Survey by Vibes Finds 65% of Consumers Made a Purchase From a Brand’s Text Message in 2025

Why It Matters

The data confirms a rapid shift toward messaging‑centric commerce, urging brands to prioritize RCS and mobile‑wallet strategies over apps and email to capture consumer spend.

Key Takeaways

• 78% bought directly via SMS/MMS, up from 75%
• 65% made purchase within last year
• 81% favor RCS over SMS for brand messages
• Text messaging now beats email for offer redemption
• Mobile wallets boost consumer engagement with brand offers

Pulse Analysis

The Vibes survey underscores a broader industry migration from app‑based and email‑driven transactions to mobile messaging. With 78% of consumers reporting purchases via SMS or MMS and a 65% year‑over‑year increase, brands can no longer treat text messages as a peripheral marketing tool. Instead, they represent a primary sales conduit, especially as open rates hover near 98%, dwarfing email performance and delivering near‑instant consumer attention.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is accelerating this transformation. Eighty‑one percent of respondents now prefer RCS over plain SMS, attracted by richer media formats such as product carousels, high‑resolution images, and video. These capabilities enable brands to showcase products more compellingly and streamline the path to purchase without the friction of a separate app. Early adopters are already seeing higher conversion rates, making RCS a strategic priority for marketers seeking to future‑proof their mobile engagement.

Parallel to messaging, mobile wallets for coupons, offers, and loyalty cards are becoming mainstream. Seventy‑six percent of consumers say they are much more likely to engage with brands offering mobile‑wallet options, up from 60% a year earlier. This shift not only drives foot traffic but also provides granular attribution data, allowing marketers to quantify ROI with unprecedented precision. As 2026 unfolds, brands that integrate RCS messaging with mobile‑wallet functionality will likely dominate the mobile commerce landscape, leaving app‑centric strategies lagging behind.