |
Important: Message length is calculated using UTF-8 bytes, not simply the number of visible characters. Emojis and certain special characters may occupy multiple bytes.
3. RCS List Prices by Country
The following table shows the published RCS messaging list prices for supported countries.
All prices are in USD.
| Country | Basic Outbound | Single Outbound | Inbound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | $0.0979 | $0.2252 | $0.0075 |
| Belgium | $0.1667 | $0.3834 | $0.0075 |
| Brazil | $0.0599 | $0.1378 | $0.0250 |
| Canada | $0.0083 | $0.0220 | $0.0083 |
| Czech Republic | $1.5758 | $3.6243 | $0.0075 |
| Denmark | $0.0592 | $0.1362 | $0.0075 |
| Finland | $0.0861 | $0.1980 | $0.0075 |
| France | $0.0798 | $0.1835 | $0.0075 |
| Germany | $0.1120 | $0.2576 | $0.0075 |
| Ireland | $0.0779 | $0.1792 | $0.0075 |
| Italy | $0.0927 | $0.2132 | $0.0200 |
| Mexico | $0.1819 | $0.4184 | $0.0075 |
| Netherlands | $0.1143 | $0.2629 | $0.0075 |
| Norway | $0.0697 | $0.1603 | $0.0075 |
| Poland | $0.0457 | $0.1051 | $0.0075 |
| Portugal | $0.0501 | $0.1152 | $0.0450 |
| Romania | $0.0781 | $0.1796 | $0.0075 |
| Singapore | $0.0591 | $0.1359 | $0.0470 |
| Slovakia | $0.0883 | $0.2031 | $0.0100 |
| Spain | $0.0875 | $0.2013 | $0.0075 |
| Sweden | $0.0808 | $0.1858 | $0.0075 |
| United Kingdom | $0.0560 | $0.1288 | $0.0075 |
| United States | $0.0083 | $0.0220 | $0.0083 |
Important Pricing Notes
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United States: Basic RCS is billed per 160 UTF-8-byte segment. Single RCS is billed per message.
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Other countries: Both Basic and Single RCS are billed per message.
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Inbound RCS: The listed inbound rates apply by destination country. For the United States, Basic inbound RCS costs $0.0083 per segment, while Single/Rich inbound RCS costs $0.0165 per message.
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Prices may change over time.