In recent days, you may have heard about the price update WhatsApp pricing update. It can be a bit confusing, but don't worry! In this article, we'll tell you how the pricing structure works and the changes that will come into effect in the coming months.
How do we approach this change from Hey Now?
At Hey Now, we have always maintained a transparent pricing policy on the cost of Meta sessions for our clients. With this change, we will continue to stand by our decision, which means many of our clients will benefit. How? Because they will be exempt from these Meta costs.
We believe this is a great opportunity to leverage the investment that was already designated for the use of the platform and messaging. Depending on the case and after evaluation by our team, customers will be able to improve their bots and move up in generation, including the fourth generation (generative AI), with costs significantly lower than the original ones.
If you have any doubts about whether this is for you, we are at your service.
How does WhatsApp pricing work?
WhatsApp's pricing structure is based on conversations between companies and customers.
Each conversation has a duration of 24 hours, from the moment contact is initiated, and covers all interactions that occur within that period.
Conversation types and categories
WhatsApp classifies conversations into four main categories. Each of them has a specific rate depending on the purpose of communication and the country of origin.
Service conversations
These are conversations that the customer proactively initiates on WhatsApp to consult, solve problems, make arrangements and transactions, among others.
This is the category that Meta will no longer charge from November 2024 (more on this below).
Marketing conversations
They allow you to send marketing and promotional notifications, such as offers, discounts and product campaigns. They are useful for attracting customer attention to special events or promotions.
Authentication conversations
They are used for user identity verification, and facilitate processes such as login or account confirmation. This type of message provides an additional layer of security for sensitive interactions.
Useful conversations
These are informational, non-promotional messages that provide the customer with relevant information, such as order updates, appointment reminders or shipping details. These messages are ideal for keeping the customer informed for non-commercial purposes.
Functioning of the conversation sessions
Each time a customer initiates a chat, a 24-hour window begins, during which the company can respond at no additional cost.
If the company initiates a new conversation or if the window has already ended, a rate is applied according to the type of message (service, marketing, authentication or utility). This allows companies to manage costs based on the type of interaction and when it occurs.
What changes in WhatsApp rates?
According to Meta, these changes will be better adapted to business needs and user expectations. These adjustments will be implemented on different dates and phases to allow for an orderly transition.
Three new features in WhatsApp rates
Free service conversations
From November 1, 2024, all service conversations will be free of charge. This encourages companies to use this communication channel to improve customer service to their users, without additional charges.
Many companies invest large amounts each month to offer this service. This expense, which will cease to exist, represents an opportunity to add more functionality to the bots that the organization already uses, such as migrating to versions with generative AI without exceeding the allocated budget.
Expansion of international authentication tariffs
Effective February 1, 2025, WhatsApp Business will expand authentication fees to seven additional markets in the APAC (Asia-Pacific) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) regions. This expansion will enable businesses in these markets to implement secure authentication processes with a broader scope and better defined costs.
Free utility templates in the customer service interval
As of April 1, 2025, utility messages sent within 24 hours of a customer service conversation will be free of charge.
This reduces costs for companies in terms of communications related to confirmation of subscriptions or service sign-ups, order status updates, payment reminders, account statements, satisfaction surveys, etc.
New message pricing model (as of April 1, 2025)
WhatsApp Business will implement a significant change in its charging model, moving from per-conversation fees to a per-message pricing system for message templates. This new model will apply to the following categories:
- Per message in each marketing template.
- Per message in each authentication template.
- Per message on each utility template when sent outside of the 24-hour service sessions.
The implementation of the message pricing model will be done in two phases:
- Phase 1: As of April 1, 2025, the change will apply to a selected group of companies.
- Phase 2: By July 1, 2025, all remaining businesses will be subject to this pricing model.
