WhatsApp Conversations

WhatsApp pricing is per conversation, not per individual message. A WhatsApp conversation starts when the first business message is delivered, either initiated by the business or in reply to a user message. A conversation is measured in a fixed 24-hour session. Businesses and users can exchange any number of messages within a 24-hour conversation session without incurring additional charges. Each 24-hour conversation session results in a single charge.

Types of WhatsApp Conversations

These are four types of conversations as defined by Meta:

• Marketing—Business-initiated conversation using a message template from the Marketing category. Templates opening these conversations usually include promotions or offers, informational updates like a back-in-stock alert, or invitations for customers to respond or take action.
• Utility—Business-initiated conversation using a message template from the Utility category. Templates opening these conversations usually facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction, or update to a customer about an ongoing transaction. These may include transaction confirmations, transaction updates, and/or post-purchase notifications.
• Authentication—Business-initiated conversation using a message template from the Utility category. Templates opening these conversations enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes (OTP), potentially at multiple steps in the login process (for example account verification, or account recovery).
• Service—User-initiated conversation. This type of conversation is opened (and charged) when the business replies to the customers with free-form messages. There is no specific template category related to Service conversations. Such conversations are usually meant to resolve customer inquiries.

Marketing, Utility, and Authentication conversations can only be opened with template messages. Service messages can be opened with any messages as soon as the Business replies to the customer’s incoming message.

Opening WhatsApp Conversations

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

Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations are opened when:

• You send an approved Marketing, Utility, or Authentication template message to a customer.
• No open conversation with that category already exists between you and that customer.

For instance, 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 are opened when:

• You are within a customer service window (more on this in the following)
• You send a free-form message to a customer.
• No open conversation of any category exists between you and the customer.

For instance, if an open conversation of any category exists between you and a customer and you send them a free-form message within the 24-hour conversation window, no new conversation is opened. However, if no open conversation exists and the customer messages you (which starts a customer service window) and you reply within 24 hours with a free-form message, a new Service conversation is opened.

Key Concepts

Customer Service Windows

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour timer called a Customer Service Window starts. If you are within the window, you can send free-form messages or template messages, if no other conversations are already open, your reply opens a new Service conversation. If you are outside the window, you can only send template messages.

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 (more on free-entry points in the following).

Multiple Conversations

It is possible to have multiple open conversations between you and a customer. This can happen in the following situations:

An open Marketing, Utility, or Authentication conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a template message of a different category within the 24-hour window of the existing conversation.
An open Service conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a template message within the 24-hour window of the Service conversation.

Free Tier Conversations

Each WhatsApp Business Account gets 1,000 free Service conversations each month per WABA across all of the business phone numbers associated with that WABA. The free conversation counter is refreshed at the beginning of each month, based on the WhatsApp Business Account time zone.

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Note:

Marketing, Utility, and Authentication conversations are not part of the free tier.

Free Entry Point Conversations

A free entry point conversation is opened if:

1. A customer using a device running Android or iOS messages you using a Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action button and
2. You respond within 24 hours.

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Note:

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.

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Note:

• 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.

Conversation Examples

Only one conversation opened with a customer:

• No open conversation exists between you and a customer and you send multiple utility template messages to the customer within 24 hours. Only one Utility conversation is opened and charged.
• An open conversation of any category exists between you and a customer and you send multiple free-form messages to the customer within 24 hours. Only one conversation is opened and charged regardless of the number of messages sent during the 24-hour window of the existing conversation.

Multiple conversations opened with a customer:

• An open Marketing conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a utility template message within 24 hours. This results in a Marketing conversation and a Utility conversation.
• An open service conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a utility template message within 24 hours. This results in a Service conversation and a Utility conversation.