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SMS marketing questions, answered straight

These are the questions customers send us about prices, consent rules, deliverability and setup, with short, honest answers. If yours is missing, ask us; we reply within 24 hours.

Pricing

How much does bulk SMS cost?

With RCSZilla, cloud SMS starts at €0.02 per message, priced per destination country. There is no monthly fee, no setup fee and no contract. You buy a credit pack (1 credit = €0.01) and pay only for what you send. Live per-country prices are on the pricing page.

Can I send SMS for free?

Yes. Connect your own Android phone as a sending device and messages go out through your SIM plan. RCSZilla charges nothing per message on that channel. Details on the Android SMS gateway page.

Do credits expire?

Credits stay on your account and are consumed only when you send. Larger packs work out to a lower effective price per SMS.

How do payments work?

Credit packs are paid by card or PayPal, charged in EUR, with prices shown in both EUR and USD. Credits arrive on your account instantly.

Getting started

How do I start sending SMS campaigns?

Create a free account at app.rcszilla.com, import contacts from a CSV file, write your message with a {name} merge field if you want personalisation, and either pair your Android phone or buy a small credit pack. First campaign out in well under an hour.

Do I need technical knowledge?

No. Campaigns, reminders and auto-replies are configured from the dashboard. There is a REST API for developers, but you do not need it to use the platform.

Does RCSZilla work with my online store?

Yes. Official plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Magento and BigCommerce send order notifications automatically. Installation guides are in the plugin documentation.

Which channels are supported?

SMS, WhatsApp and email from one dashboard, sharing the same contacts and templates. An AI chat widget for your website is included as well.

Rules & consent

Is SMS marketing legal?

Yes, with consent. In the EU (GDPR) and most other jurisdictions you need the recipient's opt-in before sending marketing messages, a clear identification of who is sending, and a working way to opt out. Transactional messages to your own customers (order updates, appointment reminders) are treated more permissively than promotions.

How do people unsubscribe?

Include an opt-out instruction such as "Reply STOP". Replies arrive in the RCSZilla inbox, and blacklisted numbers are excluded from future campaigns automatically.

When is the best time to send?

Business hours in the recipient's time zone, and never late at night. Some countries regulate quiet hours outright. Midweek mornings and early afternoons consistently perform well; your own delivery reports will show what your audience responds to.

Sending & deliverability

How fast are messages delivered?

Cloud messages are typically delivered within seconds. Device messages depend on your phone's signal, and long queues are worked through at a rate your SIM plan can sustain.

What is a sender ID?

A branded name (for example your shop name) shown instead of a phone number. RCSZilla supports custom sender IDs on cloud routes where local carriers allow them; some countries require registration.

How long can an SMS be?

One SMS is 160 characters (70 if you use special characters or diacritics). Longer texts are split into segments and each segment is billed as one message. The compose screen shows the count while you type.

Can I receive replies?

Yes. With a paired Android device, incoming SMS land in the two-way inbox where you can answer manually or set auto-reply rules. The API and webhooks expose incoming messages to your own systems.

What about RCS?

RCS business messaging is rolling out country by country. The practical approach in 2026: build your opted-in audience on SMS now and upgrade the transport when RCS is live for your market. Our RCS marketing guide covers this in depth.

The fastest way to check is to try it

Free account, no credit card. Pair your Android phone and send a real SMS in the next ten minutes.

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