Why banks and lender are shifting key customer journeys from apps to rich messaging, and the KPIs that move when they do.
The Simple Truth: Most customers don’t open your app. But they do read their messages. When your KPIs depend on visibility and customer action, RCS delivers what apps can’t: instant reach, guided journeys, and real results.
The App Problem
Reaching customers through your app hinges on two critical junctures: consenting to push notifications and maintaining active app usage. Both are trending in the wrong direction.
Muted reach. Push notifications are only visible to users who opt in post-download. Today, for financial apps, that is 48.7 percent on iOS and 49.5 percent on Android. That leaves half your audience out of reach from day one.
Alert fatigue. The average smartphone user has 80 apps on their device. That’s a lot of potential push notifications! This fuels alert fatigue and prompts many to silence notifications over time.
Shallow retention. Finance apps see roughly 8 percent 30-day retention, which means most customers do not open your app, let alone see in-app promotions, when you need them to act.
Bottom line: In-app promotions and push notifications work only for the small slice of customers who still engage with your app.
What RCS Changes
RCS brings app-like, branded, verified conversations into the native text inbox, with no download required. You get rich cards, carousels, images and video, suggested replies, and one-tap actions that guide customers to the next action.
Trust built in: Verified sender badge with logo and branding helps reduce phishing anxiety and increases action rates, without forcing an app login.
The KPIs That Move
And How to Measure Them
1. Origination
More completed applications
- Why apps struggle: App flows often require a login reset and session timeouts, which create a friction-filled experience and early abandonment.
- RCS advantage: Deliver a rich card offer that says, “Check your rate” or “Apply now,” add one-tap replies to guide borrowers, eliminating friction in the application process and ultimately shortening the path to submit.
- What to track: Application start rate, completion rate, cost per acquisition, cost per application, funded loans.
2. Servicing and Payments
Higher ‘pay now’ conversation and fewer days past due
- Why apps struggle: Payment reminders depend on push notifications or active app use. Even engaged users miss reminders if notifications are disabled or if the payment path is buried behind navigation and login.
- RCS advantage: Greater visibility leads to faster action. Payment reminders arrive as branded messages in the text inbox, where customers actually engage, making them harder to miss and more likely to drive responses. Send reminders with suggested actions such as “Pay now,” “Set up autopay,” or “See payoff.”
- What to track: Click-to-pay rate, promises kept, roll rate reduction, cost-to-serve.
3.Cross Sell and Product Activation
Higher ‘view-to-start’ conversion
- Why apps struggle: When it comes to banner promotions, if the app is not open the offer is not seen. In-app banners only reach a fraction of users and often go unnoticed.
- RCS advantage: Carousels can showcase products such as checking accounts, a new card offering, or a HELOC, with “Learn more” and “Start now” actions.
- What to track: View to start, click through rate compared with in-app banners, and conversions to submitted applications.
Why RCS Effectively Replaces the App Today
- Payment prompts and payoff → reminder card with “Pay now,” “Schedule,” or “Autopay.”
- Pre-qualification and rate checks → eligibility card with “See my offer.”
- Document sending → “Download statement,” directly in the thread.
- Card servicing → “Activate,” “Freeze,” or “Replace card.”
- Proactive account updates → verified alerts with one-tap acknowledgement or next step.
The Smarter Channel for High-Impact Journeys
The reality is simple: most customers are not opening your app, but they are checking their messages. RCS gives you a direct, branded, and actionable channel to drive real results; whether it’s funding more loans, reducing days past due, or accelerating product adoption. When apps fall short, RCS delivers.
