WhatsApp Business Platform pricing looks complicated at first. It gets much simpler once you know two things: which messages are charged at all, and which category each charged message falls into.
The short version
- Meta charges per delivered template message.
- The rate depends on the template category and the recipient's country code.
- Replies you send while the customer service window is open are free.
- Utility templates sent while the customer service window is open are also free.
- Messages sent inside a 72-hour free entry point window (opened by a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Page call-to-action) are free.
Everything else on this page is detail.
What is a template message?
A template is a message you write in advance and submit to Meta for approval. You need one whenever you message someone first, or when more than 24 hours have passed since their last message to you. Templates can include variables such as {{1}} for a name, plus media, buttons and links.
Free-form messages, sometimes called session messages, are the normal replies you type in a chat. You can only send them while the customer service window is open.
The three categories
| Category | What it is for | Examples | Charged? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions, offers, announcements, re-engagement | Seasonal sale, new product, abandoned cart reminder | Yes, per delivered message |
| Utility | Updates about something the customer already did or asked for | Order confirmation, delivery update, appointment reminder | Yes, but free inside an open customer service window |
| Authentication | One-time passcodes for sign-in or verification | Login code, checkout verification | Yes, per delivered message |
Rates vary by country. Marketing is usually the most expensive category, and utility and authentication cost less. Meta publishes current rates on its pricing page, and Whatsuite shows them in your billing settings in your currency.
How Meta decides the category
You choose a category when you submit a template, but Meta reviews it. If a template you called utility contains promotional wording, such as a discount or a "shop now" push, Meta can mark it as marketing. That changes what you pay for it.
A few practical rules:
- Keep utility templates strictly transactional. An order confirmation should confirm the order. Do not add "and here is 10% off your next one".
- Do not hide offers in authentication templates. Authentication templates have a fixed format for a reason.
- Split mixed messages. If you want to send an update and an offer, send the update as utility and the offer as a separate marketing template to people who opted in to marketing.
The customer service window
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Each new message from them resets it. While it is open:
- You can send free-form replies of any type, free.
- You can send utility templates, free.
- Marketing and authentication templates are still charged.
Once the window closes, you need a template to restart the conversation.
The free entry point window
If a customer messages you by tapping a click-to-WhatsApp ad, or the call-to-action button on your Facebook Page, and you reply within 24 hours, Meta opens a 72-hour free entry point window. Every message you send in those 72 hours is free, including templates of any category.
This is one of the best reasons to pair ads with a fast welcome bot. See our guide to the 72-hour window for how to plan follow-ups around it.
Volume and limits
Meta offers lower rates for high volumes of utility and authentication messages in each market. Separately, every sender has a messaging limit: the number of unique customers you can start conversations with in a rolling 24 hours. It rises as you send messages people value, and drops if your quality rating falls.
How to keep costs predictable
- Answer customers quickly so more of your messages fall inside the service window.
- Use utility templates for real updates, and keep them clean of promotions.
- Run click-to-WhatsApp ads with a bot that replies at once, so the free window opens.
- Segment marketing sends. Sending to fewer, more interested people costs less and protects your quality rating.
- Set spend alerts and monthly caps in Whatsuite so there are no surprises.
Where to check current rates
Rates change from time to time. Always check Meta's published rate card or the billing page in your Whatsuite workspace before planning a large campaign.