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Meta has announced that starting July 1, 2025, the WhatsApp Business Platform will transition to a per-message billing model, replacing the current conversation-based pricing. This major change will simplify billing for businesses, align WhatsApp with industry standards, and offer greater flexibility and transparency in managing message costs.
Key Updates
1. Per-Message Billing Model Goes Live
Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp Business accounts will be billed per successfully delivered template message, rather than per 24-hour conversation window. Billing will apply in the following cases:
- Each marketing template message
- Each authentication template message
- Each utility template message sent outside the customer service window
Example:
If a business sends 1 marketing message and 2 utility messages to a user, the business will be billed for 3 messages. However, if the 2 utility messages are sent within an open customer service window, only 1 marketing message will be billed.
This change will take effect at 12:00 AM (midnight) on July 1, 2025, based on the business account’s time zone.
2. Utility Messages Sent Within Service Window Will Be Free
Utility template messages sent in response to user-initiated conversations, within the open customer service window, will be free of charge. This update gives businesses more flexibility to respond to customer inquiries and send important updates at no cost.
3. Updated Utility & Authentication Message Rates
WhatsApp will also adjust the rates for Utility and Authentication messages across multiple markets to ensure competitive pricing compared to other messaging channels.
4. Refined Utility Template Definitions
To keep messages valuable and relevant to users, WhatsApp will update its classification criteria for utility messages based on actual usage patterns and user feedback. Certain use cases may be reclassified into different categories. Businesses are advised to review their existing templates to ensure compliance with the updated guidelines and avoid unnecessary charges.
WhatsApp’s 3 Template Message Categories
| Category | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
|
Marketing |
Messages aimed at brand promotion, sales, or customer re-engagement
|
New product launches, limited-time offers, abandoned cart reminders
|
|
Utility |
Transactional or customer-requested messages that are non-promotional
|
Order updates, payment reminders, fraud alerts
|
|
Authentication
|
Messages used to verify customer identity at various journey stages
|
OTPs, login confirmations
|
Learn More
For full details and rate changes, visit chatalog.ai documentation:
https://docs.chatalog.ai/platform-setup/whatsapp-connection-guide/whatsapp-pricing-update
How to Prepare — chatalog.ai Recommends:
- Audit your message templates to ensure they align with the new category definitions
- Optimize your automation flows to take full advantage of free utility replies
- Forecast messaging volume and cost impact to adjust your communication strategy and budget
- Contact us for customized recommendations on minimizing WhatsApp messaging costs
Contact: support@chatalog.ai
Explore more solutions: www.chatalog.ai
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