Key Insight
RCS messaging costs ₹0.18 per message in India — 4.5× cheaper than WhatsApp Business API at ₹0.82 per conversation. Minimum order is 50,000 messages (₹9,000). Full campaign management is included free. Complete pricing breakdown, ROI calculator, and comparison with SMS and WhatsApp.
Most businesses in India evaluate RCS messaging on two questions: how much does it cost? and is it worth it?
This page gives you direct answers — actual pricing, minimum order requirements, and a real ROI comparison against SMS and WhatsApp Business API so you can make an informed decision.
We are Scalify Labs, an RCS messaging service provider. Our pricing is ₹0.18 per delivered message. We are transparent about it because hidden pricing is a waste of your time.
RCS Messaging Price Per Message in India (2026)
₹0.18 per delivered RCS message — flat rate, no per-session or per-conversation charge.This is the rate at Scalify Labs. Industry range in India for RCS from different providers: ₹0.16–₹0.25 per message, depending on volume and service level.
What is included at ₹0.18:
- Delivered to Android users via Jio, Airtel, Vi
- Rich media support (images, carousels, CTA buttons)
- Verified brand name and logo in the chat header
- Delivery reports and read receipts
- DLT-compliant template registration
What is not charged extra at Scalify Labs (included free):
- Campaign management and scheduling
- Template design and carrier registration
- Analytics and delivery reporting
- WhatsApp support from our team
Minimum Order and Starter Packages
| Package | Messages | Cost | Cost Per Message | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 50,000 | ₹9,000 | ₹0.18 | First campaign, pilot testing |
| Growth | 1,00,000 | ₹17,000 | ₹0.17 | Regular monthly campaigns |
| Scale | 5,00,000 | ₹80,000 | ₹0.16 | Large brands, e-commerce |
| Enterprise | 10,00,000+ | Custom | ₹0.14–₹0.15 | Banks, NBFCs, large retail |
The minimum order is 50,000 messages (₹9,000). This ensures the campaign has enough reach to generate measurable results and makes the carrier registration and template approval process cost-effective.
RCS vs SMS vs WhatsApp Business API — India Price Comparison
This is the most important table for any business evaluating messaging channels:
| Metric | SMS (A2P) | RCS | WhatsApp Business API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per message/conversation | ₹0.12 | ₹0.18 | ₹0.82 per 24-hr conversation |
| Media (images, video) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| CTA buttons | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Verified branding | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| User must have app | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (WhatsApp required) |
| iPhone support | ✅ | ✅ (iOS 18+) | ✅ |
| Read receipts for business | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Typical CTR | 1–2% | 5–15% | 8–20% |
| Opt-out rate | Low | Low | Low |
For 1 Lakh (100,000) Messages — Cost Comparison
| Channel | Total Cost | Cost Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | ₹12,000 | ₹0.12 × 1,00,000 |
| RCS (Scalify Labs) | ₹17,000 | ₹0.17 × 1,00,000 |
| WhatsApp Business API | ₹82,000+ | ₹0.82 × 1,00,000 conversations |
ROI Calculator — Is RCS Worth It?
Use this table to estimate your return from an RCS campaign.
Assumptions: ₹5,000 average order value, 8% CTR on RCS (conservative), 20% of clicks convert to purchase.| Campaign Size | RCS Cost | Clicks Generated | Conversions | Revenue Generated | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 msgs | ₹9,000 | 4,000 | 800 | ₹40,00,000 | 44x |
| 1,00,000 msgs | ₹17,000 | 8,000 | 1,600 | ₹80,00,000 | 47x |
| 5,00,000 msgs | ₹80,000 | 40,000 | 8,000 | ₹4,00,00,000 | 50x |
What Affects RCS Pricing in India?
Several factors can change the per-message rate you pay:
Volume: Higher volume = lower per-message rate. 5 lakh messages costs ₹0.16/msg vs ₹0.18 for 50,000. Template complexity: Simple text + image templates cost the same as complex carousels. No extra charge for rich media at Scalify Labs. Carrier delivery: All messages delivered to Jio, Airtel, and Vi at the same rate. No premium for specific carriers. DLT registration: India's TRAI requires all bulk messaging to be registered on DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology). One-time registration is required. Scalify Labs handles this for you at no extra cost. Campaign management: Some providers charge ₹5,000–₹20,000 for campaign setup, scheduling, and analytics. At Scalify Labs, campaign management is included free with every order.What Happens If RCS Falls Back to SMS?
A common concern: if the recipient's phone doesn't support RCS, what happens?
When an RCS message cannot be delivered (phone doesn't support RCS, carrier doesn't support it, or user has disabled it), the message automatically falls back to SMS.
Cost on fallback:- At Scalify Labs: fallback SMS is charged at ₹0.12/msg (standard A2P rate)
- You only pay for delivered messages — RCS delivered at ₹0.18, SMS fallback at ₹0.12
- Approximately 10–15% of messages fall back to SMS in India today (Jio/Airtel/Vi users are majority RCS-capable)
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RCS Pricing vs WhatsApp API — Which Should You Choose?
Choose RCS if:- You send high-volume transactional or promotional messages (OTPs, offers, reminders)
- Your audience is primarily on Android (Jio/Airtel/Vi)
- You want the lowest per-message cost with rich media and buttons
- You need mass-reach without requiring users to have a specific app
- Your customers already engage with you on WhatsApp
- You want two-way conversational support (chatbot + agent)
- You have a smaller, high-intent audience where per-conversation cost is justified
- Your conversion rate is high enough to justify ₹0.82/conversation
How to Get Started with RCS in India
Step 1 — Contact us with your campaign details (industry, audience size, message type) Step 2 — Brand registration — we register your business on Jio, Airtel, and Vi RCS platforms (5–7 business days, we handle it all) Step 3 — Template design and DLT registration — we design your rich message templates and register them on TRAI's DLT platform Step 4 — Campaign setup — we schedule your campaign, set up analytics, and configure fallback SMS Step 5 — Launch and report — campaign goes live, you receive delivery reports, CTR, and conversion data Typical turnaround from first contact to first campaign: 10–14 business days (mostly waiting on carrier/DLT approval, not setup time).Frequently Asked Questions on RCS Pricing
Is there a setup fee for RCS at Scalify Labs?
No setup fee. You pay only ₹0.18 per delivered RCS message (₹0.12 for SMS fallback). Campaign management, template design, carrier registration, and analytics are included free.
Is RCS messaging regulated in India?
Yes. RCS business messaging falls under TRAI's DLT framework for bulk communications. All senders must register their brand and templates on the DLT portal. Scalify Labs handles this compliance process for you.
Can I start with less than 50,000 messages?
The minimum is 50,000 messages (₹9,000) because smaller campaigns don't generate enough data to optimise, and the carrier registration cost is not viable below this volume. For pilot testing, 50,000 is the right size to validate before scaling.
Do you offer a free trial or sample campaign?
We offer a free consultation and campaign planning session. We can share sample templates and delivery reports from similar campaigns. Contact us to discuss.
What industries get the best ROI from RCS?
Based on our campaigns: banking and NBFC (loan alerts, EMI reminders), e-commerce (order updates, offers), coaching institutes (admission campaigns), real estate (property launches), and healthcare (appointment reminders). All see CTR significantly above SMS.
Ready to start an RCS campaign? Get in touch with Scalify Labs → Or view our full RCS Messaging Service page → for complete service details. Related: What is RCS Full Form? → · RCS Messaging Examples → Author: Arvind Gupta, Scalify Labs — RCS messaging service provider in India. Last updated: May 2026.
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Founder of Scalify Labs · 17+ years in digital marketing · Ranchi, Jharkhand. Has helped 100+ Indian businesses build profitable digital marketing systems.