Eltropy, the leading digital conversations platform for community financial institutions (CFIs), today announced exclusive early access to Rich Communication Services (RCS), giving credit unions and community banks the same branded messaging capabilities that major banks reserve for their premium communications.
“Every day CFIs wait, major banks are capturing more consumer attention with branded messaging that makes community financial institutions look outdated by comparison,” said Ashish Garg, Co-Founder and CEO of Eltropy. “Our CFI clients were asking why their messages looked generic next to major bank communications. This beta program changes that dynamic by giving our customers first access to enterprise-grade messaging technology that delivers 32% higher engagement than traditional SMS.”
While major banks have been quietly rolling out these branded messaging experiences to millions of consumers, credit unions and community banks have been stuck sending generic texts that lack institutional branding. Eltropy RCS changes that dynamic instantly, transforming every message into a branded, verified experience that rivals anything big banks can deliver. Consumers see the institution’s logo, trust the verified checkmark, and interact with content just like they do with the biggest financial brands in the country.
RCS addresses critical use cases across the institution. For sensitive use cases like collections and lending, RCS builds instant trust by delivering messages from a verified sender profile featuring the institution’s logo and brand, eliminating the risk of spoofing and smishing attacks. Members can immediately identify legitimate payment reminders and loan notifications, reducing friction in collections processes.
For marketing and promotions, RCS turns static messages into dynamic experiences with rich media, carousel cards, and one-tap replies, creating an app-like experience inside the consumer’s native messaging app. Whether sending payment reminders or promotional offers, CFIs can deliver branded, secure, and action-driven conversations that drive real engagement.
“The three biggest advantages of RCS for community financial institutions are security, authenticity, and engagement,” said Abhishek Tiwari, Chief Product Officer at Eltropy. “RCS provides much higher trust than SMS, verified branding that immediately identifies legitimate communications, and interactive capabilities that completely change how consumers perceive and respond to institutional messaging.”
This limited beta launch addresses the critical timing window as major carriers prioritize RCS approvals for select financial institutions. With full carrier infrastructure expansion expected by early 2026, participating credit unions and community banks will secure priority positioning and help shape the platform’s development based on real-world community finance applications.
The participants gain immediate access to branded messaging with institution logos, interactive elements including call-to-action buttons, smart fallback systems that automatically use SMS when RCS isn’t supported, and real-time engagement tracking on read receipts and click rate.
For existing Eltropy clients, RCS integrates seamlessly as a platform upgrade with dedicated implementation support, fitting effortlessly into current workflows without the need for staff retraining or system changes.
Credit unions and community banks that apply by October 31 will be evaluated for beta spots. The beta program runs through Q4 2025, with broader deployment beginning in early 2026.
This launch reinforces Eltropy’s commitment to delivering enterprise-grade communication technology specifically designed for community financial institutions. By providing early access to RCS capabilities, Eltropy ensures CFIs can compete with major banks’ messaging experiences while maintaining the personalized service that defines the community finance industry.