RCS Registration & Launch Guide

[Shahzad_Ismail]

Onboarding for RCS is separated into two phases: RCS Agent Registration and RCS Agent Launch. Below are the country and carrier specific rules.

Review these before registering an RCS Agent to ensure the agent is set up correctly.

RCS Agent Registration

Sinch tools and platforms can be used to register (create) RCS agents. A guide to creating an RCS agent in the Sinch Build Dashboard is available here.

Provisioning API is available as a programmatic solution.

After an agent is created, test messages can be sent to RCS for Business enabled devices.

Agents can be registered and tested on enabled devices in any country, even where RCS is not currently available for launch. Country coverage can be viewed here. Supported countries/carriers are updated regularly, check with your Account Manager for the latest.

Available markets relate to where an RCS message is terminated, not where a company is based/originating the message.

Note: Some carriers include messages on non-verified agents during testing, highlighting that the agent is not verified.

Testing on AT&T devices requires additional steps and approval. Work with your Account Manager to enable testing.

RCS Agent Launch

RCS agents must be submitted for verification and approval before live traffic can be sent. The processes and requirements for verification and launch are determined by Google and the carriers.

Launch status can be found using the Provisioning API or the Build Dashboard. Updates may also be communicated by your Account Manager.

Carrier requirements and steps for launch

Note: RCS requirements and rules change periodically. Sinch continues to evolve our process to meet these changes.

Carriers have varying requirements for verification and launch; most of this information is collected as part of the set up and launch process, but some steps need to be completed separately.

Timelines for launch vary by region and carrier. The best way to ensure a quick and smooth launch is to ensure all guidelines are followed, and all required information is provided in a timely manner.

Only carriers with specific rules or processes are included below. Additional carriers are available for launch.

Carrier/Country Specific Rules

Brazil	Generic senders are not allowed – all agents must be for the brand sending the messages
France	For Upscale the message must contain a weblink for opt-out If a paid phone number is included the rate should be indicated in the phone label (i.e. .025 €/min)
Germany	Generic senders are not allowed – all agents must be for the brand sending the messages T&C should be in German or include the option for a translated version If a contact number is provided, it must be a +49 number An agent name can only be used once, even by different partners (i.e. there can only be one agent called Sinch, other agents need to be called Sinch OTP, Sinch Promotions).
UK	If a contact number is provided, it must be +44 number Demo agents must have “demo” in the agent’s name The region for RCS agents must be set to EU during agent registration.
US	Generic senders are not allowed – all agents must be for the brand sending the messages Agents must be registered as non-conversational. Session based billing (Conversational RCS agent type) is not supported by US carriers. The agent's description must include information about what the agent does and the service it provides (i.e. no taglines). The keywords STOP, HELP and START and their corresponding replies must be supported and compliant. The carriers will test these as part of the verification and launch process. The region for RCS agents must be set to US during agent registration. In addition to the content prohibited by Google’s Acceptable Use policies, the following content is also prohibited: T-Mobile. Age-gated content (as defined in the T-Mobile Code of Conduct) Donation/Pledge Solicitation Loan Arrangement Social Media Sweepstakes/Contest. AT&T Payday loans, cash advance services No loan ads other than messages from direct lenders for secured loans No credit repair debt relief No work from home/secret shopper ads No lead gen campaigns that indicate sharing information with 3rd parties No charitable donation campaigns (text to donate). Verizon Collections from 3rd parties (collection agencies) Short term loan campaigns (except from direct lender) Generic job alerts (except for a company hiring for themselves) Affiliate marketing.

Carrier/Country Specific Steps

Google, Sinch or the carrier might reach out to request additional information. Send documentation to your Account Manager unless otherwise specified.

All Google Guest Coud carriers	The brand must reply to an email from Google confirming information about the agent. Corporate email address must be used which matches the brand information used in the agent. Emails will come from rbm-support@google.com.
Austria	Brand Approval Form for A1 Send completed form to your Sinch Account Manager.
Belgium	Telenet Registration letter Send completed form to your Sinch Account Manager.
Brazil	Brand will need to provide approval and information including Tax ID. Customer needs to reply to an email from the Sinch SI team.
Canada	Canada RCS for Business Agent Application Form Send completed form to your Sinch Account Manager.
Finland	Brand Approval Form Send completed form to your Sinch Account Manager.
France	Carrier may reach out to the brand to confirm agent information including that the phone number and email address work. SIREN (Company ID number) is required.
Germany	Brand Approval Form – This must be hand signed in blue ink and stamped. Docusign also permitted. Send the completed and signed from to: brandapproval@rcsbusinessmessaging.de.
Italy	Vodafone Brand Verification letter. Send completed letter to your Sinch Account Manager.
Netherlands	Vodafone and Odido: Brand Verification letter. The Google RCS Agent ID is available in Sinch Build or from your Account Manager. Expected format: XXX-NNN- ZZZ. Send completed verification letter to: wholesaleenablers@vodafoneziggo.com and Maarten.de.vos@odido.nl
Singapore	ACRA (company registration certificate) XXX & LOA (letter of authorization). Send completed forms to your Sinch Account Manager.
Spain	Note: The email sent from Google to the brand for agent verification references Telefonica instead of Sinch.
UK	Brand needs to send the following email to the UK carriers: To: a2pmessaging@bt.com, RCS_approval_reqs@o2.com,  Laurence.laroche@three.co.uk, mihaela.sandru@vodafone.com. Subject: [AGENT NAME] RBM brand approval Hi, Approval for Agent: [AGENT ID] I at [BRAND/COMPANY NAME] confirm that I am authorised to use the following name: [AGENT NAME], logo and images, as shown in the attached image file (s) for the RBM agent. I hereby confirm that I give permission to [AGENT OWNER/ AGGREGATOR] to register this RBM agent and use the logo for the purpose of sending RBM messages to the users of [OPERATOR NAME] networks (s) on our behalf. Regards [FULL NAME] [JOB TITLE] [COMPANY]
USA	Brand Vetting to be completed before an agent is submitted to the carriers. Brand Verification Form Carriers Completed Verizon Launch form Completed (all) US requirements form Digital assets (logo, banner) submitted for the brand verification token must exactly match the agent and other submitted content. Send completed forms to your Sinch Account Manager.

ASP/Reseller Support

For partners wishing to use their own name instead of Sinch’s when Google/Carriers communicate with brands, the following steps can be taken:

• Czech Republic – Company can complete a 3^rd party reseller letter for T-Mobile.
  Send completed letter to your Sinch Account Manager. 
• France – Free Mobile Authorization letter between Sinch and reseller and the Authorization letter between brand and reseller must both be completed.
  Send completed letter to rbmregistration@free-mobile.fr.
• Germany – let your Sinch Account Manager know and they will work with you to complete the process.
• UK – two emails must be sent to the carriers, one from the brand authorizing the reseller and one from the reseller authorizing Sinch
• US – Google Guest Cloud carriers only. Google will reach out to the reseller/partner for confirmation and authorization. Google will use the partner’s name in the verification email to the brand instead of Sinch’s for Google Guest Cloud carriers.

Notify your Account Manager before you submit for launch.

Note: Not all carriers support this process.

Reminder: If Google learns that an agent is in violation of Google’s Acceptable Use Policy or an agent experiences high spam reports, they may notify the carriers and Sinch and un-launch the agent.

[#2]

This article details the steps required to set up RCS for use with Sinch Conversation API. 

Prerequisites 

Before you can set up an RCS channel on the Conversation API, you need to setup Conversation API.

Note: If you have already setup Conversation API by completing the Conversation API Getting started steps, you can skip this section. 

To setup Conversation API take the following steps:

1. Sign up for the Sinch Build Dashboard. 
2. Get access to Conversation API. 
3. Create your access key. Any API calls you make will require authentication information provided by your access key. 

Refer to the Get access section of the Conversation API Getting started guide for more information on any of these steps.  

Step 1 – Setup your RCS Agent

To start using RCS through Conversation API, you must register and launch your RCS Agent. Watch this video to learn how to set up and launch your RCS Agent:

All the steps are outlined in detail in the step-by-step guide below.

Setting up your RCS Agent step-by-step guide:

Log in to the Sinch Build Dashboard and select the Agents option from the RCS menu in the left panel. The RCS Business Messaging – Agents page is displayed:

This page contains important details about the information you need before you can create an RCS Agent.

To create an RCS Agent, follow the steps below:

1. Click Create agent. The Create agent form is displayed:
   
   
   
   Step 1. Agent details of this form contains the following sections XXXX:
   
   

   Name and description	Enter a name and description for your agent which relates to your company as this information will be visible when users interact with the agent. Some carriers have specific rules about the Agent name and description. See more here.
   Color & logo	Style the look and feel of your agent by adding your company logo and brand colors. These colors are shown in your contact profile on Android only.
   Agent contact information and policies	Add important contact information for your business.

   
   Note:  Mandatory fields which must be completed are marked with an asterisk (*).

   
   As you fill out the form, the Agent previewer displayed on the right (outlined in blue above) will show you how this information will look in an RCS message.

   
   Once you have completed this section, click Continue to settings.
   
   

2. The 2. Agent settings step of the form is displayed:
   
   
   
   This step allows you to further configure your agent:
   
   

   Conversation API app	Select an existing Conversation API app or you can choose to create a new app, to connect to your agent. Select the Use existing app radio button if you want to use an existing Conversation API app and then select the app you’d like to use from the drop-down list. Select the Create new app radio button to create a new Conversation API app, then enter a name for the new app and select the region in which the app’s data will be hosted. The RCS channel will be automatically activated for your specified Conversation API app, and your RCS agent will be automatically connected to the app once it has been created. Warning:  If you plan to use an existing Conversation API app, your Conversation API app must have been created in the same region that your RCS Agent is provisioned. If your Conversation API app is created in a different region than the RCS Agent is provisioned, the RCS channel will report errors, and you won't receive your delivery receipts.
   Countries	Select one or more countries you want to send messages to using your agent. If the country, you want to send to is not listed it means that you cannot launch in that market yet. You may create an agent without selecting a country (select the Add countries later option) so you can test, but prior to launch you need to select a country. Note: You can also select one country now and add more countries later as they become available. See available countries here.
   Agent purpose	Select the billing category and use case for your agent. Note: These can’t be changed after creating the agent.

   
   

   Refer to the Agent setting guide on the right panel for full details and explanations of the fields.
   
   

   Once you have completed this section, click Continue to settings.

3. The 3. Agent experience step of the form is displayed. Mobile operators/carriers need to know how users interact with your agent. We have populated the form with our recommendations. If something doesn’t match your interactions feel free to make changes to suit your requirements.
   
   For certain countries, you need some special configurations to enable and setup RCS. You can add this information in the Country Specific questions section of the form. 
   
   Note: In some cases additional information is required for the network carrier(s). Sinch or the carrier may need to follow up with you directly to gather the required information or you may need to complete another task, like sending an email. Each carrier has their own timeframe for approving agents.
   
   Once you have completed this section, click Continue to summary.
   
   

4. The 4. Agent summary step of the form is displayed:
   
   
   
   This shows you a summary of your RCS Agent. Carefully review the information you have entered.
   
   To make any changes, click the Edit button. To create your agent, click Create agent.
   
   Your agent will be created, and a confirmation message is displayed:
   
   

Step 2 – Test your agent prior to submitting your agent for launch

Important Note: To test RCS, you need to have a recipient device (mobile handset) that supports RCS for Business. Your ability to test may also be dependent on your carrier. If you encounter any issues, please reach out to your Account Manager.

To test your agent, follow the simple steps below:

1. To ensure that everything has been setup correctly you can send a test message:
   
   
   
   Click Test agent now.
   
   

2. The Add test number dialog is displayed. Enter a test number (include the plus sign, country code, and number with no spaces or dashes) and click Continue:
   
   

3. An invitation from Google will be sent to your test number:
   
   
   
   Click Make me a tester. Google will send a confirmation message to your handset.
   
   

4. The Capability check confirmation dialog will be displayed on the Build Dashboard:
   
   
   
   Click Continue.
   
   

5. The Send a test message dialog is displayed:
   
   
   
   Select the type of message you want to send from the Message drop down. Click Send test message.
   
   The message will be sent to your test number.
   
   

Once you have confirmed you have successfully received the test message you are ready to submit your agent for launch! If your country isn't supported yet, you can still test and wait until RCS for Business becomes available in your destination country. 

Step 3 – Launch RCS Agent

Note: If you’re looking to launch in an unavailable market (country), you will need to wait until that market becomes available.

To Launch the RCS Agent:

1. Return to the RCS->Agents page:
   
   
   
   Click Launch Agent.
   
   

2. The Launch agent form is displayed:
   
   
   
   Complete the additional required fields with the requested information regarding your brand and contact details. Click Continue.
   
   

3. The form is refreshed and a list of countries you have selected to send messages to is displayed along with details the countries where additional information is required:
   
   
   
   For example, to send messages to the United Kingdom, you are requested to complete the Additional requirements – United Kingdom section .In this case, completing the section entails using the details provided to send authorization emails to each of the various operators in the United Kingdom.
   
   Follow the instructions in the Additional requirements sections and once you have completed the requested actions, select the confirmation radio button to confirm you have done this.
   
   

4. Click Launch Agent. The information you have provided will be submitted to Sinch.
   
   

• For some cases we can submit the information straight to Google. Google may follow up with the brand asking for consent to launch agent using Sinch. In such cases the launch agent process can take 2-3 days provided you respond with the requested information promptly.
  
  
• However, in many cases additional information is required for the carrier(s) and we will need to follow up directly with you to gather the required information. In some cases, the carrier may also follow up directly with you for additional information.

Once approved, your RCS Agent has been successfully launched! Check with your Account Manager for confirmation or if you have any questions. You can see the status of your RCS Agent at any time in the Sinch Build dashboard. 

Step 4 – Set your channel priority

Conversation API allows you send messages across multiple messaging channels including RCS. If you have configured multiple channels on the Conversation API App, you can set the channel priority . 

If your channel priority is already established or you already know how to set channel priority, you are now ready to go!

Sending your first RCS messages 

Once you receive confirmation that your RCS Agent has been successfully approved and launched, you are ready to send RCS messages using the Conversation API:

• For a quick walkthrough that explains how to send RCS messages using the Conversation API (via Postman), see the second half of this video tutorial.
  
  
• For a more detailed procedure that explains how to send messages using the Conversation API, see our Getting Started guide for Conversation API. Select your preferred coding language and follow the corresponding instructions. Note that our Getting Started guides are preset to use the SMS channel; you’ll need to update the code snippets to use the RCS channel. Also, you won’t need to include the SMS sender value in your RCS code.
  
  
• For full details on sending messages using the Conversation API, refer to the API Reference Guide. 

Support

Reach out to your Account Manager for more information or if you have questions.