TABLE OF CONTENTS 

  • Conversation Based Pricing
    • We charge per conversation, not per individual message.
  • Conversation Categories
  • Opening Conversations
    • Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations
    • Service Conversations
    • Customer Service Windows
    • Conversation Duration
  • Example 1: Two templates of the same category result in only one conversation charge
  • Example 2: Opening a utility conversation inside a marketing conversation 
  • Free Entry Point Conversations
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Q. What is the free tier for conversations?
    • Q: What is conversation-based pricing?
    • Q: How long does a conversation last?
    • Q: What are the different conversation categories?
    • Q: How are conversations opened?
    • Q: Can multiple conversations be open with the same customer?
    • Q: What is a customer service window?
    • Q: What is a free entry point conversation?
    • Q: What happens if I send templates of different categories in the same 24-hour conversation window? 

Conversation Based Pricing

We charge per conversation, not per individual message.

Conversations are 24-hour message threads between you and your customers. They are opened and charged when messages you send to customers are delivered. The criteria that determine when a conversation is opened and how it is categorized are explained below.


Conversation Categories

Conversations are categorized into one of the following categories:


  1. Marketing — Enables you to achieve a wide range of goals, from generating awareness to driving sales and retargeting customers. Examples include new product, service, or feature announcements, targeted promotions/offers, and cart abandonment reminders.
  2. Utility — Enables you to follow up on user actions or requests. Examples include opt-in confirmation, order/delivery management (e.g., delivery update); account updates or alerts (e.g., payment reminder); or feedback surveys.
  3. [To be Released] Authentication — This enables you to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).


Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations can only be opened with template messages. Service conversations can only be opened with free-form messages. See Opening Conversations below.


To learn how to choose an appropriate category when creating your templates, see Template Categorization.

Opening Conversations

Conversations are opened when you send a template message or free-form message under the following conditions.


Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations

Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations are opened when you send an approved marketing, utility, or authentication template message to a customer and no open conversation with that category exists between you and that customer.


For example, if an open authentication conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them another authentication template message within 24 hours, a new conversation is not opened. If you send them a marketing message, however, a new marketing conversation is opened, resulting in two open conversations.


Service Conversations

A service conversation is opened when a free-form message is delivered to your customer and no open conversation of any category exists between you and the customer.

A customer service window must exist between you and the customer in order to send a free-form message.

For example:

  • Hour 0: You send a targeted promotion (marketing template) to a customer. No open marketing conversation exists between you and the customer, so a marketing conversation lasting 24 hours is opened.
  • Hour 4: The customer messages you. This opens a customer service window between you and the customer, allowing you to send them free-form messages for the next 24 hours.
  • Hour 5: You send a free-form message to the customer. An open conversation already exists between you and the customer (a marketing conversation in this case), so a service conversation is not opened.
  • Hour 24: The marketing conversation expires.
  • Hour 25: The 24-hour customer service window is still open, so you send a second free-form message to the customer. No open conversation exists between you and the customer anymore, so a service conversation is opened, lasting 24 hours.
  • Hour 26: The 24-hour customer service window is still open, so you send a third free-form message to the customer. An open service conversation already exists between you and the customer, so a new service conversation is not opened.


Customer Service Windows


When a WhatsApp user messages you, a 24-hour timer called a customer service window starts (or refreshes).


All message types, except for template messages, can only be sent to a user when a customer service window is open between you and the user. Template messages can be sent to a user at any time, as long as the user has opted-in to receiving messages from you



Conversation Duration

Marketing, utility, authentication, and service conversations last 24 hours unless closed by a newly opened free-entry point conversation.


Free-entry point conversations last 72 hours.


Example 1: Two templates of the same category result in only one conversation charge


A utility conversation is opened at 9:00 when a utility template message is delivered. Later, with the utility conversation still open, another utility template message is delivered at 11:00. There is no new conversation charge because the template category used within the open conversation window did not change. The result is one utility conversation charge.



Example 2: Opening a utility conversation inside a marketing conversation 


A marketing conversation is opened at 3:40 when a marketing template message is delivered. Later, with the marketing conversation still open, a utility template is delivered at 6:00. This opens a separate utility conversation. The result is one charge for a marketing conversation and one charge for a utility conversation.


Free Entry Point Conversations

A free entry point conversation is opened if (1) a customer using a device running Android or iOS messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action button and (2) you respond within 24 hours. If you do not respond within 24 hours, a free entry point conversation is not opened and you must use a template to message the customer, which opens a marketing, utility, or authentication conversation, per the category of the template.


The free entry point conversation is opened as soon as your message is delivered and lasts 72 hours. When a free entry point conversation is opened, it automatically closes all other open conversations between you and the customer, and no new conversations will be opened until the free entry point conversation expires.


Once the free entry point conversation is opened, you can send any type of message to the customer without incurring additional charges. However, you can only send free-form messages if there is an open customer service window between you and the customer.


For example, if the customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad at 10 am and you respond via a template message at 10 pm the same day:


The free-entry point conversation starts at 10 pm and lasts 72 hours.

You can send template messages at no charge in those 72 hours.

You can send free-form messages until 10 am the next day, at which point the customer service window closes, as it is independent of the free entry point conversation (if the customer messages you again, however, it opens another 24-hour customer service window in which you can send free form messages).


Frequently Asked Questions


Q. What is the free tier for conversations?

Each WhatsApp Business Account gets 1,000 free service conversations per month across all business phone numbers. Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations are not included in the free tier.


Q: What is conversation-based pricing?

Conversation-based pricing charges businesses per conversation, rather than per individual message sent or received.


Q: How long does a conversation last?

A conversation lasts for 24 hours from the time the first message in that conversation is delivered.


Q: What are the different conversation categories?

  • Marketing: Used for promotions, new product announcements, and retargeting.
  • Utility: Used for order updates, delivery confirmations, account updates, and surveys.
  • Authentication: Used for verifying users with one-time passcodes.
  • Service: Used for resolving customer inquiries.


Q: How are conversations opened?

  • Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations: Opened when a template message of the respective category is sent and delivered to a customer, provided no open conversation of that category exists.
  • Service Conversations: Opened when a free-form message is sent and delivered to a customer, provided no other conversation is open.


Q: Can multiple conversations be open with the same customer?

Yes, multiple conversations can be open if:

  • A new template message for a different category is sent within 24 hours.
  • A service conversation exists, and a template message is sent within 24 hours.


Q: What is a customer service window?

A customer service window opens when a customer messages you, allowing you to send free-form messages for 24 hours.

Q: What is a free entry point conversation?

A free entry point conversation is initiated when a customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action button and you respond within 24 hours. It lasts for 72 hours and allows sending any type of message without additional charges.


Q: What happens if I send templates of different categories in the same 24-hour conversation window? 

 Any time a template message is delivered, it will result in a conversation charge unless it is sent in a conversation of the same category. For example, if a utility template is delivered during a service conversation, it will open a  separate utility conversation for 24 hours from the time the utility  template is delivered. If a utility template is delivered during an open utility conversation, it will not open a new utility conversation or create a new charge. Below are several examples to illustrate how conversation charges work.