How much does a Google RCS message cost in India?

In India, Google RCS Business Messaging (RBM) follows a tiered model: Basic messages cost approx. ₹0.18 to ₹0.22, Single Rich Card messages (standalone cards with images and suggested buttons) cost approx. ₹0.25 to ₹0.30, and Conversational 24-hour sessions cost approx. ₹0.38 to ₹0.45. This makes RCS significantly more economical than WhatsApp Marketing conversations (₹0.80).

What is the difference between RCS Basic Message and Single Rich Message?

A Basic Message is a short text notification (up to 160 characters) without rich media cards, acting as an upgraded branded SMS. A Single Rich Message includes high-resolution images, video headers, rich titles, and up to 4 interactive suggested action buttons (Open URL, Call Number, View Location).

How does a 24-hour Conversational Session work in Google RCS?

A Conversational Session begins when a customer replies to your RCS agent or initiates a chat. Within that 24-hour window, unlimited two-way exchanges occur under a single flat session charge (typically ₹0.38 to ₹0.45 across Jio, Airtel, and Vi), making customer support and lead qualification very cost-effective.

Does NY Digital charge any markup on Google RCS carrier rates?

No. Under our ₹99,999/year managed MarTech model, NY Digital charges 0% markup on RCS carrier usage. You pay telecom carriers (Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea) directly at wholesale cost, saving up to 35% compared to conventional aggregators.

What happens if a recipient phone does not support Google RCS?

Our platform features automatic capability detection. If a recipient device is offline or on an older feature phone without RCS support, the system automatically falls back to transactional or promotional DLT-approved SMS with a shortened tracked URL, ensuring 100% reach.

Official 2026 Rate Card

Google RCS Business Messaging Pricing in India

Understand exact per-message and conversational session costs for Google RCS (RBM) across Indian telcos (Jio, Airtel, Vi). Discover why enterprises reduce their messaging budget by 50% to 65% compared to WhatsApp marketing while delivering verified rich experiences.

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auto_awesome Direct Answer & 2026 Rates

Google RCS Business Messaging in India costs approximately ₹0.24 to ₹0.28 per Single Rich Card, ₹0.12 to ₹0.14 for Basic Messages, and ₹0.38 to ₹0.45 for a 24-hour Conversational Session across Jio, Airtel, and Vi. Compared to WhatsApp Marketing (~₹0.80), Google RCS offers up to 65% cost savings with verified brand checkmarks and native Android inbox delivery.

Single Rich Card~₹0.28 / card

24h Session~₹0.38 - ₹0.45

Savings vs WhatsApp60% - 65% Lower

NY Digital Markup0% At Cost

₹0.25 - ₹0.30Single Rich Card

₹0.38 - ₹0.4524h Session

0% MarkupNY Digital Transparent Billing

Cost Efficiency Spotlight RCS vs WhatsApp Marketing

WhatsApp Marketing charges ~₹0.80 per 24-hour interaction in India. An interactive Google RCS Rich Card delivers images, carousels, and native CTA buttons at approx. ₹0.28—providing 65% cost savings with direct inbox delivery.

RBM Category Breakdown

Official Google RCS Message Categories & Pricing Structure

Google RCS Business Messaging classifies outbound and inbound communications into three standardized pricing tiers across Indian operators.

Message Type	Features Included	Estimated India Rate (per msg)	Comparison vs WhatsApp	Ideal Enterprise Use Cases
Basic Message	Plain text up to 160 characters, verified sender identity, delivery and read receipts. No rich media.	₹0.18 – ₹0.22	Matches transactional SMS cost, replaces plain DLT SMS with verified brand badge.	OTPs, critical banking alerts, flight gate notifications, delivery dispatch updates.
Single Rich Message (A2P)	High-res image/video banner (up to 2MB), title, rich description, and up to 4 interactive CTA buttons (Open URL, Call, Map Location).	₹0.25 – ₹0.30	65% cheaper than WhatsApp Marketing (₹0.80) with native Android inbox placement.	Promotional festive offers, product launches, webinar invitations, insurance policy renewals.
Conversational Session (P2A)	24-hour interactive session initiated upon customer reply. Unlimited two-way messages, carousels, and chatbots during the window.	₹0.38 – ₹0.45	Flat session fee regardless of message count. Replaces costly inbound IVR and WhatsApp service chats.	Two-way appointment booking, customer support triage, KYC document verification, loan pre-qualification.
Carousel Rich Cards (Up to 10 cards)	Horizontal scrollable cards with distinct images, prices, descriptions, and separate tap buttons per card.	₹0.28 – ₹0.32	More dynamic than WhatsApp Catalogues; loads instantly without opening external web browser.	eCommerce collections, real estate floor plans, multi-package holiday itineraries.

Carrier Infrastructure

How Google RCS Routing Works Across Indian Telecom Carriers

Google coordinates with Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) through Google Jibe Cloud and carrier-hosted RCS hubs.

Reliance Jio RCS Hub

Jio was the pioneer of Google RCS in India, delivering native RCS support on all 4G/5G Android smartphones via Jio network routing. High delivery throughput exceeding 10,000 TPS.

Native Android Messages & Jio 5G Optimized

Bharti Airtel RCS Gateway

Airtel delivers enterprise RCS through carrier interconnects with full DLT sender verification alignment and automated carrier-level fallbacks when recipients are roaming.

Enterprise DLT Compliant & Low Latency

Vodafone Idea (Vi) RCS Network

Vi supports rich business messaging with verified sender logos and anti-spam verification safeguards protecting end consumers from impersonation fraud.

Verified Blue Badge & Anti-Spoofing

Live ROI Simulator

Calculate Your Monthly Messaging Savings

Slide to see how much your enterprise saves by routing promotional and rich customer journeys via Google RCS instead of WhatsApp.

Monthly Broadcast Volume: 100,000 messages

Message Type:

Estimated Monthly Cost

₹28,000

Equivalent WhatsApp Cost (Marketing) ₹80,000

Estimated Monthly Savings ₹52,000 (65%)

NY Digital Fee Markup 0% (Actual Telco Cost)

Claim This Pricing

Why NY Digital

The ₹99,999/Year All-Inclusive Managed RCS Model

Most telecom aggregators hit you with hidden platform fees, monthly per-agent seat charges, and 30% carrier markups. At NY Digital, we provide a complete managed solution designed for high-growth Indian enterprises.

0% Message Markup: Pay official carrier rates directly with zero inflation.
Verified Google Agent Setup: Complete Google Partner onboarding & blue checkmark approval.
Rich Card & Carousel Design: Our copywriters and graphic designers build high-converting creatives.
Smart SMS Fallback Engine: Automatic failover to DLT SMS ensures zero missed customers.
API & Webhook Integration: Connect directly to HubSpot, Zoho, LeadSquared, Salesforce, or custom backends.

Enterprise Managed Plan ₹99,999/year

Includes dedicated campaign management, template designs, suggested action workflows, agent verification, and full CRM platform access. Google RCS carrier usage charges paid separately at cost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know About Google RCS Pricing

How much does Google RCS cost compared to WhatsApp Business API? +

Google RCS Single Rich Cards cost approximately ₹0.25 to ₹0.30 in India, while WhatsApp Marketing conversations cost ₹0.80. This gives businesses a 60% to 65% cost advantage when sending promotional campaigns, catalog showcases, and event announcements.

What is a 24-hour Conversational Session in RCS? +

A Conversational Session is triggered when a user replies to an outbound message or initiates a brand chat. During the 24-hour session window, all two-way interactions, carousels, and chatbot exchanges are included under one flat session rate (~₹0.38 to ₹0.45).

Do I need TRAI DLT registration for Google RCS in India? +

Yes. In India, Indian telecom operators require that business sender IDs (headers) and content templates adhere to telecom regulatory guidelines. NY Digital handles the end-to-end alignment between your DLT entity and Google RBM agent.

Does Apple iOS 18 support Google RCS business messages? +

Apple iOS 18 has introduced support for standard P2P RCS messaging. Carrier rollouts for A2P (Application-to-Person) Business Messaging on iOS are currently expanding. In the meantime, our system automatically routes non-RCS recipients to fallback SMS with smart tracked links.

How can our enterprise get started with NY Digital? +

Contact our team via WhatsApp or phone. We collect your brand documents (GST, logo, domain authorization), submit your Google RBM agent for verification, configure your rich cards, and have your first campaign live in 3 to 5 business days.

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