WhatsApp-Business-Account (1)

Conversational pricing policy for WhatsApp Business Accounts, explained.

There has been a lot of hubbub and confusion around the policy, so let’s demystify this. 

Meta will from Feb 1, 2022, start charging businesses, for customer originated conversations also, as against the earlier structure of charging only for template or business originated conversations. 

We will try and simplify this, in simple language for everybody. 

Freebies 

  • First 1,000 conversations per month are free. 
  • These conversations could be a combination of customer originated conversations and business originated conversations. 
  • These conversations are at the business WhatsApp Business Account level. 
  • If a business has more than one phone number associated with a WhatsApp Business Account, they will cumulatively get the first 1,000 conversations per month, free. 
  • If a business has multiple WhatsApp Business Accounts, each Account will get 1,000 conversations, per month, free. 

Click-to-WhatsApp - A new category of messages, unveiled 

  • With ads that originate from Facebook and Instagram, you can add a Send Message button that will open a conversation thread in the WhatsApp Business app. This allows customers to connect with your business on WhatsApp after clicking the button on your ad. 
  • These Click to WhatsApp conversations are FREE 
  • These Click to WhatsApp conversations will not be counted towards your free 1,000 customer originated messages 
  • These Click-to-WhatsApp conversations are not applicable to ads served on other platforms and those will be treated as customer originated conversations 
  • These Click-to-WhatsApp conversations are not applicable for click through from the Facebook or Instagram pages of the business 

Customer originated conversations, defined 

  • A customer originated conversation starts when a business replies to the customer and this session stays active for 24 hours from the time of the businesses, first reply. 
  • There are no constraints on number of messages exchanged 
  • There are no constraints on number of template messages sent to customers, as they will be part of the customer originated session 
  • If a business does not respond to a customer originated conversation, the conversation has not commenced and is not billed (of course, it’s bad for your business) 

Business originated Conversations, redefined structure 

  • Business originated conversations (earlier templates) were structured, such that each template was charged for 
  • In the new policy, once a business conversation has commenced, a 24 hour window opens up, within which all conversations, including multiple template messages, will be treated as part of the same business originated conversation