RCS for onboarding flows India

Last Updated: January 06, 2026

Your customer just signed up. Now what? You send a welcome SMS. It’s plain, gets lost in the clutter, and costs you money. Then you send an email. It lands in promotions. You watch your hard-earned leads go cold because your onboarding feels like a transaction, not a conversation. This is the silent revenue leak most Indian businesses accept as “cost of doing business.” But what if your first touchpoint could be engaging, interactive, and—here’s the kicker—actually cheaper than the boring SMS you’re sending now?

The Real Cost of Your “Cheap” Bulk SMS Onboarding

Let’s talk numbers. You pay, say, 12-15 paise for a bulk SMS. Seems affordable, right? But you’re paying for a 160-character plain text message that looks identical to spam. No branding. No images. No way for the user to take action except to click a shortened, suspicious-looking link. The open rates? Maybe 98%. But the engagement? Almost zero. The conversion from that message to the next step in your funnel? Abysmal.

You’re not just paying for a message. You’re paying for a missed opportunity. You’re paying to blend in. You’re paying for customer apathy. When you calculate the true cost—the cost of low engagement, high drop-off rates, and poor first impressions—that “cheap” SMS becomes the most expensive line item in your onboarding budget.

RCS: Your Onboarding Superpower (That Costs Less)

This is where most business owners get it wrong. They see RCS—with its rich media, branded profiles, and interactive buttons—and assume it’s a premium, expensive product. Here’s the truth that your competitors are starting to discover: RCS Business Messaging often costs less per message than traditional bulk SMS. Let that sink in.

You are not paying more. You are paying less for dramatically more. Imagine sending a welcome message that shows your logo, includes a high-res image or a short video greeting from the CEO, and presents two clear buttons: “Explore Your Dashboard” and “Watch a Tutorial.” This isn’t a futuristic dream. This is RCS. And it costs less than the plain text SMS you’re currently sending.

Why Indian Businesses Are Switching Onboarding to RCS

The shift isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s a direct response to what works. Open rates for RCS hover near 99%. Click-through rates are 3-5x higher than SMS. But the real magic is in completion rates. When you guide a user through setup steps with clear buttons inside a single, rich message thread, they complete the process. Fast.

• E-commerce: Welcome message with product image carousel and “Shop Now” button.
• FinTech/Banking: Account verification with secure document upload (PDF) option within the chat.
• EdTech: Onboarding kit with video intro and links to first lesson.
• Healthcare: Appointment confirmation with interactive map and pre-check-in form.

This is happening right now. The businesses that adopt this first will own their customer relationships from minute one.

Features That Turn Onboarding Into a Conversion Engine

Let’s break down how RCS from a provider like RCS SMS Provider makes this happen, feature by benefit.

1. Branded Identity & Trust (Google Verified Sender)

Your first message shows your logo, business name, and a verification tick. No more “Sender: AB1234”. Instant credibility. The user knows it’s you, not a phishing scam. This trust is the foundation of all future interaction.

2. Rich Media & Interactive Elements

Send images, videos, PDF guides, or audio notes directly in the chat. Use clickable buttons for “Verify Account,” “Download App,” or “Book a Demo.” Use carousels to showcase features. You guide the user visually, eliminating confusion and friction.

3. Read Receipts & Typing Indicators

You see when the message is delivered and read. You see when the customer starts typing a reply. This transforms onboarding from a broadcast into a two-way dialogue. You can trigger automated follow-ups based on real engagement, not guesswork.

4. Seamless CRM & Platform Integration

Plug our API into your CRM, marketing automation, or e-commerce platform. When a user signs up on your website, an RCS onboarding flow triggers automatically. Update customer profiles based on their button clicks. It’s a closed-loop system.

Real Results: Industry-Specific Onboarding Wins

Let’s get specific. Here’s what better, cheaper onboarding looks like across industries in India.

FinTech / NeoBank: KYC Completion Rate Soars

Old Way: Welcome SMS with a link to a web portal. User must log in, find the KYC section, upload documents. Drop-off is huge.
RCS Way: Welcome RCS with branded identity. Message includes clear text and a “Complete KYC Now” button. Clicking it opens a secure chat where the user can snap photos of their PAN and Aadhaar directly. Completion rates increase by over 50%, and the cost per completed KYC drops because you use fewer, more effective messages.

E-commerce: First Purchase Velocity Increases

Old Way: Generic “Thanks for signing up” email. Maybe a 10% off coupon buried in text.
RCS Way: A rich welcome message featuring a carousel of trending products, a personalized welcome video from the brand, and a prominent “GET 10% OFF” button that applies the coupon automatically at checkout. First-time buyer conversion from sign-up doubles, and the average order value is higher.

The RCS SMS Provider Advantage: Built for India, Priced to Save

Why partner with us for your RCS for onboarding flows India strategy? Because we built this for the Indian business reality. Founded by Sudarshan Singh, with over 16 years of messaging experience, we understand that adoption only happens when the ROI is crystal clear and immediate.

• Cost is the Feature: Our pricing model makes RCS adoption a no-brainer. We structured it to be cheaper than your current bulk SMS provider when you factor in engagement and conversion lift. You save on your messaging bill while getting far better results.
• 99.9% Delivery Rate: Built on enterprise-grade infrastructure. Your critical onboarding messages get through.
• India-First Support: 24/7 technical support that speaks your language and understands your market.
• Easy Integration: Simple API, plugins, and dedicated support to get you live in days, not months.

We don’t just provide a service; we provide a measurable upgrade to your customer acquisition cost and lifetime value. Explore our platform to see how.

Busting the Biggest Myth: “RCS is Too Expensive for Us”

This is the #1 objection, and it’s based on outdated information. Let’s destroy this myth with facts.

Myth: RCS is a premium product with premium pricing.
Reality: The per-message cost of RCS Business Messaging is highly competitive. When you consider that one interactive RCS message can replace 3-4 plain SMSs and an email in an onboarding sequence, the total cost of your campaign plummets. You are consolidating spend into a more effective channel. You are not adding cost; you are reallocating budget to a channel with a proven, higher return.

Getting Started is Simpler Than You Think

You don’t need to overhaul your tech stack. Here’s the typical path:

1. Audit: We look at your current onboarding flow and messaging costs.
2. Map & Design: We help design a high-conversion RCS flow for your key user segments.
3. Integrate: Our team helps plug our API into your sign-up points (website, app).
4. Launch & Optimize: Go live. Use our real-time analytics to see opens, clicks, and conversions instantly, and tweak for even better performance.

The barrier to entry is low. The financial upside is immediate.

Stop Overpaying for Underperformance

Your onboarding flow is the front door to your customer relationship. Right now, you might be using a dim, plain door (SMS) that people struggle to find and are reluctant to walk through. And you’re paying a maintenance fee for it.

RCS flips on the lights, puts up a clear sign with your logo, and holds the door open with a smile. It guides people inside. And it does all this while reducing your “door maintenance” bill by 30-40%.

The question isn’t whether you can afford to try RCS for onboarding flows India. The real question is, how much longer can you afford to overpay for ineffective, outdated bulk SMS? Every day you wait, your competitors are moving ahead, securing better customer relationships at a lower cost.

The switch isn’t just an upgrade. It’s a direct injection of efficiency and profitability into your customer acquisition process. It’s time to stop leaving money on the table. Let’s build your high-conversion, lower-cost onboarding flow today.