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RCS in Open Doors

10 min read Updated 3 November 2026

Messaging · LabsRCS MessagingBranded, interactive RCS messaging, Labs access, sender registration, approval, and pricing.Overview

RCS gives businesses a richer messaging experience than traditional SMS by supporting branded sender identities, media, interactive elements, and enhanced delivery signals on compatible devices.

RCS is available through Labs for selected sub-accounts. Businesses can register senders and track approval. Live messaging requires an approved RCS sender, and SMS fallback may be used when supported and configured.

Important

RCS Messaging is available through Labs, not enabled by default for every account. Agencies can select sub-accounts for access. A registered sender must receive carrier and provider approval before live messaging.

Table of Contents1What is RCS?2RCS Messaging Availability Through Labs3Key Benefits of RCS4What You Can Send with RCS5How RCS Compares to SMS and MMS6Who Can Receive RCS?7Compliance and Consent8Before You Set Up RCS9Fees & Timelines (US Registrations)10How to Enable RCS and Register Your Sender11Message Statuses12Pricing and Billing13Failed Message Billing14Frequently Asked Questions15Ready to Get Started?16Related Articles1

What is RCS?

Rich Communication Services (RCS) expands business messaging beyond traditional SMS by allowing compatible recipients to receive branded and interactive messages in their supported messaging app. Understanding how RCS differs from SMS helps you design messages that take advantage of rich features while remaining effective when SMS fallback is required.

RCS on the platform can support capabilities such as:

Branded business identity
Images and rich media
Tappable actions such as Call , Open URL , and Suggested Reply
Standalone rich cards
Carousels
Delivery signals
Read or Opened signals when supported by the recipient's device and settings

Recipients must have a supported device, messaging app, carrier or network, and RCS configuration. When those requirements are not met, the platform can use SMS fallback when fallback is enabled.

The Core Idea

RCS adds business branding and interactive features to messaging. For contacts who cannot receive RCS, supported SMS fallback can provide an alternative when configured.

RCS Messaging Availability Through Labs

Labs gives agencies control over which sub-accounts can access RCS while the feature is being introduced more broadly.

RCS Messaging is available through Labs . Agencies can introduce RCS to selected sub-accounts and let businesses register senders directly inside the platform. A Private Beta application is no longer required for the new Labs onboarding path.

Agency-level control: Enable RCS for chosen sub-accounts instead of activating it for everyone.
Self-service registration: Complete business details and submit sender information without leaving the account.
Approval tracking: Monitor the sender registration process from the RCS Messaging area.

Important

Labs access does not mean the sender is approved. Live RCS messaging requires carrier and provider approval. Availability also depends on supported countries, carriers, and recipient devices.

Key Benefits of RCS

RCS combines familiar business messaging with richer branding and interaction options. These capabilities can make messages easier to recognize, act on, and measure while SMS fallback provides an alternative for contacts who cannot receive RCS.

Branded Messaging, Display a recognizable business identity in supported RCS experiences instead of relying only on a phone number.Rich Content, Add supported images, cards, carousels, and structured content to create more engaging messages.Interactive Actions, Give contacts tappable options such as calling your business, opening a URL, or selecting a suggested reply.Flexible Sending, Use RCS in supported 1:1 Conversations, RCS Snippets, Bulk Actions, and supported Workflow experiences.Delivery Visibility, View delivery states such as Sent, Delivered, and Opened when the recipient's device supports the applicable signal.SMS Fallback, Deliver an SMS alternative when the recipient cannot receive the intended RCS experience and fallback is configured.Agency-Controlled Labs Access, Choose which sub-accounts can access RCS while introducing the feature gradually.In-Platform Sender Onboarding, Complete registration, save progress, and track approval directly within the platform.4

What You Can Send with RCS

RCS gives you a set of tools that plain SMS simply doesn't offer. Depending on your plan and configuration, you can send:

Branded messages, your business name appears in the inbox instead of a phone number
Images and rich media layouts
Tappable action buttons, Call, Open URL, or Suggested Replies
Standalone rich cards with titles, descriptions, images, and buttons
Carousels, multiple swipeable cards in a single message
Read receipts and delivery signals where the recipient's device supports them.

How RCS Compares to SMS and MMS

Before using RCS, it helps to understand exactly what it adds, and where its limits are. The biggest one: RCS reach is growing but not yet universal. That makes it important to design every message so the SMS fallback version is just as clear and useful as the rich version.

Feature	SMS	MMS	RCS
Text messaging	✅	✅	✅
Images and media	❌	✅	✅
Branded sender experience	❌	❌	✅
Rich cards	❌	❌	✅
Carousels	❌	❌	✅
Suggested replies and actions	❌	❌	✅
Delivery status	Limited	Limited	✅
Read/Open status	❌	❌	✅ when supported
Requires RCS-compatible recipient	❌	❌	✅
SMS fallback support	N/A	N/A	✅

Design Tip: Design for Both

Before finalizing any RCS message, ask: if this arrives as plain text with no image and no buttons, does it still make sense? If yes, you're ready. If no, revise the copy first.

Who Can Receive RCS?

RCS delivery depends on four things aligning on the recipient's end: their device , their messaging app , their carrier , and their app settings . In practice:

Most modern Android devices using Google Messages or a carrier-supported app are ready to receive RCS
iPhone support depends on iOS version and carrier, many iPhone users still receive SMS fallback today
Even within Android, some carrier configurations limit certain RCS features
Recipients can disable RCS features in their app settings, which also triggers fallback

The platform handles detection and routing automatically. You send one message, the platform determines whether to deliver it as RCS or fall back to SMS based on what the recipient can actually receive.

What Fallback Means in Practice

When a message falls back to SMS, the recipient gets your fallback text instead of the rich card. Billing reflects SMS pricing for that message. Opt-outs apply across both channels, a contact who opts out via SMS is suppressed on RCS too.

RCS is a branded, high-visibility channel, which means the same compliance principles that govern SMS apply here, just with higher stakes. Getting this right protects your deliverability, your sender reputation, and your customers.

Requirement 1Opt-In

Only send RCS to contacts who have explicitly opted in. Your opt-in must tell them what type of messages they'll receive, how often, how to opt out, and how to reach support.

Requirement 2Opt-Out

Honor these keywords immediately and without exception, they must suppress all future messages across both RCS and SMS:

STOP • UNSUBSCRIBE • CANCEL • END • QUIT

The opt-out notice is appended to the first 1:1 RCS message sent to a new contact, unlike SMS, it doesn't repeat periodically after that. Texas blocking rules apply the same as SMS and MMS.

Requirement 3Content and Sending Frequency

Avoid deceptive, misleading, or spammy content. Keep sending frequency consistent with what you promised at opt-in. Reminders, confirmations, and genuinely useful updates perform best, they feel like service, not noise. For regulated industries, ensure your messaging aligns with your specific legal obligations.

Pro Tip: Sender Identity

Use a sender name that matches your business or website exactly. Inconsistency in your sender identity erodes trust and increases opt-outs over time.

Before You Set Up RCS

Preparing your business details in advance helps you complete sender registration accurately and reduces unnecessary approval delays.

Before you enable RCS, gather the business details needed for brand verification and make sure the sub-account has the required access. Registration now takes place in the RCS Messaging settings rather than through a standard Support-led request.

Business information: Brand name, business website, address, and contact details.
Brand assets: Business logo and other sender branding details as requested.
Messaging use case and consent: Information about what the business sends and how recipients opt in.
Target countries: Countries where the business intends to send RCS messages.
Additional verification: US-specific information when applicable.

Important

You can save registration progress and return later. Exact requirements vary by country and business.

Fees & Timelines (US Registrations)

There are carrier fees involved for US registrations:

Fee	Amount (USD)	Frequency
Brand Verification	$200	Per year
T-Mobile Submission	$500	One-time

Outside the US?

Registrations are also available for several other countries.

Setup GuideFrom Labs Activation to Your First RCS MessageFive steps to enable RCS, register, obtain approval, and start sending.10

How to Enable RCS and Register Your Sender

Enable RCS through Labs, complete self-service registration, and wait for sender approval before sending live customer messages.

Step 1Enable RCS Through Labs

In Agency View → Settings → Labs , locate RCS Messaging . Use the available feature controls to enable access for the intended sub-accounts. For supported assignments, use the Sub-account tab and Manage . Where RCS is exposed in sub-account Labs, it can also be enabled under Sub-account Settings → Labs .

Step 2Open Sender Registration

Open an enabled sub-account and go to Settings → Phone System → RCS Messaging . Start the guided sender onboarding process.

Step 3Complete and Submit Registration

Provide the requested information across Brand Identity, Countries, Sender Details, US Carrier Registration (if applicable), and Review and Submit . Save your progress if you need to return later. Submit the application when the details are complete.

Step 4Track Sender Approval

Return to Settings → Phone System → RCS Messaging to review progress and respond to any requests for additional information. Once the sender is approved and activated, its status changes to Live . Carrier and provider review are still required.

Step 5Test and Start Messaging

You can add supported test devices to try RCS before live approval. After your sender reaches Live , send RCS through supported Conversations, Bulk Messaging, Workflows, and reusable RCS Snippets . Confirm consent and the recipient’s RCS compatibility first.

Message Statuses

After a message is sent, the platform shows delivery signals directly in the conversation view:

Status	What It Means
Sent	Message left the platform and is in transit.
Delivered	Message arrived on the recipient's device.
Opened	Recipient viewed the message (where the device supports read receipts).

Heads Up

Read receipts are only available when the recipient's device and messaging app support them, and recipients can turn this off. Treat it as a useful signal when it appears, not a metric you can rely on universally.

Pricing and Billing

RCS billing is based on message type and direction. Here's the full breakdown for US messages:

Message Type	Direction	Billing Unit	Price (USD)
Basic RCS Text	Outbound	Per segment	$0.0083
Basic RCS Text	Inbound	Per message	$0.0083
Rich RCS	Inbound	Per message	$0.0165
Rich RCS	Outbound	Per message	$0.0220

Carrier FeesBilled directly by Twilio

Agency Accounts: standard Twilio pricing
Location Accounts: Twilio pricing + 5% markup

Registration CostsUS RCS Sender Registration Fees & Timelines

Before an RCS sender can message US recipients, it must complete a United States registration in addition to Google RCS registration. US registration comes with third-party fees that are separate from per-message charges. Twilio does not set these fees, they come from the brand verification provider and the US carriers.

Fee	Charged By	Amount (USD)	Frequency
Brand Verification	Aegis (third-party brand verifier for the US)	$200	Annual
Carrier Onboarding (T-Mobile submission)	US carriers, e.g. T-Mobile	$500	One-time, per new RCS sender

Example, First-Year Cost

A brand registers one new US RCS sender.

Year one: $200 + $500 = $700 in registration fees
Each following year: $200 for brand verification renewal

Per-message RCS charges and carrier fees are billed on top of this.

Failed Message Billing

How you're billed when RCS delivery fails depends on whether the SMS fallback succeeds:

Scenario ARCS fails → SMS fallback delivers

No RCS charge. You pay only for the SMS that successfully delivered.

Scenario BRCS fails → SMS fallback also fails

A static processing fee of $0.001 applies, unless the failure matches specific Twilio error codes (30036 , 30002 , 30450 , 21408 , and others), in which case no fee is charged.

Good to Know: First-Attempt Rule

First-attempt RCS failures that trigger SMS fallback are not charged. A fee only applies if the final SMS fallback also fails.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did my test message arrive as SMS instead of RCS?The recipient may not currently meet the device, app, network, carrier, or RCS-setting requirements for RCS. If SMS fallback is enabled, fallback in this situation can be expected behavior.Q: Does an Opened status appear for every RCS recipient?No. Read or Opened signals depend on the recipient's device, messaging application, and settings. Recipients may also disable read receipts.Q: Can I send an RCS Snippet directly to one contact?Supported 1:1 RCS messaging is available through Conversations for enabled accounts. Feature availability can vary by account and sender approval.Q: Can RCS be automated through Workflows?Yes. Supported RCS Workflow actions can automate messaging in enabled sub-accounts after the sender is approved for live messaging.Q: Why does my RCS cost differ between messages?Billing can differ based on country, message direction, whether the message contains media, message classification, and applicable segmentation or carrier rules. See Pricing and Billing above for current US pricing.Q: Should I put important information only inside an RCS button?No. Some contacts may receive an SMS fallback that does not preserve the rich RCS experience. Keep critical information and calls to action understandable in the fallback text.Q: Why can't I select an RCS Sender ID when sending?Confirm that RCS is enabled for the sub-account in Labs. Open Settings → Phone System → RCS Messaging and confirm the sender has completed registration and is Live. Review any outstanding approval requirements.Q: If a contact opts out via SMS, can I still reach them on RCS?No. Opt-outs apply across both channels, a contact who replies STOP (or any other opt-out keyword) on SMS is suppressed on RCS too, and vice versa.Q: Do I still need to join a Private Beta list or ask Support to activate RCS?No. Agencies can enable RCS through Labs for selected sub-accounts, and businesses can submit sender registration directly. Carrier and provider approvals remain required.Q: Can I test RCS before my sender goes Live?Yes. Supported test devices can be added to try RCS during onboarding, but live customer messaging still requires an approved sender.15

Ready to Get Started?

A clear next action helps you move from Labs activation to an approved sender and your first RCS message.

You can begin by enabling RCS for a selected sub-account in Labs. Complete sender registration under Settings → Phone System → RCS Messaging , then track the review until the sender reaches Live .

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