Guides
Since 1 July 2025 Meta charges per delivered template message rather than per 24-hour conversation. What you pay depends on three things: the template category, the recipient's country, and — for utility and authentication only — how many you have already sent that month. Messages you send as replies inside the 24-hour service window are not charged at all.
Marketing is by far the most expensive and gets no volume discount. Utility and authentication are much cheaper and step down further as your monthly volume crosses Meta's thresholds, resetting each month. Getting your categorisation right is the single biggest lever you have.
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour service window opens. Inside it you can send free-form replies at no messaging cost. This is why businesses that genuinely converse — rather than only broadcast — pay far less per customer than the headline rates suggest.
Ask about all three before signing anything.
Most overspend is category and targeting, not volume.
| Message type | How it is charged |
|---|---|
| Reply inside the 24-hour service window | Not charged |
| Utility template | Lower rate, steps down with monthly volume |
| Authentication template | Lower rate, steps down with monthly volume |
| Marketing template | Highest rate, no volume discount |
Per delivered template message, since 1 July 2025. The older per-24-hour-conversation model no longer applies, so guides describing conversation pricing are out of date.
Yes — free-form replies sent inside the 24-hour window that opens when a customer messages you are not charged.
No. You own your WhatsApp Business Account and Meta bills you directly. We charge only the platform subscription.
Connect your number through Meta Embedded Signup, keep ownership of your WhatsApp Business Account, and pay Meta directly for messages — we never add a markup.