RCS Agent Use Cases and Business Rules

Each RCS agent has a specific use case. The use case sets the messaging rules. It keeps traffic compliant and the experience consistent.

There are four use case types:

  • One-time passwords (OTP)
  • Transactional
  • Promotional
  • Multi‑use (a blend of transactional and promotional)

Rules differ by category and by country. Use the guidance below to choose the right use case for your agent.

Select the Right Use Case

One-time Passwords (OTP)

Use the OTP category to send single‑use codes that verify identity or confirm sensitive actions. Common uses include:

  • Two‑factor authentication (2FA) during sign‑in.
  • Password or credential recovery.
  • Confirming payments or other commercial checkouts.

Do not use this category for:

  • General product updates or notifications.
  • Marketing content such as offers, promotions, discounts, or upsell messages.

Transactional

Use the Transactional category for messages tied to an existing relationship, service, or order. Examples include:

  • Fraud alerts or suspicious‑activity notices.
  • Confirmations and receipts (including appointments and tickets).
  • Service or order updates (for example, boarding passes, gate changes, shipping status, appointment reminders).
  • Account or product information (for example, statements, customer status, terms updates, warranty or safety notices).
  • Feedback requests after a purchase or during service delivery.
  • Editorial or media updates, such as news alerts.

Do not include:

  • Promotions, discounts, or upgrade offers for new or existing products or services.

Promotional

Use the Promotional category for sales and marketing outreach that drives awareness, engagement, or conversion. Examples include:

  • Offers, discounts, promotions, or upgrades for new or existing products and services.
  • Nurture flows that encourage users to finish a purchase they started (for example, an abandoned‑cart reminder).

Do not send the following as Promotional traffic:

  • Authentication codes (OTP/2FA) for account access.
  • Time‑critical service updates or transactional content.

Multi‑use

Use Multi‑use when a conversation combines transactional and promotional content in the same thread. Examples include:

  • A service update followed by a relevant offer (for example, a boarding pass followed by a seat‑upgrade option).
  • A promotion that results in a purchase, then order‑related notifications (payment confirmation, shipping updates) and a post‑purchase survey.
  • A promotion that results in account sign‑up, then ongoing account notifications (for example, appointment reminders).
  • PINs or passcodes required to complete a transaction within the same conversation.

Do not use Multi‑use for:

  • Stand‑alone authentication for account login (OTP/2FA) or credential resets.
  • Purely transactional threads with no promotional content.
  • Purely promotional threads with no transactional content.

You can launch a Multi‑use agent with only one active sub‑category (Promotional or Transactional) in the following countries:

  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

Enable the second sub‑category within six months of launch. Provide proof to program support if requested.

Important: Availability and requirements for Multi‑use agents vary by country and can change. Check the latest program rules before launch.

Use Case Availability

Availability differs by country and is subject to change.

Use Case Available Countries
OTP Globally
Transactional Globally
Promotional Globally
Multi‑use Not available in India

Reputation Score

Agent reputation reflects real‑world performance, including user feedback and spam reports. Tiers include:

  • High: Low spam incidence and strong adherence to best practices.
  • Medium: Moderate spam signals. Monitor regularly. New agents typically start here.
  • Low: Elevated spam indicators. Take corrective action promptly.

Business Rules for India

Traffic Policy for Promotional Agents

In India, promotional RCS agents are rate‑limited based on reputation across a rolling 28‑day window. New agents begin with a Low reputation by default.

These caps apply to:

  • How many initial messages you can send to an individual user in 28 days.
  • How many unique users you can reach in that same 28‑day period.

Customer‑initiated conversations are not constrained by these caps. If a user messages the agent, you can reply regardless of reach limits.

Limits on Total Initial Messages Per User

Agent Reputation Total Initial Messages (rolling 28 days)
High 8
Medium 4
Low 2

Limits on Total Unique Users

Agent Reputation Total Unique Users (rolling 28 days)
High 300 million
Medium 25 million
Low 1 million

Communication Hours

Brands may initiate conversations only between 07:00 and 22:00 local time, seven days a week.

Important: Policies and availability are subject to change. Validate your agent’s configuration and content against current requirements for the target markets. If you are unsure about a rule or scenario, contact your Account Manager for guidance.