How to register your business for RCS messaging: Step-by-step guide

Choose RCS service provider

To send RCS messages, your business must be registered through an RCS service provider. The provider collaborates with Google and mobile operators to verify that your company is a trusted sender. This registration is essential to ensure your business meets the requirements to prevent spam and fraudulent messages, enabling secure and efficient communication via RCS.

Create an 'Agent' and verify your business

Once you have selected a provider, you will need to submit your company information and design an 'agent' that will be used to send RCS messages.

An RBM agent acts as your business's digital representative for RCS messaging. It is the sender that customers see and interact with in their messaging apps. In addition to facilitating conversations, the agent can also manage features like read receipts, track the number of messages sent, and gather data to enhance communication.

In addition to the information above, you must also define a clearly specified use case.

Four main use cases

1) One-time passwords (OTP)
An OTP agent sends one-time passwords required to log in to an account or confirm a transaction. It can be used for:

• OTP / 2FA for login
• Password resets
• Completing online purchases or transactions

2) Transactional
A transactional agent updates customers with information directly related to their existing products or services. Examples include:

• Fraud or suspicious activity alerts
• Purchase, booking, or ticket confirmations
• Updates on products or services (e.g., boarding passes, delivery status, or meeting changes)
• Account updates, product information, or terms of service notifications
• Requests for feedback on recently used products or services
• Updates like newsfeeds or news alerts

3) Promotional
A promotional agent is used to send marketing or sales messages to both new and existing customers. The aim is to increase engagement and drive sales. Examples include:

• Campaigns, discounts, and offers for new or existing products and services
• Reminders to complete a purchase, such as abandoned cart follow-ups

4) Multi-use
A multi-use agent can handle both transactional and promotional messages within a conversation. It's used to combine updates with offers, such as:

• Sending a boarding pass followed by an offer for a seat upgrade
• A promotion leading to a purchase, followed by payment confirmation, delivery updates, and a feedback survey
• A campaign leading to account registration, followed by account updates and booking reminders
• Transmitting PINs or passwords to complete transactions within the same conversation

Each use case has a specific purpose and must only be used according to its category.

These use cases are designed to meet specific needs and apply appropriate business rules for each function. They provide better insights into the agent's capabilities and enable tailored business rules applications, ensuring a positive and efficient user experience.

Design your brand profile

Now, it's time to design your brand profile for RCS. This includes setting up elements such as your logo, brand colours, and business name so they appear in messages sent to your customers. The goal is to make your brand recognisable and trustworthy. There are a few key aspects to keep in mind.

Hero Image

To ensure the image looks good, remember that the "Info & Options" image will overlap with the logo. Design with the intention of maintaining a balanced visual experience.

Logotype

The logo will be displayed in a circular frame, even if uploaded as a square image. Always preview how the logo appears in this circular format.

Leave ample space around the edges to avoid important elements being cropped. If the logo fills the image's height and width, some parts may be cut off.

Avoid using images with transparent backgrounds. Logos lacking sufficient contrast may blend into 'dark mode' backgrounds, making them harder to see. If a transparent background doesn't suit your logo, a white background is recommended for optimal visibility.

The "Hero Image" on the "Info & Options" screen partially overlaps with the logo, so it’s important to design the background image with this in mind to achieve a visually appealing result.

Congratulations, you're ready to send RCS messages!

You’ve now taken the step toward the future of messaging! Send RCS messages that include images, videos, buttons, and branded profiles to elevate every interaction.

Looking to get started with RCS? At LEKAB, we have the expertise and experience to guide you through the process—from registration to implementing RCS as part of your communication strategy. Contact us, and we’ll help you register your business and start sending RCS messages today!