Almost everything follows from one rule
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you can reply freely, with any kind of message, and those replies are the cheapest thing you will ever send — frequently free. Outside it, you may only send a template Meta approved in advance, and that starts a billable conversation.
Reply however you like
- Free-form text, images, video, PDFs, buttons
- No template needed, no approval needed
- Cheapest category — often free
- Your AI and your agents both work here
Approved templates only
- Only a template Meta already approved
- Starts a new billable conversation
- Priced by category and country
- The customer replying reopens the free window
Monday 10:00 — a customer asks about a product. The window opens.
Monday, any time — your AI answers, your agent follows up, you send a PDF. All inside the window.
Wednesday — you want to tell them the item is back in stock. The window has closed, so this needs a template and starts a billable conversation.
Wednesday, moments later — they reply “yes please”. A fresh 24-hour window opens and everything after that is free-form again.
The four categories, and what they cost you
Meta prices by category, not by message length. Choosing the right one is the single biggest lever on your bill.
Marketing
Most expensive category
Promotions, offers, product launches, newsletters, win-back messages, cart reminders.
“30% off this weekend only”
“New collection just landed”
“You left something in your cart”
Requires an approved marketing template and prior opt-in. The category Meta reviews most strictly.
Utility
Cheaper than marketing
Messages about a transaction the customer has already made — orders, payments, deliveries, appointments.
“Your order #1042 has shipped”
“Payment of ₹2,499 received”
“Your appointment is tomorrow at 4pm”
Must genuinely relate to an existing transaction. Promotional content in a utility template gets rejected.
Authentication
Priced separately, varies by country
One-time passcodes and login verification. Nothing else.
“482913 is your verification code”
A fixed format Meta specifies exactly. You cannot add marketing content to it.
Service
The cheapest category — and often free
Your replies to a customer who messaged you first, inside the 24-hour window.
Answering a question
Resolving a complaint
Anything your team or AI replies with
No template needed. This is where most support conversations live.
Why we do not print a rate card here
Meta sets these rates itself, they differ by the recipient's country, and Meta has changed both the rates and the billing model more than once. Any table we published would eventually be wrong, and a wrong price is worse than no price. Check Meta's official rate card for the current numbers for India — or your own WhatsApp Business Account, which shows exactly what you are being charged.
Meta's official WhatsApp pricingWho charges you for what
| What | Billed by | How you pay |
|---|---|---|
| The software (inbox, AI, automations, campaigns) | Us | Monthly or yearly subscription |
| WhatsApp conversations | Meta, directly | The payment method on your WhatsApp Business Account |
| AI replies | Us, at cost of usage | Prepaid wallet you top up |
| Your phone number / connectivity | Nobody | Included — the API runs over the internet |
We do not add a margin to Meta's conversation charges, and we never see that money — it goes from you to Meta.
How to keep the bill sensible
None of this is a trick. It is simply using the platform the way it was designed, which happens also to be the cheapest way.
Categorise honestly
An order update is utility, not marketing. Submitting it correctly is both cheaper and far more likely to be approved.
Answer inside the window
Replies to a customer who messaged you are the cheapest thing on the platform. A fast AI reply is not just better service, it is better economics.
Segment before you broadcast
Sending a marketing template to 12,000 people when 2,000 are relevant costs six times as much and damages your quality rating.
Let customers start the conversation
A “click to WhatsApp” button on your site or ads opens the free window on their terms, rather than you paying to open it on yours.
Watch your quality rating
Blocks and reports lower your rating, which lowers your messaging limits. Opt-in lists and relevant messages protect it.