WhatsApp announced price and billing process changes from 1st June 2023 and are applicable for all customers around the world who are using WhatsApp’s Official solutions

Changes at Glance 

1. Conversations are split into 3 new categories, utility, authentication, and marketing, existing user initiated will be known as “service conversations” 
2. Businesses will be charged based on the category of conversation as per the country code of the recipient
3. The current 1,000 free user-initiated conversations (service conversations) each month is not applicable for business-initiated conversations i.e in order to send template messages you will be charged from day 1 and not included in the free tier.
4. Sending marketing messages costs you more when compared to existing template charges, a 40 to 45% increase in current pricing and utility category prices will be lower and Service conversation rates will be the same as the current user-initiated rates.
5. Pay per 24-hour conversation window will not be valid as businesses now need to pay for each conversation category. i.e whenever a utility conversation window is open and if you send a marketing template then another marketing template session will open that is valid for 24 hours and the business will be billed for the utility message and marketing message. 

New Conversation Categories for Billing 

There will 3 new business-initiated conversation categories and existing user-initiated conversion will be known further as “service conversation” 

Utility conversations

Facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction or update to a customer about an ongoing transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements

Authentication conversations

Enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges)

Marketing conversations

Include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond/take action. Any conversation that does not qualify as utility or authentication is a marketing conversation.

Service Conversations

The existing user-initiated conversations will be categorized as service conversations, which help customers resolve inquiries.

Customer Service Window

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour timer called a customer service window starts. As long as it has been less than 24 hours since they last messaged you, you can respond with free-form messages. If it has been more than 24 hours since they last messaged you, you are outside the customer service window and must use a message template.

The customer service window overlaps with the conversation window for pricing in two ways:

1. If no active conversation exists between you and the customer when they send you a message, you can reply with a free-form message and a user-initiated conversation (service conversation) will be opened.
2. If an active conversation exists between you and the customer when they send you a message, you can respond to the customer with a free-form message and no additional conversation charges will be incurred.

How new conversation categories are billed

Conversation charges will be based on the template category. When a template is delivered, it opens a new conversation of that category and incurs the charge of that conversation category, unless the template is delivered during an open conversation of that category. For example, if a utility conversation is open and a marketing template is delivered within that open conversation, a new, separate marketing conversation is opened and a marketing conversation charge is initiated.

However, sending multiple templates of the same category within an open conversation will not incur additional charges. For example, a business can send multiple utility templates in an open utility conversation with no additional charges.

Service conversations will still only be initiated when no other conversation window is open and a business responds to a user with a free-form message within the 24-hour customer service window. If a business replies to a user with a template message or sends a template message in an open service conversation, this opens a new conversation based on the template category.

The exception to this is free entry point conversations. During the free window, businesses can send multiple templates of different categories, and no new conversation will be opened.

Charges for conversations are based on the user’s country code. A user here is defined as the customer that your business is communicating with. Rates for business-initiated and user-initiated conversations vary by country or region.

See the examples below for a better understanding

Any time a template message is delivered, it will result in a conversation charge unless it is sent in a conversation of the same category. For example, if a utility template is delivered during a service conversation, it will open a separate utility conversation open for 24 hours from the time the utility template is delivered.

If a utility template is delivered during an open utility conversation, it will not open a new utility conversation or create a new charge. Below are several examples to illustrate how conversation charges work.

Example 1 – Opening a marketing conversation inside a service conversation

A service conversation is opened at 9:31 when a business response to a customer message is delivered. A marketing template is delivered while this service conversation is still open at 4:30. This opens a separate marketing conversation. 

The result is one charge for a service conversation and one charge for a marketing conversation.

Example 2 – Opening a utility conversation inside a marketing conversation

A marketing conversation is opened at 3:40 when a marketing template message is delivered. Later, with the marketing conversation still open, a utility template is delivered at 6:00. This opens a separate utility conversation. 

The result is one charge for a marketing conversation and one charge for a utility conversation. 

Example 3 – Two templates of the same category result in only one conversation charge.

A utility conversation is opened at 9:00 when a utility template message is delivered. Later, with the utility conversation still open, another utility template message is delivered at 11:00. There is no new conversation charge because the template category used within the open conversation window did not change. 

The result is one utility conversation charge. 

Example 4 – One template with both utility and marketing content

A template that includes content that is both utility and marketing based on the template

guidelines is delivered at 11:59. Whenever marketing content is identified in a template, the template will be categorized as marketing. 

The result is one marketing conversation charge

Impact on Current 1000 Free Tier Monthly Conversation 

The current 1000 free tier monthly conversations will limit only to user-initiated messages (service conversations) with effect from 1st June 2023 i.e you need to have enough balance in your Picky Assist wallet in order to send any template messages. So please plan your WhatsApp campaign accordingly and keep enough balance in your wallet in order to avoid any service interruption. 

Marketing Message Costs you 40 to 45% more 

When you plan your next WhatsApp campaign please make sure you have enough money in your Picky Assist account to cover the charges, also we recommend to while requesting the templates please ensure to select the correct category as per the new template category, Read More 

Country Wise New Pricing for Message Category 

Here is the list of new pricing based on each message category and country. The below prices are in USD and subject to change as per the WhatsApp policies from time to time where Picky Assist doesn’t have any role or control.