FOR ECOMMERCE & RETAIL
Texting, upgraded. Verified sender, rich cards, real buttons.
RCS turns a plain text into a branded, interactive message — product carousels, quick-reply buttons, and a verified business name, right inside the same conversation thread as SMS. Built for ecommerce and retail brands looking to stand out in the inbox.
Verified
Branded sender name
Rich
Carousels & buttons
Read
Receipts & typing indicators
$0.02
+ carrier fees / message
RCS removes the friction that keeps shoppers from buying.
With SMS/MMS, the end goal is converting a message into a click. RCS goes further — an interactive, in-thread experience where a customer can browse options, pick a variant, and add to cart without ever leaving the conversation.
It’s the best of SMS, MMS, and an app-like experience in one channel, without asking your customers to download anything.
We run the entire RCS lifecycle, so you don't have to.
RCS agent creation, provisioning, compliance, and carrier delivery are all handled behind the scenes by our team. You build the campaign; we handle the technical lifecycle underneath it.
Getting a business sender carrier-verified normally takes a dedicated mobile engineering effort — we handle that groundwork so you don’t have to hire for it.
Fully managed • Agent creation • Provisioning • Carrier delivery
Turn abandoned carts into a two-tap checkout.
Send the item, the price, and a one-tap action back to the customer — right in the same rich message. No separate link to click, no separate app to open.
Because it rides the same thread as SMS, customers who can’t receive RCS still get a clean fallback message, so no one gets left out of the campaign.
Everything SMS wishes it could do.
RCS runs over the same carrier network as SMS, but with a business messaging layer on top — so ecommerce and retail brands get a far richer experience without leaving the native messages app.
Verified branded sender
Your business name, logo, and a verification checkmark appear in the thread — not just a 10-digit number.
Product carousels
Show multiple products, images, and prices in a single message — a mini storefront inside the conversation.
Interactive buttons
Shop Now, Track Order, Confirm Appointment — real tappable actions instead of “reply YES” workarounds.
Read receipts & typing indicators
See when a message is delivered, read, and responded to — the same signals your customers get from friends.
Same thread as SMS
If a device doesn’t support RCS, the message falls back to SMS automatically — no separate app for customers to install.
Higher engagement
Richer, branded messages typically see stronger open and click-through rates than plain-text SMS.
Built for mainstream retail. Not available for every category.
RCS is a Google/Apple-verified business messaging program with stricter content policies than standard SMS. That makes it a great fit for ecommerce and retail — and off-limits for a few categories regardless of compliance standing. It’s also limited to Pro and Custom (Enterprise) plans, regardless of category.
Available for
- Ecommerce & DTC brands
- Retail stores
- Hospitality & events
- Most other mainstream verticals
Restricted for
- All S.H.A.F.T. categories
- Political campaigns
Usage-based. No flat plan to commit to.
RCS is billed per message rather than as a flat monthly plan — you pay for what you send, plus a one-time setup cost to get your business sender verified and provisioned. Available on Pro and Custom (Enterprise) plans only.
Plus a one-time setup cost to verify and provision your business sender.
Carrier fees are passed through at cost, same as SMS/MMS.
Covers agent verification and carrier provisioning.
Not available on the Essential plan.
Exact rates depend on volume and carrier — talk to our team for a quote.
From plain text to branded in a few steps.
01
Verify your business sender
We handle the RCS business verification — your name, logo, and brand color get registered as your sender identity.
02
Build rich cards & carousels
Design product carousels, images, and buttons using the same campaign builder you already use for SMS.
03
Send to your existing list
RCS-capable devices get the rich experience automatically; everyone else falls back to standard SMS.
04
Track engagement
Delivery, read receipts, and button taps show up in the same reporting view as the rest of your campaigns.
Same network. A much better experience.
Sender identity
SMS: A 10-digit number. RCS: Verified business name, logo, and checkmark.
Message format
SMS/MMS: Text and a single image. RCS: Carousels, multiple images, and interactive buttons.
Delivery signals
SMS: Delivered only. RCS: Delivered, read, and typing indicators.
Category availability
SMS: Available to SHAFT categories under carrier compliance review. RCS: Not available to SHAFT or political campaigns, regardless of compliance standing.
Pricing & plan availability
SMS/MMS: Included volume plus per-message overage, on any plan. RCS: $0.02 + carrier fees per message, plus setup cost — Pro and Custom plans only.
Got questions? Straight answers.
Is RCS available for SHAFT categories or political campaigns?
No. RCS is restricted for all S.H.A.F.T. categories and political campaigns, regardless of compliance standing elsewhere on the platform. These categories should use SMS, Telegram, or email instead.
What happens if a customer's device doesn't support RCS?
The message automatically falls back to standard SMS — no broken experience, no separate opt-in required.
Do I need a new phone number for RCS?
No. RCS runs on your existing OtterText sending number once your business sender is verified.
Is this a separate plan from SMS?
It’s not a separate monthly plan like Telegram Channel — RCS rides on top of your existing OtterText plan, billed per message at $0.02 + carrier fees, plus a one-time setup cost.
Which plans include RCS?
RCS can only be added to Pro and Custom (Enterprise) plans. It’s not available on the Essential plan.
Who actually delivers the RCS messages?
OtterText handles agent creation, provisioning, compliance, and carrier delivery behind the scenes — you build campaigns in the OtterText dashboard as usual, with no separate vendor to manage.