Three concepts are all you need to understand WhatsApp billing: the template, the free-form message and the 24-hour window. This article covers each one.
A template is a pre-written message submitted to Meta for approval. It is the only format allowed to message a customer first, or to reach out again after the 24-hour window.
There are two categories, which determine the price:
Marketing: promotions, new products, cart recovery, campaigns. Requires the contact's opt-in.
Utility: order confirmations, shipping updates, notifications tied to a customer action. No promotional content allowed.
This is a message you write freely, with no prior approval: text, image, audio, document. You can only send it inside an open 24-hour window, meaning after a customer has messaged you. It is the format used for day-to-day customer support.
As soon as a customer sends you a message, a 24-hour service window opens. It resets with every new message from them. During this period, you can chat with them without any format restrictions.
Once the window closes, only a template lets you get back in touch.
Billing is per delivered message, not per conversation. Sending three templates to the same customer in one day therefore means paying three times.
What you send | Inside an open 24-hour window | Outside the window |
|---|---|---|
Free-form message | Free | Not possible |
Utility template | Free | Charged |
Marketing template | Charged | Charged |
Key takeaway: incoming messages are always free, and only messages that are actually delivered are charged.
A customer's journey over one day:
9 am: You launch a campaign with a Marketing template. Charged (1 message).
11 am: The customer replies "Is it available in blue?". Their question opens a 24-hour window. You answer with a free-form message. Free.
3 pm: The customer places an order. Your automation sends the confirmation via a Utility template. Since the 24-hour window is still open: free.
Two days later: You send the shipping update via a Utility template. The window closed long ago: charged (1 message).
Total for this journey: 2 messages charged out of 4 sent.
Quel est le prix des conversations WhatsApp ?
Tarifs WhatsApp par marché et par catégorie de template, règles de facturation et fenêtres de conversation gratuites.
To check how your templates are categorized or to understand a line on your bill, contact our team through the chat in your Kanal interface.
