RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of SMS. It's built into the default messaging app on supported phones, so customers can receive messages with a verified sender profile, images, videos and files without downloading another app. respond.io supports RCS through Twilio.
Learn how to Connect Twilio RCS to respond.io
Pricing
Twilio RCS operates on a pay-as-you-go model. Users are billed directly by Twilio, with no additional charges from respond.io.
In the US:
Text messages: $0.0083 per segment, outbound and inbound
Media messages: $0.022 per message outbound and $0.0165 per message inbound
For accurate and up-to-date pricing, visit the Twilio pricing page.
Carrier fees are charged on top of these rates and vary by the recipient's carrier. US carriers also charge onboarding fees when you launch an RCS Sender. These appear in your Twilio billing.
Coverage
Not all regions support RCS yet. Whether a Contact can receive RCS messages depends on their country, their mobile carrier and their device. Check Twilio's RCS documentation for supported countries and carriers.
Channel capabilities
Supported message types
Type | Supported formats |
|---|---|
Text | — |
Image | JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF |
Video | MP4, MPEG4, MPEG, WebM, H.263 |
Audio | MPEG, MP3, MP4, M4A, OGG |
Document |
Messaging window
RCS has no messaging window. You can message RCS Contacts at any time.
Where you can use RCS
Inbox: Send and receive messages.
Broadcasts: Send text, multiple choice, file and media messages.
Workflows: Send messages and ask questions.
Growth Widgets: RCS Widget, QR code and Multichannel Widget, with Contact source tracking.
Reports and integrations: Filter by RCS in Reports, and use RCS with the Developer API, Webhooks, Zapier, Make and n8n.
Limitations
Rich cards and carousels can't be created or synced from respond.io yet.
respond.io doesn't fall back to SMS when RCS isn't available. Set up fallback in your Twilio account if you need it.
RCS chat links and QR codes only work on devices that support RCS.
