RCS Business Messaging in India: Branded Rich Messages
Send RCS business messages across India under your verified brand: rich cards, video, carousels of up to 10 cards and action buttons, right in the phone's own Messages app. You pay only for numbers that have RCS.
The best & quickest carousel interface, ever
Add a card, drop in a picture, write a title and a line, add buttons — and see it exactly as your customers will. Here is how Atlas Holidays shows four holiday packages in one message.
What is RCS Business Messaging?
RCS is the upgrade to SMS. It lands in the same Messages app, on phones where RCS is turned on, and carries what an SMS cannot.
Your name, logo and tick
The chat opens under your verified brand, where an SMS shows only a short sender ID.
Cards and carousels
A picture or video with a heading and a line, or several such cards to swipe through.
Link, Call, Location and Chat
Open your website, call you, find your store on the map, or start a chat with you.
Each person's name and details
Upload a file and each customer gets their own name, amount or link in the message.
RCS vs SMS vs WhatsApp
| Feature | RCS | SMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving app | The phone's Messages app | The phone's Messages app | The WhatsApp app |
| Rich media | Images, video and carousels | Text only | Images, video, documents and carousels |
| Business identity | Verified brand name, logo and tick | A short sender ID | Business name and profile |
| Interactivity | Link, Call, Location and Chat buttons | A link typed into the text | Quick-reply, link and call buttons, and chat |
| Promotional rate | 25p to 28p per message | Per-SMS DLT rate (text only) | 90p to Rs 1 per marketing message |
| Recipient needs | RCS turned on in their Messages app | Any mobile phone | WhatsApp, and an opt-in to hear from you |
From a list of numbers to rich messages
Verified brand
We set up your verified brand: name, logo and colours, as customers will see them.
Build your message
A text message, a rich card or a carousel of up to 10 cards, with pictures and videos from your media library.
Upload numbers
Paste numbers or upload a CSV. We check which numbers have RCS.
Send or schedule
Send now or schedule, and track delivery and reads.
Who can receive RCS messages?
Whether a number can receive RCS depends on the recipient's phone, its Messages app and RCS availability on their network.
Every number is checked
mSandesh checks each number on your list for RCS, and shows how many can receive the campaign before you confirm.
Numbers without RCS are left out
Numbers without RCS are filtered out before sending. You may choose to send WhatsApp bulk messages to those numbers instead.
RCS use cases for Indian businesses
Atlas Holidays' holiday packages campaign
- Atlas Holidays builds one carousel with four packages: Kerala, Bhutan, Europe and Maldives, as shown above.
- It uploads its opted-in customer list to mSandesh.
- mSandesh checks which numbers have RCS and sends the campaign to them.
- Customers browse all four destinations in one message and tap View Itinerary, Call Now or Enquire on WhatsApp, without installing another app.
- Atlas Holidays tracks delivery and reads in Reports.
Model carousels
One card per model, with a Location button to the nearest dealership.
Product collections
A new collection as cards, each with a View Product button.
Property cards
Each property with a brochure link and a Location button to the site.
Courses and admissions
Course details, with Call or Chat buttons for admission enquiries.
RCS pricing explained
Promotional messages are charged per message, at your package's rate.
- Transactional and Service chat-in
- Price on request.
- Setup
- A one-time setup charge for your verified brand.
- RCS check
- Free. Only numbers that have RCS are charged.
- Your package
- Decides the per-message rate. The setup charge is the same on every package.
- GST
- All prices are exclusive of 18% GST.
Example: 1,000 Promotional messages on Growth cost 1,000 × 26.5p = Rs 265 + GST — whether you send plain text, a video card or a 10-card carousel.
RCS rates follow Google's pricing and may change.
Do customers need to install an app?+
No. RCS messages arrive in the Messages app that is already on the phone.
How is RCS different from WhatsApp?+
RCS arrives in the phone's built-in Messages app, while WhatsApp needs the WhatsApp app. Both carry pictures and buttons, and many businesses use both from one mSandesh dashboard.
What happens when RCS isn't available on a number?+
That number is left out of the campaign and is not charged. You can reach it on WhatsApp instead if you wish.
What rich-message formats are supported?+
Text, rich cards with an image or video, and carousels of several cards, each with Link, Call, Location or Chat buttons.
Can messages be personalised?+
Yes. Upload a CSV and each customer's name, amount or link is filled into their own message.
Does a 10-card carousel cost more than a single text message?+
No. Every promotional message is charged at your package rate, whatever it carries: plain text, one rich card or a carousel of up to 10 cards.
What do I need for RCS brand verification?+
Your brand details, GST certificate, website, logo and the registration form. We register your RCS Assistant with the carrier, so your messages show your verified name and tick.
Can I track delivery and reads?+
Yes. Reports show sent, delivered, read and failed for every number, campaign by campaign.
Rich messages, right where customers read them.
WhatsApp and RCS from one dashboard.