WhatsApp API Pricing Update! Complete Guide to Latest Charges (2023 Update)

How is WhatsApp Business API conversation charge calculated?

As the most widely used instant messaging platform globally, WhatsApp Business API helps merchants to make use of WhatsApp to connect and provide personal response in scale with their customers. WhatsApp API is charged per 24 hours conversation window and based on users’ location. In this article, we will go into details on the latest pricing updates of WhatsApp API.

Understanding the 24Hrs Window of WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API charges based on a “Conversation Session” unit, which is every 24 hours, and it starts from the moment the business responds to a user’s message or proactively sends a message.

If the business does not respond to a user-initiated message, no fee will be charged. While for business-initiated conversation, it will be charged according to the 24 hours conversation window generated from different message types.

4 Types of WhatsApp Messages

To provide merchants with a better WhatsApp Business conversation and marketing experience, starting from June 1, 2023, there will be new changes to the WhatsApp Business API pricing, increasing from 2 types of to 4. Previously, WhatsApp differentiated charges based on “Customer-initiated conversations” (User-initiated) and “Business-initiated conversations”, and the new pricing model will further subdivide “Business-initiated conversations” into three categories: Utility conversations, Authentication conversations, and Marketing conversations.

Starting from April 1, the charging model will increase from 2 types to 4, and will take effect on June 1, 2023:

• “Customer-initiated conversations” are classified as service conversations, used to help resolve customer inquiries.
• “Business-initiated conversations” will be subdivided into the following three categories:
  • Utility conversations: The message content is related to previous transactions, such as order confirmation, the message content is related to previous transactions, such as order confirmation, delivery status updates, and so on.
  • Authentication conversations: These involve verifying the customer’s identity, such as sending verification codes.
  • Marketing conversations: This involves sending promotional messages that are not directly related to a specific transaction.

Contact Sanuker for pricing details

Extended Free Conversation Window from 24 hours to 72 hours

Besides the pricing updates, the free WhatsApp conversation window starts from Ads and Facebook page CTA button will be extended from 24 hours to 72 hours. Merchants will enjoy a free conversation within 72 hours after customers click ads to send WhatsApp messages to businesses.

If a user starts a WhatsApp conversation with a business by clicking ads on Facebook or Instagram, or by clicking the WhatsApp action call button on a Facebook page, and the business replies within 72 hours after the customer sends a message, the conversation is considered a “Free entry point conversation”, and the business will be eligible to communicate with customers for free within the 72 hours.

In other words, when a user enters WhatsApp and starts a conversation with a company through a “Click-to-WhatsApp” button on a Facebook ad or a Facebook page, the first 72 hours of conversation time will be free of charge.

Please note that the free entry point conversation can only be “User-initiated conversation”, and only the first conversation initiated from the entry point is free, conversations afterwards will be charged.

First 1,000 Free Conversation is now Limited to “User-initiated conversations” Only

In the past, WhatsApp Business API provided the first 1,000 free conversations per month (including “User-initiated conversations” and “Business-initiated conversations”). Under the new pricing model, free conversations are limited to “User-initiated conversations”.

Each WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) only enjoys 1,000 free quotas, regardless of how many phone numbers are linked.