Definition
A rich card is an RCS Business Messaging message that combines media (image, GIF or video), a title, a description and up to four suggested replies or actions in one card. It is used to present a product, offer or booking with clear next steps.
Google's documentation specifies that a rich card can contain media, title text (up to 200 characters), description text (up to 2,000 characters) and suggested replies and actions. Every field is optional, but at least one of media, title or description must be present.
Cards can be vertical, with media on top in short (112 DP), medium (168 DP) or tall (264 DP) heights, or horizontal, with media at the side. Up to 11 suggestion chips can follow the card. The whole message payload is limited to 250 KB, and a thumbnail of up to 100 kB is recommended for media so that the preview looks right.
Rich cards replace the typical SMS pattern of text plus a long link. The customer sees the product image, price and a Buy or Track button in their native messaging app, from a verified brand.
Rendering varies by device and screen size, so test on real target devices. Always prepare an SMS fallback text with the essential information, since not every recipient will be on RCS.