Send more for less with RCS
One of the biggest advantages of RCS compared to SMS is cost efficiency.
RCS messages have built-in support for branding and opt-out, so you don’t need to include an org prefix or opt-out instructions. This saves roughly 40 characters per message. Additionally, unlike SMS, emojis and special characters in RCS don’t reduce your character allowance. This means you can send richer, more engaging messages without increasing your cost.
Below are examples showing how this works in practice.
⚠️ Private Beta: This feature is currently in private beta and more functionality is coming soon. You can request access to this or any other Klaviyo beta via the Beta Landing Page but acceptance is not guaranteed. Klaviyo Support will assist customers enrolled in the beta but cannot provide updates on applications.
Example 1: Basic text-only message
SMS messageSMS message
- Recipients: 100,000 US recipients
-
Copy:
- Klaviyo: Your summer essentials are here! Enjoy 25% OFF across all categories until midnight. Free shipping on orders over £50. Shop now at https://kav4.io/XXXXXX. Reply STOP to opt out.
- Characters: 185 (2 x SMS segments)
-
Credits used: 200,000 (2 x 100,000)
- Note: Credit usage in these examples is based on US rates. Actual credits may vary by country.
RCS message
- Recipients: 100,000 US recipients
-
Copy:
- Your summer essentials are here! Enjoy 25% OFF across all categories until midnight. Free shipping on orders over £50. Shop now at https://kav4.io/XXXXXX.
- Characters: 153 (1 x Basic RCS)
-
Credits used: 100,000 (1 x 100,000)
- Note: Credit usage in these examples is based on US rates. Actual credits may vary by country.
✅ Result: Sending the same content over SMS costs twice as much, since each message must include an org prefix and opt-out instructions.
Example 2: Emojis and special charactersExample 2: Emojis and special characters
SMS messageSMS message
- Recipients: 100,000 US recipients
-
Copy:
- Klaviyo: 🏖️ Your summer essentials are here! Enjoy 25% OFF across all categories until midnight ⏰. Free shipping on orders over £50. Shop now 👉 https://kav4.io/XXXXXX. Reply STOP to opt out.
-
Characters: 191 (3 x SMS segments)
- Note: Emojis and special characters reduce the SMS segment character limit to 70.
-
Credits used: 300,000 (3 x 100,000)
- Note: Credit usage in these examples is based on US rates. Actual credits may vary by country.
RCS message
- Recipients: 100,000 US recipients
-
Copy:
- 🏖️ Your summer essentials are here! Enjoy 25% OFF across all categories until midnight ⏰. Free shipping on orders over £50. Shop now 👉 https://kav4.io/XXXXXX.
-
Characters: 159 (1 x Basic RCS)
- Note: Emojis and special characters don’t reduce the RCS segment character limit.
-
Credits used: 100,000 (1 x 100,000)
- Note: Credit usage in these examples is based on US rates. Actual credits may vary by country.
✅ Result: Sending the same content over SMS costs three times as much, since emojis and special characters reduce the SMS character allowance.