This article describes current and upcoming carrier surcharges and other fees associated with Rich Communication Services (RCS) for Business. As the messaging ecosystem evolves, we'll keep this list up to date with new fees.
Carrier surcharges
Carrier | Type | Inbound | Outbound | Start Date |
AT&T | Rich | $0.0045 | $0.0045 | 6/1/2025 |
AT&T | Rich Media | $0.0100 | $0.0100 | 6/1/2025 |
Cellular South | Rich | $0.00 | $0.0018 | 4/1/2025 |
Cellular South | Rich Media | $0.00 | $0.0022 | 4/1/2025 |
T-Mobile | Rich | $0.0045 | $0.0045 | 4/1/2025 |
T-Mobile | Rich Media | $0.0125* | $0.0125* | 7/15/2025 |
U.S. Cellular | Rich | $0.0050 | $0.0050 | 7/15/2025 |
U.S. Cellular | Rich Media | $0.0135 | $0.0135 | 7/15/2025 |
Verizon | Rich | $0.00 | $0.0040 | 6/1/2025 |
Verizon | Rich Media | $0.00 | $0.0060 | 6/1/2025 |
* T-Mobile Rich Media message fee covers up to 5MB for total message size, including all media and assets. Additional MB, up to a maximum of 100MB, has a carrier surcharge of $0.001/MB per MT and MO.
RCS for Business campaign service fees
During the onboarding or migration of an RCS for Business Agent to the Bandwidth network, carriers may charge the following fees. These fees are subject to change without notice by the carrier(s).
Carrier | Fee Type | Cost | Frequency |
T-Mobile | Agent Service Activation Fee | $500 per RCS for Business Agent | Non-recurring |
T-Mobile | Agent Service Migration Fee | $500 per RCS for Business Agent | Non-recurring |
Content violations (T-Mobile)
Non-compliance fine(s) (USD) will also be assessed for every Sev-0 violation issued, starting January 1, 2024.
Type | Content | Cost |
Tier 1: Phishing, smishing, and social engineering | Social engineering refers to the practice of targeting individuals in a way that manipulates individuals to reveal private information like credit card numbers or social security numbers. | $5,000 |
Tier 2: Illegal content | Content must be legal in all 50 states and federally. Illegal content includes, but is not limited to, Cannabis, Marijuana, CBD, Illegal Prescriptions, and Solicitation. | $1,000 |
Tier 3: Violations | For all other commercial messaging violations that breach federal, state, or local laws, regulations, or T-Mobile's Code of Conduct Section 5 on prohibited content, unless approved through Special Business Review. | $500 |
RCS for Business vetting service fees
Description | Description | Fee Type | Rate | Rate |
Bundled RCS for Business Basic Vetting and Ecosystem Certification | Bundled RCS for Business Basic Vetting and Ecosystem Certification | Annual | $200 | $200 |
Appeal | Appeal | One-Time | $20 | $20 |
Pricing for updates to successfully vetted certifications | Pricing for updates to successfully vetted certifications | Pricing for updates to successfully vetted certifications | Pricing for updates to successfully vetted certifications | Pricing for updates to successfully vetted certifications |
RCS for Business Verified Sender Vetting | RCS for Business Verified Sender Vetting | One-Time | $75 | $75 |
RCS for Business Logo Verification | RCS for Business Logo Verification | One-Time | $75 | $75 |
RCS for Business Banner Verification | RCS for Business Banner Verification | One-Time | $50 | $50 |
RCS for Business Background Image Verification | RCS for Business Background Image Verification | One-Time | $50 | $50 |
For additional information on RCS for Business fees and usage rates, please contact your Bandwidth Account or Sales Manager.