For years, RCS business messaging in India meant Android only. The Jio and Apple partnership changes that: iPhone users on Jio can now receive RCS, which means branded, verified, rich messages can reach a large and valuable audience that used to get plain SMS. Here is what it means for your campaigns, what Jio is reportedly charging, and how RCS compares with WhatsApp on cost.
What the Jio–Apple move means
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the upgrade to SMS that supports brand logos, verified sender names, images, carousels, suggested reply buttons and read receipts, all inside the phone's default messaging app. Apple added RCS support to iPhone with iOS 18, but in India it depends on the carrier enabling it. Through its partnership with Apple, Jio has brought RCS to iPhones on its network.
For businesses, three things follow:
Bigger reach. Campaigns that previously reached only Android users on RCS can now include Jio iPhone users too.
A richer fallback. Customers who are not on WhatsApp, or who have not opted in there, can still get a branded, interactive message in their default inbox.
New pricing. Jio's reported rates for business RCS to iPhone users are higher than earlier RCS rates, so budgets need a fresh look.
Airtel works with Google and Tanla on RCS, so coverage and terms can differ by operator. Plan for a mix of RCS, SMS and WhatsApp rather than one channel.
RCS is growing fast in India
According to Infobip (August 2026), RCS interactions in India grew 108% from H1 2025 to H1 2026. Finance and fintech account for about four of every five RCS interactions, and more than 7,300 brands have submitted RCS registration requests. Banks, lenders and payment apps are leading, but retail, travel and D2C brands are catching up. For background, read RCS business messaging in India.
New Jio RCS rates for iPhone users
These are the rates reported in September 2026 for business RCS sent by Jio to iPhone users:
RCS message type | Reported Jio rate per message (₹) |
|---|---|
Marketing / promotional | 0.27–0.30 |
Transactional | 0.25 |
OTP | 0.11–0.16 |
Earlier reported rates were around ₹0.08–0.10 per message, so this is a meaningful jump. Your final price depends on your provider, volume and whether taxes are included, so confirm before you plan a large campaign.
RCS vs WhatsApp: cost per message
Here is how those reported Jio iPhone rates compare with WhatsApp Business API rates in India (per delivered message, before 18% GST, from 1 October 2026):
Use case | RCS to Jio iPhone (reported, ₹) | WhatsApp API (₹) |
|---|---|---|
Marketing | 0.27–0.30 | 0.8631 |
Transactional / utility | 0.25 | 0.115 |
OTP / authentication | 0.11–0.16 | 0.115 |
Customer service replies | Varies by provider | First 1,000 per number free, then 0.115 |
The pattern is clear:
For marketing, RCS to Jio iPhones costs roughly a third of a WhatsApp marketing template, using the reported rates.
For transactional updates, WhatsApp utility templates are cheaper per message.
For OTPs, the two are close. Delivery speed and reach matter more than paise.
Cost per message is only half the story. WhatsApp offers two-way chat, a 24-hour service window and a large engaged user base in India. RCS lives in the default inbox and needs no app download or opt-in on WhatsApp. Our RCS vs WhatsApp vs SMS comparison goes deeper.
How to plan RCS campaigns now
1. Get a verified sender
RCS business messages show your brand name, logo and a verified badge. Brand verification is part of registration, so start early; with thousands of brands in the queue, approvals can take time. A verified sender builds trust, which matters in a market where people are wary of fraud messages.
2. Decide which messages go where
A sensible split for many Indian businesses:
WhatsApp: conversations, support, order and payment updates (utility), and marketing to opted-in, engaged customers.
RCS: promotional campaigns to wider audiences, especially where WhatsApp marketing costs bite, and as a rich fallback when WhatsApp fails.
SMS: final fallback for basic phones and non-RCS devices, sent through DLT-registered templates.
3. Design for rich features
Use a strong image or carousel, a short headline, and two or three suggested replies or action buttons such as "View offer", "Call us" or "Track order". Keep text tight. RCS users scan quickly in a busy inbox.
4. Build fallback logic
Not every number is RCS-capable. Set your campaign so non-RCS numbers fall back to SMS automatically, and track which channel each contact was reached on.
5. Measure the right things
Track delivered, read, button clicks and conversions per channel. Compare cost per conversion, not just cost per message. A ₹0.30 RCS message that drives a sale beats a cheaper message nobody opens.
6. Respect consent
RCS is still commercial communication. Message people who have agreed to hear from you, offer an easy opt-out, and keep records, especially with India's DPDP Act duties arriving in 2027. See our DPDP consent checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Can all iPhone users in India receive RCS business messages?
Not yet across every operator. The Jio–Apple partnership brought RCS to iPhones on Jio. Coverage on other networks depends on their own arrangements, so keep SMS fallback in place.
Is RCS cheaper than WhatsApp?
For marketing, the reported Jio iPhone RCS rates (₹0.27–0.30) are lower than WhatsApp's ₹0.8631 marketing rate. For transactional messages, WhatsApp utility at ₹0.115 is cheaper than the reported ₹0.25 RCS rate.
Do customers need to install an app for RCS?
No. RCS messages arrive in the phone's default messaging app, provided the device and operator support RCS.
Can I run RCS and WhatsApp from one platform?
Yes. Splashify Pro supports WhatsApp Business API, RCS and SMS, so you can plan campaigns and fallbacks from one dashboard.
The bottom line
RCS on iPhone through Jio makes rich, verified messaging a realistic channel for a much wider Indian audience. It will not replace WhatsApp for conversations and support, but for promotions and fallbacks it can lower cost per message. Start with brand verification, decide which messages go to which channel, and test with a small campaign. To run WhatsApp, RCS and SMS side by side, start your 7-day free trial of Splashify Pro, or book a demo to plan your first RCS campaign.
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