Big changes are coming to the WhatsApp Business Platform! In October 2024, Meta announced new pricing changes designed to cut through the noise – think more transparency, bigger rewards for quality messaging, and real value for you and your customers. Here’s what you need to know.
Free service conversations
Starting November 1, 2024, service conversations will be completely free, replacing the previous limitation of 1000 free service conversations per month. This means that businesses can respond to customer messages at no cost within the 24-hour service window, allowing them to scale support operations without concerns about conversation limits. This change encourages businesses to be more accessible to their customers, including through AI-powered conversational experiences.
For example, you can streamline customer support by using automated responses or self-service chatbots during peak times, without the concern of rising costs due to increased message volume.
Expansion of Authentication-International Rates
Starting February 1, 2025, authentication-international rates will be expanded to seven additional markets: Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. This follows the initial rollout in India and Indonesia earlier this year.
Free utility templates within a customer service window
Starting April 1, 2025, businesses can send utility templates for free within a 24-hour service window. This update encourages businesses to invest in essential, proactive communication, like order confirmations, appointment reminders, delivery updates, and important alerts, which can be sent at no additional cost within 24 hours after a customer initiates a chat.
Industries relying on timely updates will see significant benefits. For example, if a customer inquires about their package status, your chatbot or agent can respond with a freeform text or utility template, both free of charge within the 24-hour window. This ensures customers remain informed and engaged while keeping communication costs down.
Per-message pricing
Starting April 2025, WhatsApp Business platform pricing will switch to a per-message model instead of per conversation, replacing the previous system where a template message opened a 24-hour conversation window with unlimited free-form messages. This often led to confusion with overlapping conversation windows. The new per-message pricing simplifies billing, allowing businesses to align costs with the value of each message. Marketing messages will focus on driving results, while utility messages, like fraud alerts, will provide relevant updates or actions for users.
Businesses will transition to per-message pricing in two phases.
Phase 1: Starts April 1, 2025
Phase 2: Starts July 1, 2025
*8×8 customers are in Phase 2.
Nail Your Strategy for WhatsApp’s New Pricing
Meta’s latest updates to the WhatsApp Business Platform are a game-changer for businesses ready to up their support and engagement game. Starting November 1, 2024, service conversations are free—making it easier than ever to handle high-demand periods without added costs. But heads up: per-message pricing kicks in April 2025 (or July 2025 for 8×8 customers), so strategic use of template messages will be key.
Empower your support team to fully utilize the 24-hour service window and create marketing templates that don’t just message—they convert. And don’t forget to fine-tune your budget for the new authentication rates to stay ahead of the game.
Need a partner to crush these changes? 8×8 has your back. We’ll help you level up your messaging strategy and keep your customers hooked. Let’s talk — click here to learn more or get in touch now!
