WhatsApp now charges per message, not per conversation
Amit Kumar · 18 August 2026
If you planned your WhatsApp costs around 24-hour conversation windows, that model no longer applies. Meta replaced conversation-based pricing with per-message pricing on 1 July 2025.
The change matters because the old model rewarded packing more messages into one window. The new one does not. Each template message you send is priced on its own.
This is a short guide to what you pay for now, and what is still free.
What you are charged for
You are charged for each template message that is delivered. A template is a message you write in advance and Meta approves before you can send it. You need one whenever you start a conversation, or reply after the free window has closed.
The rate depends on three things:
- The category of the template. There are three: marketing, utility and authentication.
- The country of the person receiving it. Rates differ a lot between countries.
- How much you send. Higher volumes reach better rates through volume tiers.
Marketing templates are the expensive ones. Utility and authentication templates cost much less. This is deliberate on Meta’s part: it prices promotion higher than service.
What is free
Three things cost you nothing, and together they cover more of a normal day than most people expect.
Non-template messages are free. Anything you type yourself, rather than sending as an approved template, is not charged.
The 24-hour customer service window. When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you can reply with ordinary messages at no charge. The window still exists — it simply no longer decides what you pay. It decides whether you need a template at all.
Utility templates inside that open window are free. If a customer has written to you and the window is open, an order update sent as a utility template is not charged.
There is also a free entry point window of 72 hours. It opens when someone reaches you through a Click-to-WhatsApp advert or a call-to-action button on your Facebook Page. Inside those 72 hours, any message you send is free.
What this means in practice
Three habits follow from the pricing, and all three also make for a better experience.
Answer quickly. A fast reply happens inside the free window. A slow reply happens after it closes, and then it needs a paid template.
Categorise honestly. A utility template costs less than a marketing one, which is exactly why Meta checks. Sending promotional content under a utility category gets the template rejected, and repeated attempts put your account at risk. Write genuine order updates as utility, and genuine promotions as marketing.
Send fewer, better broadcasts. Under the old model, an extra message inside an open window was free. Now every marketing template is priced. Segmenting your audience and sending to the people who will care is no longer only good manners — it is directly cheaper.
About the rates themselves
We publish example rates for India so you can budget, and we date them, because they move. Meta has changed rates several times and has further changes scheduled through 2026. India’s marketing rate rose on 1 January 2026.
For that reason, treat any rate table — ours included — as an illustration, and treat Meta’s own pricing page as the authority.
Where to go next
- Understanding campaign analytics — what each delivery metric counts, so you can see what your sends actually achieved
- Managing message templates — creating and submitting templates inside Baat
- Our pricing — what Baat itself costs, separately from Meta’s message fees