Google RCS

Google RCS agents are still in early access and we are currently vetting access requests. Please contact support to register your interest.

There are additional fees to send Google RCS messages depending on the countries you have launched in

RCS (Rich Communication Services) was built as a replacement for SMS, granting Android users access to rich features that were previously limited to those using Apple's iMessage system.

RCS can be a great channel for your business, offering an opportunity to provide customers with a better, more interactive experience that drives engagement and sales.

Why RCS instead of SMS?

RCS offers rich and interactive messages, is available to all Android device users, while still being reliable.

Here’s how the two messaging standards stack up:

Feature	RCS	SMS
Rich media support	Supports images, videos, carousels, GIFs	Limited to plain text
Interactive elements	Quick reply buttons, suggested actions, reactions	Not supported
Brand customization	Custom branding with logos, colors, fonts	Limited customization
Sender ID	Displays verified business name and logo	Displays sender number (e.g. 074657393)
Delivery receipts	Provides read receipts and delivery status	Limited to delivery confirmation
Compliance	Supports regulatory requirements like GDPR	Basic compliance with SMS regulations
Global reach	Increasingly global coverage across RCS-enabled devices	Global coverage with SMS
Pricing	Same price as SMS for simple RCS messages Slightly higher price for rich RCS or conversational RCS messages	Standard SMS pricing applies

How to use Google RCS with other Bird products

RCS integrates seamlessly with all Bird products. You can send one-off RCS messages with Campaigns, or multi-step experiences with Journeys.

Replies to RCS messages can be handled manually via Inbox, or by creating an AI Agent and deploying it on your RCS channel.

Example: Google RCS for travel

Here is an example of how a travel business could use Google RCS in combination with other Bird products to sell a vacation:

1. Create an RCS agent.

2. Install RCS as a channel.

3. Create and deploy an AI agent that can understand requests about vacations, and provide information about destinations and vacation types.

4. Create an RCS message template, promoting a travel offer.

5. Let the AI Agent handle replies to your campaign.

6. If the AI Agent hands over to a human, pick up the conversation in Inbox.

7. Call the customer directly from Inbox.

8. Close the sale either over the phone or in-conversation.

Capabilities and use cases

Let's take a look at why RCS can work for you.

Key capabilities

Here are some of the key capabilities of RCS:

• Multimedia messaging, including high-quality images, videos, GIFs, carousels, and other dynamic features.

• Interactive elements like buttons buttons with suggested actions, cross-app connectivity (maps, browsers), and easy, one-tap replies to streamline user interactions.

• Verified sender IDs for secure messaging to build trust and reduce spam.

• High-resolution media sharing.

• Read receipts and typing indicators.

• Secure group chats.

• Google Wallet integration.

• End-to-end encryption.

• Built-in analytics and reporting.

Common use cases

• Send OTP (one-time-passwords) to users securely.

• Promotional offers and checkout

• Suspicious payment alert

• Visual delivery confirmation and order reviews

• Pay per view with activation code

• Vouchers for in-store sales

• Customer support with GenAI

• Travel inspiration and seamless booking

• Abandoned cart recovery

RCS message types

• Basic text: 160 character limit. Used for OTP, transactional, typically replaces SMS communication.

• Rich card: Structured card with images and buttons combined. You can add a list of 'suggested replies' under the card.

• Rich message: Text, image, or file messages, with optional action buttons.

• Carousel: An scrollable carousel of rich cards, containing images and a list of suggested reply buttons.