RCS Pricing in India (Updated 1 September 2026): Marketing vs Transactional Rates
From 1 September 2026, RCS business messaging on ConnexBetter is priced by message category: ₹0.25 per marketing message and ₹0.15 per transactional message, plus applicable GST. Instead of one blended rate, what you pay now depends on whether each message promotes something or delivers information the customer expects.
If you budgeted for RCS earlier this year, your numbers need a quick refresh. This guide explains the new category-based rates, shows what a campaign costs with real arithmetic, and covers how to keep RCS spend under control without losing the rich, verified experience that makes the channel worth using.
Business messaging guides for Indian businesses
RCS rates from 1 September 2026
The new rates apply to every RCS message sent from 1 September 2026. They are charged per message, and GST is added on top.
| Message type | Rate per message | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing (promotional) | ₹0.25 + GST | Offers, launches, cart recovery, re-engagement |
| Transactional | ₹0.15 + GST | Order updates, payment alerts, appointment reminders |
Rates are per RCS message in India and exclude GST. Volume and enterprise pricing is available on request.
The full, always-current table lives on our RCS message pricing page. If a number there ever differs from this article, the pricing page is the source of truth.
What counts as marketing and what counts as transactional
The rule of thumb is simple: if the message exists to sell or promote, it is marketing. If it gives the customer information they are already expecting because of something they did, it is transactional.
- Marketing: discount campaigns, festive offers, new product announcements, abandoned cart nudges, loyalty promotions and win-back messages.
- Transactional: order confirmation, shipping and delivery updates, payment receipts, booking and appointment reminders, account and balance alerts.
- Mixed messages: a delivery update that also carries a discount banner is treated as marketing. Keep transactional messages clean if you want the lower rate.
Category matters for compliance as well as cost. Sending promotions under a transactional label puts your sender reputation at risk, so classify honestly from the start.
What a campaign actually costs: worked examples
These examples use the new rates and GST at the standard 18% rate. Check the current GST rate that applies to your invoice.
| Scenario | Messages | Base cost | With 18% GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing campaign | 1,00,000 | ₹25,000 | ₹29,500 |
| Transactional alerts | 1,00,000 | ₹15,000 | ₹17,700 |
| Mixed month: 50,000 marketing + 2,00,000 transactional | 2,50,000 | ₹42,500 | ₹50,150 |
Marketing ₹0.25 and transactional ₹0.15 per message. The mixed month is 50,000 × ₹0.25 = ₹12,500 plus 2,00,000 × ₹0.15 = ₹30,000.
Notice that in the mixed month, transactional messages make up most of the volume and most of the bill. That is why separating your traffic correctly is the single biggest lever on cost.
How RCS pricing compares with SMS and WhatsApp
SMS is usually cheaper per message, but it carries plain text only and offers no rich media, buttons or read receipts. WhatsApp is billed per template message under Meta's category pricing and has the widest reach. RCS sits in between on price and adds verified branding, carousels and buttons for Android users.
- Use SMS for OTPs, simple alerts and reaching every handset, including feature phones.
- Use RCS where a richer experience lifts conversions and your audience skews Android.
- Use WhatsApp where customers already chat with brands and you need two-way conversation.
- Use RCS with an automatic SMS fallback so a message still gets through when a user's phone or network does not support RCS.
For a deeper comparison, see RCS vs SMS and our WhatsApp API pricing guide, and pick the channel per message type rather than per brand.
Six ways to control RCS spend
- Classify every message correctly. Keep transactional flows free of promotional banners so they bill at ₹0.15.
- Segment marketing audiences. Send offers only to users likely to act instead of your whole list.
- Use SMS fallback wisely. Send RCS first, and let unsupported devices fall back to SMS rather than paying for undeliverable messages.
- Test before you scale. Send to a small group, compare click and read rates, then expand the winning creative.
- Cap frequency. Fewer, better-timed marketing messages protect both budget and sender reputation.
- Track cost per conversion, not just cost per message. A ₹0.25 message that converts well is cheaper than a ₹0.10 message nobody acts on.
Getting started with RCS on ConnexBetter
You need a Google-verified RCS sender to start. ConnexBetter handles the brand verification, template setup and carrier routing, and you can add SMS fallback and WhatsApp on the same platform. Book a demo to test RCS on your own audience before you commit to volume.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RCS price per message in India in 2026?
From 1 September 2026, ConnexBetter charges ₹0.25 per marketing RCS message and ₹0.15 per transactional RCS message, plus applicable GST.
Is GST included in the RCS rate?
No. The rates are quoted per message before GST. GST is added at the applicable rate on your invoice.
What is the difference between a marketing and a transactional RCS message?
Marketing messages promote offers, launches and re-engagement and cost ₹0.25. Transactional messages deliver expected information such as order updates, payment alerts and reminders and cost ₹0.15.
Why are there two RCS rates now?
RCS is billed by message category instead of one blended rate, so the price reflects whether a message is promotional or informational.
Is RCS more expensive than SMS?
Usually yes per message, but RCS adds verified branding, rich cards, carousels, buttons and read receipts, which can raise engagement and conversions. Many brands send RCS first with SMS fallback.
Do you offer volume or enterprise RCS pricing?
Yes. Contact ConnexBetter for volume and enterprise pricing based on your monthly message volume and use case.
Get RCS pricing for your volume
Talk to our team for a quote, Google sender verification and a free trial to test RCS on your audience.
See RCS pricing