What Is RCS Messaging? A Guide to RCS on Heymarket
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the modern replacement for SMS and MMS. It lets businesses send verified, branded, media-rich messages directly to a recipient's default messaging app — no extra app required. RCS business messaging adds read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution media, and interactive buttons to the text messaging your customers already use to communicate with you.
This guide covers what RCS is, how it compares to SMS, how much it costs, and how to get started sending RCS messages through Heymarket. When you're ready, the next step is Registering an RCS Sender.
Quick answers
- What is RCS? RCS is a messaging protocol that replaces SMS/MMS with verified, branded, media-rich business messaging built into phones' native messaging apps.
- Is RCS different from SMS? Yes — RCS supports larger media files (up to 16 MB vs. ~5 MB for MMS), verified sender branding, read receipts, typing indicators, and interactive buttons; SMS does not.
- How much does RCS cost? RCS messages are billed per segment (rich text). Becoming a verified sender costs a $200 annual Aegis vetting fee plus a $500 one-time T-Mobile activation fee, both charged per sender.
- How long does RCS registration take? Up to 6–10 weeks, since multiple carrier partners must vet and approve the brand.
- Does RCS support group messaging? No — business (A2P) RCS does not support group conversations; this is a restriction of the RCS spec itself.
What is RCS?
RCS is a messaging protocol designed to replace SMS and MMS. It's backed by mobile operators as their answer to over-the-top chat apps, and it's built natively into modern phones, so recipients don't need to install anything. RCS is currently available across roughly 90 operators in 60 countries and is supported in the default messaging apps on both Android and iOS devices that have RCS enabled.
In practice, RCS gives business messaging the qualities people already expect from consumer chat apps — branding, high-quality media, read receipts, typing indicators, and interactive buttons — while keeping the reach and reliability of the phone number your customers already have.
What features does RCS on Heymarket offer?
Verified senders. Your business verifies its identity so recipients see a trusted, branded profile instead of an anonymous phone number — reducing spam and spoofing risk.
Branded messaging. Verified senders can carry your logo, brand colors, and interactive elements, so every conversation reinforces your identity.
High-resolution media. RCS supports far larger attachments than MMS — up to 16 MB per RCS media message, compared with the ~3.5–5 MB limits on traditional carrier and MMS messaging. That means crisp images, video, and documents.
Longer messages. RCS isn't held to the 160-character SMS segment for display — messages can be much longer (device-imposed, typically around 1,000 characters). For billing purposes, text is still counted in 160-byte segments (see Pricing below).
Interactive and action-oriented. Recipients can take action directly from a message — place a call, schedule a meeting, tap a link, or use buttons, carousels, and quick-reply chips that turn a conversation into a completed task. Heymarket supports building and sending interactive messages.
Read receipts. See when a recipient has read your message.
Typing indicators. See when the other person is composing a reply, enabling more natural, real-time back-and-forth.
End-to-end encryption. Enhanced privacy for 1:1 conversations, where supported.
Native app support. RCS appears in the default messaging app on supported Android and iOS devices — nothing to download.
How does RCS compare to SMS and MMS?
| Capability | SMS / MMS | RCS |
|---|---|---|
| Sender identity | Phone number only | Verified, branded profile |
| Media file size | ~3.5–5 MB | Up to 16 MB per media message |
| Message length | 160-character SMS segments | Longer messages (device-imposed, ~1,000 chars); billed per 160-byte segment |
| Read receipts | No | Yes |
| Typing indicators | No | Yes |
| Interactive buttons / carousels / quick replies | No | Yes |
| Requires a separate app | No | No (native to supported devices) |
What are the limitations of RCS?
- Group messaging is not supported. Business (A2P) RCS does not support group conversations — this is a restriction of the RCS specification itself, not a Heymarket limitation. For group sends, use SMS/MMS.
- Not every recipient will receive RCS. If a recipient's device or carrier doesn't support RCS, the message automatically falls back to SMS or MMS (see billing note under Pricing).
Why use RCS for business messaging?
- Trust and security are built in. Verified senders and branded profiles reduce spam and spoofing risk and give recipients confidence in who they're talking to.
- It's becoming the standard, not the exception. Broad cross-platform support is making RCS table stakes for modern business messaging rather than a nice-to-have.
- Richer messaging out of the box. Longer messages, high-quality media, link previews, maps, and video come standard.
- Interactive by design. Buttons, carousels, and quick replies turn conversations into completed actions.
- It closes the feedback loop. Read receipts and typing indicators enable real-time, two-way engagement you can't get from SMS alone.
What are common RCS use cases?
- Appointment scheduling and management
- Customer support
- Field service coordination
- Onboarding and intake flows
- Feedback and post-service follow-ups
How much does RCS cost?
Messaging costs
RCS messages are billed in message segments (credits), and the count depends on whether a message is rich text or rich media:
- Rich text (text only, including quick-reply chips and URL/dial buttons) is billed per 160-byte UTF-8 segment — similar to SMS. 1 RCS message segment = 1 message segment / credit.
- Rich media (an image, video, carousel, or other attachment) is billed at a flat per-message rate, regardless of file size. 1 rich message = 3 message segments / credits.
A helpful nuance: because RCS uses UTF-8 encoding, emojis and non-English characters do not trigger the multi-segment (UCS-2) penalty they cause on SMS — so long, emoji-heavy, or non-English messages can be more cost-efficient on RCS than on SMS.
Media size and video. Video is billed the same as any other rich media (flat per-message rate). The maximum size for an RCS media message is 16 MB. Note two carrier rules:
- T-Mobile applies a passthrough fee of $0.001 per MB for any rich media attachment over 5 MB.
- If a message must fall back to MMS, attachments over the MMS limit of 5 MB will be rejected.
Fallback billing. When RCS isn't supported on the recipient's device or carrier and the message falls back to SMS or MMS, it is billed at the standard SMS/MMS rate (plus any applicable A2P network surcharges) — not at the RCS rate.
Registration costs
Becoming a verified RCS sender involves fees charged per sender through our carrier partners:
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Vetting fee (Aegis) | $200 | Charged annually per sender and required for brand identity verification. Non-refundable. Carriers require all brands onboarding to RCS to be vetted. |
| T-Mobile sender activation fee | $500 | One-time per sender, charged by T-Mobile once your RCS sender is approved for launch. |
How long does RCS registration take?
Because multiple parties need to vet the brand and approve the registration it can take up to 6–10 weeks to get a brand fully verified and live on RCS. Plan your launch timeline accordingly and register early if you have a target go-live date in mind.
What do I need to send RCS from Heymarket?
To send RCS from Heymarket you'll need:
- Admin access in Heymarket
- A verified RCS sender registration (brand identity, business details, and compliance links)
- Recipients on supported devices — RCS messages appear branded and verified on devices with RCS enabled; unsupported recipients fall back to SMS/MMS
- Ability to modify terms and privacy policy for your company
Next step: register your RCS sender
Before you can send RCS messages from Heymarket, your business must be registered as a verified RCS sender. Registration establishes your brand identity — logo, name, and contact details — with the carriers so recipients see a verified, branded experience.
When you're ready, continue to Registering an RCS Sender to walk through the five-step registration wizard.
Frequently asked questions
Is RCS the same as SMS?
No. RCS is a separate protocol that adds verified sender branding, larger media support, read receipts, typing indicators, and interactive buttons — capabilities SMS doesn't have.
Does RCS cost more than SMS?
RCS is billed by segment (rich text) or per message (rich media), similar in structure to SMS, but verified sender registration carries additional one-time and recurring fees not required for SMS.
Can I send RCS to a group of recipients?
No. Business (A2P) RCS does not support group messaging; use SMS or MMS for group sends.
What happens if a recipient's phone doesn't support RCS?
The message automatically falls back to SMS or MMS and is billed at the standard SMS/MMS rate, not the RCS rate.
How long does it take to become a verified RCS sender?
Typically 6–10 weeks, since the registration must be vetted and approved by carrier partners.