New WhatsApp Business Pricing and How to Play It Right

Robert James
· 1 min read
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If your team uses WhatsApp to connect with customers, Meta's July 1st pricing overhaul fundamentally changes how you're charged. Here's what business leaders need to know:

The shift from unlimited to per-message

Meta moved from conversation-based pricing (one fee, unlimited messages) to charging per individual message.

But before you worry about skyrocketing costs, there are significant savings opportunities built in.

Four message types, different costs

Your messages now fall into categories with different pricing:

  • Marketing (promotions, offers): Highest cost, always charged
  • Utility (order updates, shipping notifications): Mid-cost, but free in key situations
  • Authentication (password resets, verification codes): Lowest cost, with rates slashed up to 78%
  • Service (customer support responses): Completely free, unlimited

Where you save money

The real opportunity is in free messaging windows. When a customer messages you first, you get 24 hours to send unlimited free responses and utility messages at no charge. That order confirmation? Free if sent within that window.

Even bigger: respond within 24 hours to customers who click your Facebook or Instagram ads, and you unlock a 72-hour free window where all message types cost nothing. This transforms customer acquisition economics.

For high-volume senders, automatic tier discounts reduce utility and authentication costs by up to 20% as your monthly volume grows.

Making it work at scale

Smart businesses are rethinking their messaging strategy to maximize free windows and optimize message timing. Polser help companies orchestrate WhatsApp conversations at scale while automatically leveraging these cost-saving opportunities.

Bottom line: While the pricing model changed, businesses that strategically use customer service windows and ad-driven conversations can actually reduce costs while improving customer engagement. The key is having the infrastructure to respond fast and route messages intelligently.

You can find more information in WhatsApp's official pricing guide.

Written by Robert James