Updated on October 29, 2026
RCS and WhatsApp solve the same problem, rich business messages on the customer’s phone, in different ways. RCS for Business (formerly RCS Business Messaging, run by Google) reaches the phone’s native messaging app on Android and on iPhones running iOS 18 or later, as long as the customer’s carrier supports it. The official WhatsApp Business API reaches anyone with WhatsApp installed, with two-way conversations, approved templates and a public per-country rate card. In Brazil, where WhatsApp is the everyday chat app, it is usually the main channel; RCS works as a complement or as a replacement for SMS.
What RCS for Business is
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the standard that replaces SMS inside the phone’s own messaging app. In the business version, Google runs the platform that connects brands to carriers: the company creates an agent (the brand’s sender), sends messages through a REST API with JSON and receives replies and events on a webhook, also in JSON.
According to Google’s documentation, an agent can send:
- Text up to 3,072 characters.
- Images, video, audio and PDFs.
- Rich cards: media, title, description and up to 4 suggestions.
- Carousels of 2 to 10 horizontally scrolling cards.
- Suggested replies and actions: dial, view or share a location, open a URL (including in a webview) and create a calendar event.
- Messages with an expiration of up to 15 days.
One detail changes how you design the flow: in RCS for Business, the agent always starts the conversation; the user can only reply. On WhatsApp, the customer can message the business at any time, through a link, a QR code or a click-to-WhatsApp ad.
Reach: Android, iPhone and carriers
RCS reach depends on the device, the messaging app and the carrier.
- Android: through an RCS-capable messaging app such as Google Messages.
- iPhone: Apple says RCS requires iOS 18 and a carrier that supports RCS on iPhone, with availability varying by region. In the Messages settings, users can turn RCS business messages off.
- Carrier: an agent only reaches users on networks where it has been launched and approved.
When the recipient’s device doesn’t support RCS, Google’s API returns a 404 error, and the documentation says to use another channel, such as SMS. That is why RCS setups usually include an SMS fallback.
On iPhone, persistent suggestions don’t appear, and Google recommends TALL media height on horizontal rich cards to avoid rendering failures.
There is no official data from Google or carriers on RCS penetration in Brazil or Latin America. Qualitatively: RCS reach depends on carrier and device, while WhatsApp reach depends on the person having the app, which in Brazil is the norm. Before deciding, ask your RCS provider to test how many numbers in your base have RCS active.
Want to try it while you read? Create a Vectalk account and send your first message through the official API. Create free account →
Brand verification and approval
On RCS, every agent goes through two steps before messaging real customers:
- Brand verification: an authorized brand representative confirms the agent’s information and the right to manage it. It is a prerequisite for launch, and in Google Messages a verified agent gets a checkmark next to its name.
- Launch approval: Google, the carrier or both approve the agent and its launch information. Carriers that manage their own launches may have extra requirements and can reject the request if there is no contract with the business.
On WhatsApp, the number is registered on the API under a Meta business portfolio, and each template (message template) is approved by Meta before use. There is no per-carrier approval. To understand categories and approval, see marketing, utility or authentication.
Opt-in and opt-out on both channels
The RCS for Business Acceptable Use Policy requires clear, revocable consent before reaching out to a user, and messaging only people who opted in. Every agent must honor opt-out requests. Google has also announced Unsubscribe and Subscribe features, with Brazil and Mexico among the markets.
Meta asks businesses to make it clear that the person is opting in to receive messages, to state the business name clearly and to comply with applicable law. Opt-in can be collected on a website, by SMS, through an IVR flow, in person or on paper. To build and maintain that list, see how to build a WhatsApp opt-in list.
In Brazil, both channels fall under the LGPD (Law No. 13,709/2018), the country’s general data protection law. This article is not legal advice.
How each channel is billed
RCS for Business
Google’s billing FAQ describes the model, not the prices:
- Each agent has a billing category set at creation, which can’t be changed later.
- Non-conversational: for agents that send one-way messages, billed per message. Since November 20, 2025 this category merges the legacy Basic Message and Single Message categories.
- Conversational: billed per conversation. A conversation starts when one party replies to the other within 24 hours and stays open for 24 hours; messages without a reply in that time are billed individually.
- Billable events include
basic_message(text only, up to 160 characters) andsingle_message(longer text or rich content), plus conversation events. - Carriers decide whether and how messages sent by users are charged.
The documentation has no public price list. The price per event comes from the RCS provider you hire: ask for the rates on the carriers you plan to use before comparing.
WhatsApp Business API
Meta charges per delivered message, priced by category and by the recipient’s country, on a public rate card. For recipients in Brazil, since October 1, 2026 (in Brazilian reais, BRL):
| Category | Price per delivered message |
|---|---|
| Marketing | R$ 0.3217 |
| Utility | R$ 0.0350 |
| Authentication | R$ 0.0350 |
| Service | R$ 0.0350 |
Each number has a free tier of 1,000 service messages per month, and charges start at the 1,001st; the free tier doesn’t cover utility. Also since October 1, 2026, utility templates sent inside the customer service window are charged. Messages customers send to the business are free. To estimate a campaign, see how much a WhatsApp campaign costs.
The advantage is predictability: with the rate card, the category and the list size, you know the cost before you send.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | RCS for Business | Official WhatsApp Business API |
|---|---|---|
| Where the message appears | Native messaging app (Google Messages; iPhone Messages on iOS 18+) | WhatsApp app |
| Who it reaches | Devices and carriers with RCS enabled and an approved launch | Anyone with WhatsApp |
| Who starts the conversation | Only the business | Business (with a template) or customer |
| Approval | Brand verification and launch approval by Google and/or carrier | Number registration and approval of each template by Meta |
| Sender identity | Agent with verified checkmark | Business profile with approved display name |
| Rich features | Rich cards, carousels, suggestions, calendar and location actions | Buttons, lists, carousel, catalog, WhatsApp Flows |
| Fallback | SMS when the device doesn’t support RCS | No native fallback; another channel is up to you |
| Billing | Per message or per conversation, by agent category; contract price | Per delivered message, by category and country; public rate card |
| Opt-in | Required (Google policy) | Required (Meta policy) |
When to use each
Use WhatsApp as your main channel when:
- Customers need to talk to you, ask questions, send a receipt or a photo.
- You want customers to be able to start the contact, from an ad, a website or a QR code.
- The budget has to be calculated in advance, from a public rate card.
Consider RCS when:
- You send SMS today and want to swap plain text for branded messages with images and buttons, keeping SMS as fallback.
- A meaningful part of your base doesn’t use WhatsApp or hasn’t opted in there, but agreed to receive messages on their phone.
- The flow is one-way (alert, confirmation, code) and a reply is optional.
Use both when an alert is critical and has to arrive one way or another. A common design: WhatsApp first for opted-in contacts; if the message isn’t delivered, RCS; if the device doesn’t support RCS, SMS. For alerts and codes, also compare with SMS in WhatsApp or SMS. For longer, less urgent communication, see WhatsApp vs email marketing.
Routing relies on each channel’s delivery status: on WhatsApp, statuses arrive by webhook (see message status via webhook); on RCS, the 404 error means the number doesn’t have RCS.
How to run the WhatsApp side with Vectalk
Vectalk is a proxy for Meta’s official WhatsApp Cloud API. It doesn’t send RCS: if you want both channels, RCS goes through an RCS provider and WhatsApp through Vectalk, and the routing between them lives in your system.
In the Vectalk dashboard you manage instances (profile, IDs, webhooks, API keys), templates with a Template Library, and logs. You pay a monthly plan fee and load a prepaid balance; each delivered message is deducted from the balance, and you don’t add a card on Meta. Vectalk also supports coexistence: the number stays on the WhatsApp Business app and also works on the API.
If you’re just getting started, the official WhatsApp API guide explains the requirements. To integrate, see the Vectalk docs or create your account.
Frequently asked questions
Does RCS work on iPhone?
Yes, from iOS 18, as long as the customer’s carrier supports RCS on iPhone. Availability varies by region and carrier, and users can turn off RCS business messages in the Messages settings.
Will RCS replace WhatsApp in Brazil?
They are different channels: RCS replaces SMS in the native messaging app; WhatsApp is a separate chat app. In Brazil, RCS tends to complement WhatsApp, especially where SMS is used today.
Does RCS need approved templates like WhatsApp?
Google’s sending documentation doesn’t describe pre-approval of each message. Approval happens at the agent level: brand verification and launch approval by Google and/or the carrier. On WhatsApp, Meta approves each template before use.
Which is cheaper, RCS or WhatsApp?
It depends on your RCS contract, since Google publishes no price list. On WhatsApp, the price per delivered message is public by category and country. Compare by asking your RCS provider for the per-event price on your carrier and calculating WhatsApp with Meta’s rate card.
Official sources checked on October 29, 2026: RCS for Business (Google for Developers) · How RCS for Business works · Send messages (RCS for Business) · Verify and launch your agent · Brand verification · RCS for Business billing FAQ · RCS for Business Acceptable Use Policy · RCS for Business release notes · Turn on RCS messaging on your iPhone (Apple) · WhatsApp Business Platform pricing (Meta) · Get opt-in for WhatsApp (Meta)
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Create your account, connect your number to the official API (you can keep the app with coexistence) and start serving customers and sending messages.