Push SMS Growth Continues in France, RCS Adoption Surges

Despite the rise of instant messaging apps, SMS remains a vital communication channel. In 2024, French businesses sent 14.2 billion push SMS messages, a 6% increase compared to 2023, demonstrating the continued effectiveness and relevance of this communication method [1], [2], [3].

Two Pillars of SMS Marketing

The SMS market is driven by two distinct segments: transactional and promotional. Transactional SMS, used for authentication, payment notifications, and delivery tracking, accounts for 59.2% of total volume, reaching 9 billion messages sent in 2024. Promotional SMS, fueling direct marketing and in-store traffic, is growing faster, increasing by 9% to 6.2 billion messages [4]. Peak consumption periods, such as Black Friday and the holiday season, were particularly impactful, generating 1.4 billion messages in the final two months of the year.

Industry Breakdown

Retail leads SMS usage with 31% of the total volume. Banking and insurance follow closely with 19%, and the service sector accounts for 14%. E-commerce and healthcare represent 10% and 8% of the market share, respectively [4].

The Rise of RCS

Rich Communication Services (RCS), an enhanced successor to SMS, is gaining traction. In 2025, 738 brands have adopted RCS technology, a 75% increase year-over-year. This adoption is supported by a mature technical base: 52 million smartphones in France are RCS-compatible, covering 84% of the mobile market. A total of 200 million RCS messages were exchanged last year [4].

A Turning Point for Messaging

According to Alexis Trichet, President of the af2m, these results confirm that SMS remains a crucial tool for consumer interaction. He emphasizes that the increasing volumes and growing number of companies utilizing RCS make 2025 a pivotal year for enriched messaging. These solutions, supported by telecom operators, are consolidating their relevance for decision-makers seeking efficiency in the face of global platforms [4].