The main rule: who writes first
When a customer writes to you, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Your replies inside it are free, however many there are. Messages the business starts outside the window must use a template approved by Meta, and templates are charged per message.
Per-message pricing
Meta charges for each delivered template message, not for the whole conversation. The price depends on two things: the template's category and the country code of the recipient's phone number. Large volumes of utility and authentication messages get lower rates. Meta publishes the current rate card for every country, and it changes from time to time — so any estimate should use today's card.
Template categories
- Marketing — promotions, announcements, abandoned-cart reminders, “we miss you” messages. The most expensive category.
- Utility — order confirmations, delivery updates, appointment reminders, payment receipts. Cheaper, and free when sent while the customer's service window is open.
- Authentication — one-time codes for logging in.
Meta reviews every template and can move it to another category. Using a “utility” label for a promotion does not work — it gets rejected or reclassified.
What is free
- All your replies inside the 24-hour window.
- Utility templates sent while that window is open.
- Conversations that start from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action button: messages are free for 72 hours.
Directly or through a provider
You can connect to the WhatsApp Business Platform directly through Meta's Cloud API or through a provider (BSP). Providers add a monthly fee or a markup per message for their dashboard and shared inbox. With a direct connection there is no markup, and a custom bot connects directly. A provider can still make sense if a large support team needs a ready-made shared inbox.
How to estimate your monthly cost
- Count the conversations customers start — replies to them are free.
- Count the templates you send: reminders, confirmations and promotions per month.
- Multiply each group by the rate for your customers' country and the template category.
- Add the server for the bot, usually $5–10 a month.
Example: a clinic answers 300 patient chats a month (free), sends 400 appointment reminders (utility) and one promotion to 1,000 subscribers (marketing). The bill is 400 utility messages plus 1,000 marketing messages at their country's rates, plus the server.
How to pay less
- Make it easy for customers to write first — a link, a QR code, a button on your site.
- Send order updates while the window is still open.
- Keep promotions rare and relevant: fewer, better messages also protect your quality rating.
- Send messages only to people who agreed to receive them.
Questions
Is the WhatsApp Business app free?
Yes, but it is made for one phone and manual replies. Bots and automation need the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Does Meta charge for every message?
No. Replies inside the 24-hour service window are free; templates the business sends are charged per message.
What is the 24-hour window?
The period after a customer's last message when your replies are free and need no template.
How long does template approval take?
Usually from a few minutes to a day; templates that look like spam are rejected.
Can I send promotions to all my contacts?
Only to people who agreed to receive them, through marketing templates. Sending to everyone hurts your quality rating and can limit the number.
Where can I see the current rates?
Meta publishes a rate card by country in its developer documentation. I calculate the costs for your countries and volumes before we start.