France announces global first with launch of RCS donation collection

Fundraising via RCS (Rich Communication Services) has become possible for the first time, following work initiated by France générosités to integrate the payment process into RCS for one-off and recurring donations. The innovation saw the organisation work with members, volunteer mobile operators Orange and SFR, and technical services provider HighConnexion, which worked pro bono, to develop the technology.

RCS technology has been available since 2023. Compared to SMS, it offers richer, interactive, and more engaging messaging experiences through the inclusion of high-resolution photos, videos, GIFs, and interactive elements, making it useful for marketing purposes. Unlike SMS however, which uses cellular networks, it requires WiFi or mobile data to work.

RCS technology already offers numerous advantages for nonprofits, such as an enhanced experience in conversations with donors. However, until now it had not been possible to integrate a payment component into the conversational channel to simplify the process for donors making one-off donations or committing to long-term support for charities.

France générosités first raised this issue with Google and mobile operators in 2023, leading Orange to put forward the idea of combining Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) with the RCS channel.

France générosités, and member organisations SPA, French Red Cross, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale and Sidaction have been working with Orange, SFR, and HighConnexion to develop the system since March 2024.

Successful first trials

The first trials took place in France in July and will continue until the end of 2025. The first campaigns saw nearly 80% of donors’ phones compatible with RCS. They received an enriched message offering more information about the donation and tax reductions, and integrating official visuals, multiple choices regarding donation amounts, and sharing the identity of the message sender – verified and secured by the operators and Google. France générosités is currently working to expand these initial experiments.

France générosités says the innovation offers significant added value for the fundraising sector. It is primarily available to member associations and foundations, offering the option of requesting a one-off donation or a monthly commitment, with confirmation also integrated into the same conversational channel.

Together with HighConnexion and the operators, France générosités is now working on developing the system to make it available to all operators and so it can be offered in pull marketing (at the initiative of donors).