WhatsApp Business API Conversation Costs
The WhatsApp Business API Pricing Calculator is a practical tool that helps businesses estimate the cost of using WhatsApp as a communication channel. This calculator allows businesses to determine their estimated costs based on the number of messages they plan to send and receive.
A conversation refers to the communication between a business and its customers using the WhatsApp API. Businesses are charged for each conversation they have with a customer. A conversation starts when a message is sent, and this session lasts for 24 hours. All messages sent within this 24-hour period are considered part of the same conversation. If a response is received within the 24-hour period after the initial message, the session continues.
However, if no message is sent within the 24-hour period, and the customer sends the next message, a new conversation begins, and a separate charge is applied for this new conversation.
The usage costs of the WhatsApp Business API allow businesses to plan their communication strategies based on these fundamental dynamics.
Update: Service conversations will be free starting November 1, 2024. Meta will not charge for user-initiated chats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conversation-Based Pricing is a pricing model where businesses are charged per conversation, covering all messages sent within a 24-hour session on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Conversations on the WhatsApp Business Platform are interactions between a business and customers through the WhatsApp Business Platform. These conversations can be initiated by either the user or the business and may include both free-form and pre-written template messages.
Utility conversations are interactions that assist customers with a specific request or transaction, such as updates on an ongoing process, post-purchase notifications, or recurring billing statements.
Authentication conversations allow businesses to verify users’ identities with one-time codes. This can occur in multiple steps during the login process, such as when creating a new account or recovering a lost password.
All conversations initiated by the user are categorized as service conversations. Service conversations are a type of conversation initiated by the customer to ask for help or resolve any issues. Examples of service conversations include customer support, technical support, and general inquiries.
Businesses will not be charged for incoming conversations that occur within the 24-hour customer service window. This means that businesses can respond to users with free-form messages without incurring any cost during this period. However, if a business uses a template message to respond to a user or initiates a conversation with a template message, a new conversation will be started based on the template category and will be subject to charges.
Businesses are charged for outgoing conversations based on the number of messages they send to users outside the 24-hour customer service window. The cost of these messages varies by country and can be influenced by factors such as message length and destination. Businesses can also use the messaging tools provided by the platform to manage and optimize their outbound messaging strategies and costs.
A 24-hour session is a fixed period during which businesses and customers can send and receive any number of messages, including template messages, without incurring additional charges. Each 24-hour session starts with a single charge when communication is initiated by either the business or the user.
When users send messages to businesses using call-to-action buttons in WhatsApp-click ads or on the call-to-action message buttons on Facebook Pages, the conversations are not charged. The first conversation initiated by the user is free, but subsequent conversations with the user will incur charges. Free entry point conversations can only be initiated by the user. When users send messages to businesses through these entry points, free conversations are extended from 24 hours to 72 hours.
