Skip to main content

Conversation-based pricing (DEPRECATED) | Developer Documentation

Conversation-based pricing (DEPRECATED)

Updated: Nov 14, 2025
Conversation-based pricing is deprecated. It was replaced on July 1, 2025, with per-message pricing. The document below is for reference purposes only.
This document explains how conversation-based pricing works on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Charges are applied per conversation, not per individual message sent or received.
Conversations are 24-hour message threads between you and your customers. They are opened and charged when messages you send to customers are delivered. The criteria that determines when a conversation is opened and how it is categorized is explained below.
Businesses are responsible for reviewing the category assigned to their approved templates. Whenever a template is used, a business accepts the charges associated with the category applied to the template at time of use.

Conversation categories

Conversations are categorized with one of the following categories:
    Marketing — Enables you to achieve a wide range of goals, from generating awareness to driving sales and retargeting customers. Examples include new product, service, or feature announcements, targeted promotions/offers, and cart abandonment reminders.Utility — Enables you to follow-up on user actions or requests. Examples include opt-in confirmation, order/delivery management (e.g., delivery update); account updates or alerts (for example., payment reminder); or feedback surveys.Authentication — Enables you authenticate users with one-time pass codes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).Service — Enables you to resolve customer inquiries.
    Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations can only be opened with template messages. Service conversations can be opened with any type of message other than a template message.
    See Message Types to learn more about the various types of messages you can send to customers.

    Opening conversations

    Conversations are opened when you send a message to a customer under the following conditions.

    Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations

    When you send an approved marketing, utility, or authentication template to a customer, we check if an open conversation matching the template’s category already exists between you and the customer. If one exists, no new conversation is opened. If one does not exist, a new conversation of that category is opened, lasting 24 hours.
    For example:
      Hour 0: You send a targeted promotion (marketing template message) to a customer. No open marketing conversation exists between you and the customer, so a marketing conversation lasting 24 hours is opened.Hour 4: The customer completes an order on your site, so you send them an order confirmation (utility template message). No open utility conversation exists between you and the customer, so a utility conversation lasting 24 hours is opened.Hour 10: You send a shipment confirmation (utility template message) to the customer. An open utility conversation already exists between you and the customer, so a new utility conversation is not opened.
      To learn more about template categories and how to choose an appropriate category when creating templates, see Template Categorization.
      For additional examples, see our pricing explainer PDF.

      Service conversations

      Service conversations are now free. This change does not affect how service conversations are opened.
      A service conversation is opened when any message other than a template message is delivered to your customer and no open conversation of any category exists between you and the customer.
      Note that a customer service window must exist between you and the customer before you can send them a non-template message.
      For example:
        Hour 0: You send a targeted promotion (marketing template) to a customer. No open marketing conversation exists between you and the customer, so a marketing conversation lasting 24 hours is opened.Hour 4: The customer messages you. This opens a customer service window between you and the customer, allowing you to send them any type of message for the next 24 hours.Hour 5: You send an interactive list message to the customer. An open conversation already exists between you and the customer (a marketing conversation in this case), so a service conversation is not opened.Hour 24: The marketing conversation expires.Hour 25: The 24-hour customer service window is still open, so you send a second text message to the customer. No open conversation exists between you and the customer anymore, so a service conversation is opened, lasting 24 hours.Hour 26: The 24-hour customer service window is still open, so you send a third text message to the customer. An open service conversation already exists between you and the customer, so a new service conversation is not opened.
        For additional examples, see our pricing explainer PDF.

        Customer Service Windows

        Conversation duration

        Marketing, utility, authentication, and service conversations last 24 hours unless closed by a newly opened free-entry point conversation.
        Free-entry point conversations last 72 hours.

        Multiple conversations

        It is possible to have multiple open conversations between you and a customer. This can happen in the following situations:
          An open marketing, utility, or authentication conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a template message of a different category within 24 hours.An open service conversation exists between you and a customer and you send them a template message within 24 hours.

          Free Tier conversations

          As of November 1, 2024, you can open an unlimited number of service conversations at no charge. See Free Service Conversations to learn more.

          Free Entry Point conversations

          A free entry point conversation is opened if (1) a customer using a device running Android or iOS (the desktop and web clients are not supported) messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad⁠ or Facebook Page Call-to-Action⁠ button and (2) you respond within 24 hours. If you do not respond within 24 hours, a free entry point conversation is not opened and you must use a template to message the customer, which opens a marketing, utility, or authentication conversation, per the category of the template.
          The free entry point conversation is opened as soon as your message is delivered and lasts 72 hours. When a free entry point conversation is opened, it automatically closes all other open conversations between you and the customer, and no new conversations will be opened until the free entry point conversation expires.
          Once the free entry point conversation is opened, you can send any type of message to the customer without incurring additional charges. However, you can only send non-templates messages if there is an open customer service window between you and the customer.
          For example, if the customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad at 10am and you respond via a template message at 10pm the same day:
            The free entry point conversation starts at 10pm and lasts 72 hours.You can send template messages at no charge in those 72 hours.You can send non-template messages until 10am the next day, at which point the customer service window closes, as it is independent of the free entry point conversation (if the customer messages you again, however, it opens another 24-hour customer service window in which you can send any type of message).

            Rates

            Rates vary based on conversation category and country/region rate. You can download the rate card below that corresponds to your WhatsApp Business Account’s currency to see our rates by country/region for each conversation category.
            These rates apply for any conversation opened on or after June 1, 2023 at 12:00 AM, based on WhatsApp Business Account time zone.

            Rate Cards

            These rate cards represent the current rates on our platform.
              Rates in USDRates in INRRates in IDRRates in EURRates in GBPRates in AUD

              Authentication-International rates

              Starting June 1, 2024, we are introducing authentication-international rates. See Authentication-International Rates to learn about these rates and if they apply to you.
              Effective April 1, 2025, we are lowering our authentication-international rates in Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa, as part of continued efforts to ensure our prices are on-par with alternate channels.

              Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp pricing

              Per-message pricing is coming to Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp. Starting July 1, 2025, Cloud API marketing rates will apply to messages sent via Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp.
              Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp has different pricing. View the Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp pricing document for details.

              WhatsApp Business Calling API pricing

              The WhatsApp Business Calling API has different pricing. View the Calling API pricing document for details.

              Updates to rate cards

              As announced in June 2024, we may update rates up-to-quarterly. For marketing, updates are to reflect demand and the value these messages deliver. For utility and authentication, our objective is to price on-par with alternate channels.
              To support these efforts, we have made the following updates:
                Effective April 1, 2025
                  Lowered authentication-international pricing rates for Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Africa.
                  Effective February 1, 2025
                    Lowered authentication pricing rates for Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
                    Added authentication-international pricing rates for Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
                    Effective November 1, 2024
                      Service conversations are now free for all businesses, including via AI-enabled conversational experiences.
                      Effective October 1, 2024
                        Updated pricing rates in India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
                        Effective August 1, 2024
                          Lowered utility conversation pricing rates.

                          Country calling codes

                          Charges for conversations are based on the country of the user’s phone number. We rely on your customer’s country calling code and network prefix (area code) to determine their country. The table below shows how we map country codes to countries or regions. If a country is not listed below, it maps to Other.
                          Markets Calling Code
                          (and network prefix if applicable)
                          Countries
                          Argentina

                          Brazil

                          Chile

                          Colombia

                          Egypt

                          France

                          Germany

                          India

                          Indonesia

                          Israel

                          Italy

                          Malaysia

                          Mexico

                          Netherlands

                          Nigeria

                          Pakistan

                          Peru

                          Russia

                          Saudi Arabia

                          South Africa

                          Spain

                          Turkey

                          United Arab Emirates

                          United Kingdom
                          54

                          55

                          56

                          57

                          20

                          33

                          49

                          91

                          62

                          972

                          39

                          60

                          52

                          31

                          234

                          92

                          51

                          7

                          966

                          27

                          34

                          90

                          971

                          44
                          North America
                          Canada

                          United States
                          1

                          1
                          Rest of Africa
                          Algeria

                          Angola

                          Benin

                          Botswana

                          Burkina Faso

                          Burundi

                          Cameroon

                          Chad

                          Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)

                          Eritrea

                          Ethiopia

                          Gabon

                          Gambia

                          Ghana

                          Guinea-Bissau

                          Ivory Coast

                          Kenya

                          Lesotho

                          Liberia

                          Libya

                          Madagascar

                          Malawi

                          Mali

                          Mauritania

                          Morocco

                          Mozambique

                          Namibia

                          Niger

                          Rwanda

                          Senegal

                          Sierra Leone

                          Somalia

                          South Sudan

                          Sudan

                          Swaziland

                          Tanzania

                          Togo

                          Tunisia

                          Uganda

                          Zambia
                          213

                          244

                          229

                          267

                          226

                          257

                          237

                          235

                          242

                          291

                          251

                          241

                          220

                          233

                          245

                          225

                          254

                          266

                          231

                          218

                          261

                          265

                          223

                          222

                          212

                          258

                          264

                          227

                          250

                          221

                          232

                          252

                          211

                          249

                          268

                          255

                          228

                          216

                          256

                          260
                          Rest of Asia Pacific
                          Afghanistan

                          Australia

                          Bangladesh

                          Cambodia

                          China

                          Hong Kong

                          Japan

                          Laos

                          Mongolia

                          Nepal

                          New Zealand

                          Papua New Guinea

                          Philippines

                          Singapore

                          Sri Lanka

                          Taiwan

                          Tajikistan

                          Thailand

                          Turkmenistan

                          Uzbekistan

                          Vietnam
                          93

                          61

                          880

                          855

                          86

                          852

                          81

                          856

                          976

                          977

                          64

                          675

                          63

                          65

                          94

                          886

                          992

                          66

                          993

                          998

                          84
                          Rest of Central & Eastern Europe
                          Albania

                          Armenia

                          Azerbaijan

                          Belarus

                          Bulgaria

                          Croatia

                          Czech Republic

                          Georgia

                          Greece

                          Hungary

                          Latvia

                          Lithuania

                          Moldova

                          North Macedonia

                          Poland

                          Romania

                          Serbia

                          Slovakia

                          Slovenia

                          Ukraine
                          355

                          374

                          994

                          375

                          359

                          385

                          420

                          995

                          30

                          36

                          371

                          370

                          373

                          389

                          48

                          40

                          381

                          421

                          386

                          380
                          Rest of Western Europe
                          Austria

                          Belgium

                          Denmark

                          Finland

                          Ireland

                          Norway

                          Portugal

                          Sweden

                          Switzerland
                          43

                          32

                          45

                          358

                          353

                          47

                          351

                          46

                          41
                          Rest of Latin America
                          Bolivia

                          Costa Rica

                          Dominican Republic

                          Ecuador

                          El Salvador

                          Guatemala

                          Haiti

                          Honduras

                          Jamaica

                          Nicaragua

                          Panama

                          Paraguay

                          Puerto Rico

                          Uruguay

                          Venezuela
                          591

                          506

                          1 (809, 829, 849)

                          593

                          503

                          502

                          509

                          504

                          1 (658, 876)

                          505

                          507

                          595

                          1 (787, 939)

                          598

                          58
                          Rest of Middle East
                          Bahrain

                          Iraq

                          Jordan

                          Kuwait

                          Lebanon

                          Oman

                          Qatar

                          Yemen
                          973

                          964

                          962

                          965

                          961

                          968

                          974

                          967
                          Other
                          All other countries
                          Varies by country
                          The information in the table above is also available in a CSV file:
                            Country Calling Codes and Regional Rate Mapping CSV

                            Webhooks

                            Pricing information is included in all message webhooks. See:
                              Cloud API: Message Status UpdatesOn-Premises API (deprecated): Message Status Updates

                              Billing

                              Billing and billing-related actions are handled through the Meta Business Suite. See About Billing For Your WhatsApp Business Account⁠ for more information.

                              Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp

                              If you are using the Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp, such usage is subject to Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp pricing. See the Marketing Messages API for WhatsApp pricing document for pricing information and rate cards.

                              See also

                                ConversationsAbout Billing For Your WhatsApp Business Account⁠PricingTemplate CategorizationSending messages with Cloud API

                                No comments to display

                                Back to top