RCS Business Messaging

See also

Sources

1. 1
   An RCS for Business agent is a programmatic entity representing a brand that sends messages to users in RCS-enabled messaging apps, from one-way notifications to conversational exchanges.

   Create an agent · Create an agent > introduction · Checked 2026-10-02
2. 2
   RCS for Business defines four agent use cases: OTP, transactional, promotional and multi-use (combining transactional and promotional messages).

   Create an agent · Create an agent > use case definitions · Checked 2026-10-02
3. 3
   An agent is hosted in North America, Europe or Asia Pacific, and its region cannot be changed after the agent is created.

   Create an agent · Create an agent > agent region · Checked 2026-10-02
4. 4
   An agent's use case cannot be changed once the agent has been submitted for launch.

   Create an agent · Create an agent > use case · Checked 2026-10-02
5. 5
   Google's RCS for Business Acceptable Use Policy allows messaging only users who have explicitly opted in, and treats unsolicited promotional content as spam.

   Acceptable Use Policy · Acceptable Use Policy > Consent requirements; spam section · Checked 2026-10-02
6. 6
   The AUP requires the business profile to use the publicly branded business name.

   Acceptable Use Policy · Acceptable Use Policy > business profile requirements · Checked 2026-10-02
7. 7
   Under the AUP, a brand must honour a user's revocation of consent across all of its promotional agents, not only the agent that received it.

   Acceptable Use Policy · Acceptable Use Policy > Consent requirements > Revocable · Checked 2026-10-02
8. 8
   AWS End User Messaging can send RCS to recipients in 22 supported countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France and Brazil, against more than 200 countries for SMS.

   What is RCS? - AWS End User Messaging SMS · What is RCS? > introduction; How RCS differs from SMS table, Supported countries row · Checked 2026-10-02
9. 9
   AWS End User Messaging bills RCS only for messages the device confirms as delivered, whereas SMS is billed when the carrier accepts the message.

   What is RCS? - AWS End User Messaging SMS · What is RCS? > Key benefits of RCS > Delivery receipts (DLRs) · Checked 2026-10-02
10. 10
    A message sent directly to an AWS RCS Agent, rather than through a pool, gets no SMS fallback in AWS End User Messaging.

    What is RCS? - AWS End User Messaging SMS · What is RCS? > Why SMS fallback is essential > Note · Checked 2026-10-02
11. 11
    AWS states that Google is in the delivery chain for RCS, so RCS sent through AWS End User Messaging is also subject to Google's RCS for Business Terms of Service.

    What is RCS? - AWS End User Messaging SMS · What is RCS? > Important box · Checked 2026-10-02
12. 12
    AWS announced RCS for Business support in AWS End User Messaging on 31 March 2026, available in every AWS Region where AWS End User Messaging is offered.

    AWS End User Messaging now supports RCS for Business · What's New post, Mar 31 2026 · Checked 2026-10-02
13. 13
    AWS End User Messaging falls back to SMS automatically when a message is sent through a phone pool holding both an AWS RCS Agent and SMS phone numbers.

    What is RCS? - AWS End User Messaging SMS · What is RCS? > Why SMS fallback is essential · Checked 2026-10-02
14. 14
    An A2P conversation starts when a user replies to an A2P message within 24 hours of receiving it; a P2A conversation starts when an agent replies to a user message within 24 hours.

    Standard billing FAQ · Standard billing FAQ > What is a conversation? · Checked 2026-10-02
15. 15
    Google's release note gave API users until 18 February 2026 to integrate the billing-category change and said agents still on legacy categories would then be migrated automatically.

    Past releases (2019-2025) · Past releases > November 20, 2025 entry (billing categories) · Checked 2026-10-02
16. 16
    In standard RCS for Business billing, a basic_message is an A2P message containing only text of 160 characters or fewer.

    Standard billing FAQ · Standard billing FAQ > Billable events · Checked 2026-10-02
17. 17
    According to the standard billing FAQ, migration of existing agents from legacy billing categories began on 16 March 2026.

    Standard billing FAQ · Standard billing FAQ > Non-conversational billing category · Checked 2026-10-02
18. 18
    On 20 November 2025 Google merged the legacy Basic Message and Single Message billing categories into one Non-conversational category.

    Past releases (2019-2025) · Past releases > November 20, 2025 entry (billing categories) · Checked 2026-10-02
19. 19
    Under standard billing, carriers decide whether and how p2a_message and p2a_conversation events are charged.

    Standard billing FAQ · Standard billing FAQ > Billable events · Checked 2026-10-02
20. 20
    In standard RCS for Business billing, a single_message is an A2P message that either has rich content or is text-only and longer than 160 characters.

    Standard billing FAQ · Standard billing FAQ > Billable events · Checked 2026-10-02
21. 21
    Google's standard billing model does not cover RCS traffic on US carriers, which follows a separate US billing model.

    US billing FAQ · US billing FAQ > Billing models · Checked 2026-10-02
22. 22
    Every agent has one of two billing categories: Conversational, billed per conversation within a 24-hour window, or Non-conversational, billed per message.

    Standard billing FAQ · Standard billing FAQ > Billing categories · Checked 2026-10-02
23. 23
    Verification information must be submitted before the first launch request, but the verification itself happens after a launch request is submitted, when Google, carriers, or both contact the brand representative.

    Brand verification · Brand verification > When do I need to submit the verification information? / When does verification happen? · Checked 2026-10-02
24. 24
    Google advises naming an individual employee's email address, not a distribution list, as the brand contact because it sends a mandatory authorization request to that contact.

    Brand verification · Brand verification > What information is needed for verification? · Checked 2026-10-02
25. 25
    An agent's brand verification information is submitted once, whatever the number of carriers it launches on and whether those launches are Google-managed or carrier-managed.

    Brand verification · Brand verification > Do I have to submit verification information for every launch? · Checked 2026-10-02
26. 26
    Some carriers require a verification token, a Base64-encoded string issued by a recognized Verification Authority, as part of the brand verification information.

    Brand verification · Brand verification > What is a verification token? · Checked 2026-10-02
27. 27
    Genesys Cloud's channel capabilities comparison lists eight messaging channels (Apple Messages for Business, Web Messaging, Facebook Messenger, X, WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, Open Messaging) and does not name RCS.

    Channel, bot, and touchpoint capabilities feature comparison · Channel, bot, and touchpoint capabilities feature comparison > messaging channels · Checked 2026-10-02
28. 28
    Verified RCS chats between businesses and users in Google Messages are not end-to-end encrypted.

    RCS chats with businesses - Google Messages Help · RCS chats with businesses > Learn about RCS chats with registered businesses · Checked 2026-10-02
29. 29
    Google Messages users can unsubscribe from a business's non-essential messages, or block the business and report spam with Block & report.

    RCS chats with businesses - Google Messages Help · RCS chats with businesses > Control your interactions; Block or report business messages · Checked 2026-10-02
30. 30
    In Google Messages, a business verified by Google or a third-party provider shows a verified check mark next to its name, and its profile details say 'verified'.

    RCS chats with businesses - Google Messages Help · RCS chats with businesses > Learn about RCS chats with registered businesses · Checked 2026-10-02
31. 31
    Business RCS messages should not be described as end-to-end encrypted on any platform: Google says verified business chats are not E2EE, and Apple's iOS 26.5 E2EE beta text does not mention business messages.inferred

    Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone · Turn end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) section, read against Google Messages Help 7513219 · Checked 2026-10-02
32. 32
    iPhone users can turn RCS business messages on or off at Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging > RCS Business Messages.

    Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone · Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone > Turn RCS business messaging on or off · Checked 2026-10-02
33. 33
    iOS 26.5 adds end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging as a beta, on by default, available with supported carriers and rolling out over time.

    Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone · Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone > Turn end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) on or off in iOS 26.5 · Checked 2026-10-02
34. 34
    On iPhone, RCS messages appear in green bubbles like SMS/MMS, while iMessage uses blue; unlike SMS, RCS supports delivery and read receipts and typing indicators.

    What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS? · What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS? > RCS; SMS/MMS · Checked 2026-10-02
35. 35
    RCS on iPhone needs iOS 18 or later and a cellular plan from a carrier that supports RCS messaging on iPhone.

    Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone · Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone > About RCS messaging · Checked 2026-10-02
36. 36
    Before an agent can launch on a Google-managed carrier, it must have launched on at least one carrier-managed network in the same country.

    Verify and launch your agent · Verify and launch your agent > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-10-02
37. 37
    Google-managed launch approval typically takes 1-3 business days, provided the brand approves within 24 hours and all agent assets are accurate, correctly formatted and publicly accessible.

    Launch approval · Launch approval > After submitting a launch request · Checked 2026-10-02
38. 38
    In a Google-managed launch Google handles brand verification and launch approval for the carrier; in a carrier-managed launch the carrier handles them directly for its network.

    Verify and launch your agent · Verify and launch your agent > Google-managed and carrier-managed launches · Checked 2026-10-02
39. 39
    For launch approval an agent needs a working website, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service links, and an agent preview video, all accurate and publicly accessible.

    Launch approval · Launch approval > Prerequisites · Checked 2026-10-02
40. 40
    Launching an RCS for Business agent comprises two steps: brand verification by an authorized brand representative, then launch approval by Google, carriers, or both.

    Verify and launch your agent · Verify and launch your agent > launch process overview (numbered list) · Checked 2026-10-02
41. 41
    On 18 September 2025 Google renamed RCS Business Messaging (RBM) to RCS for Business; APIs and endpoints were unchanged and no code changes were needed.

    Past releases (2019-2025) · Past releases > September 18, 2025 entry · Checked 2026-10-02
42. 42
    If a message is sent to a user whose device does not support RCS or does not have it enabled, the RCS for Business platform returns a 404 NOT_FOUND error.

    Send messages · Send messages > handling users who aren't RCS-enabled · Checked 2026-10-02
43. 43
    An RCS for Business carousel holds between 2 and 10 rich cards.

    Send messages · Send messages > Rich card carousels · Checked 2026-10-02
44. 44
    Google's RCS for Business API does not itself fall back to SMS; after a 404 the sender may try fallback methods defined in its own infrastructure.

    Send messages · Send messages > handling users who aren't RCS-enabled · Checked 2026-10-02
45. 45
    An RCS for Business message is limited to 250 KB for the whole stringified AgentMessage and 3072 characters of text; media files can be up to 100 MiB.

    Send messages · Send messages > message size limits · Checked 2026-10-02
46. 46
    The maximum message expiration (ttl or expireTime) is 15 days after submission; undelivered messages are revoked automatically when the TTL expires.

    Send messages · Send messages > Set message expiration · Checked 2026-10-02
47. 47
    Twilio automatically falls back to SMS or MMS, using other senders in the Messaging Service's pool, for messages it cannot deliver over RCS.

    Send and receive RCS messages · Send and receive RCS messages > fallback behaviour · Checked 2026-10-02
48. 48
    Twilio's FallbackFrom parameter names the SMS/MMS fallback sender, which may be any number in the same Account SID, even one outside the sender pool; it requires a Messaging Service that contains an RCS sender.

    Send and receive RCS messages · Send and receive RCS messages > FallbackFrom · Checked 2026-10-02
49. 49
    Twilio advises allowing four to six weeks for RCS sender onboarding, or longer when launching in several regions, because approval timelines vary by carrier.

    Get started with branded RCS messaging · Get started with branded RCS messaging > onboarding overview · Checked 2026-10-02
50. 50
    A Twilio RCS sender can go into production in a country once any one carrier there has approved it or gone live.

    Get started with branded RCS messaging · Get started with branded RCS messaging > carrier approval · Checked 2026-10-02
51. 51
    When a Twilio Messaging Service's sender pool contains an RCS sender, Programmable Messaging tries RCS first.

    Send and receive RCS messages · Send and receive RCS messages > fallback behaviour · Checked 2026-10-02
52. 52
    For the United States, Twilio RCS registration asks for the company EIN and business address, and for confirmation that the terms of service follow the CTIA messaging handbook.

    Get started with branded RCS messaging · Get started with branded RCS messaging > US-specific compliance fields · Checked 2026-10-02
53. 53
    On US carriers a Rich Media Message is billed as a single flat-rate event regardless of content size, unless it is part of a session.

    US billing FAQ · US billing FAQ > Billable events > Rich Media Message · Checked 2026-10-02
54. 54
    On US carriers a Rich Message is billed by segment, where one segment is 160 bytes of UTF-8 encoded text, unless the message is part of a session.

    US billing FAQ · US billing FAQ > Billable events > Rich Message · Checked 2026-10-02
55. 55
    On US carriers each tap on a suggested action generates one billable event.

    US billing FAQ · US billing FAQ > Billable events > Suggested Action Click · Checked 2026-10-02
56. 56
    Webex Connect provides an RCS Capability Lookup API (/v1/rcs/capabilities) that reports whether RCS is enabled for an E.164 number, with an optional forceRefresh to bypass cached results.

    RCS Capability Lookup API · RCS Capability Lookup API > request and response fields (enabled, forceRefresh) · Checked 2026-10-02
57. 57
    The Webex Connect RCS node page's coverage note (about 800 million Android devices; US, UK and Canada; Android 8+) is likely out of date and should not be quoted as current reach, since it leaves out iPhone (iOS 18+).inferred

    RCS Message Node · RCS Message Node > introduction (coverage statement) · Checked 2026-10-02
58. 58
    The Webex Connect RCS Message flow node sends text, file, rich card, carousel and typing-indicator messages, and needs a configured RCS App asset first.

    RCS Message Node · RCS Message Node > message types; prerequisites · Checked 2026-10-02
59. 59
    The Webex Contact Center digital channels setup article lists Facebook Messenger, Livechat, Email, SMS, Apple Messages for Business and WhatsApp, and does not list RCS.

    Set up digital channels in Webex Contact Center · Set up digital channels in Webex Contact Center > introduction (supported channel list) · Checked 2026-10-02

Documents

Cite this page

WarmTransfer. (2026, October 2). RCS Business Messaging. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/rcs-business-messaging

@misc{warmtransfer-rcs-business-messaging,
  title  = {RCS Business Messaging},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/rcs-business-messaging},
  note   = {Verified 2026-10-02}
}