WhatsApp Business pricing: The complete guide

From customer service messages to authentication notifications to marketing campaigns: WhatsApp offers many possibilities for companies to interact with customers. But it's not always free! In the following, we explain the WhatsApp Business pricing. 

With more than 200 million WhatsApp Business users, companies around the world are recognizing the potential of this messaging app for their business. However, once you start looking into using WhatsApp for your customer communication, you'll soon find that there are several WhatsApp Business options that all come with different costs and features. 

The WhatsApp Business pricing depends on what business version you use, the type of messages you send, the software you use, and on the country of your customers.

In this guide, we'll walk you through all of these options, and explain the different WhatsApp Business costs.

WhatsApp Business pricing: This is how it works

As using the regular WhatsApp app for commercial purposes violates WhatsApp's terms, WhatsApp offers two other possibilities for companies: the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business Platform (formerly: API).

Depending on which version you use, you get access to different features, and also have a different WhatsApp Business pricing model. 

WhatsApp Business App pricing

The WhatsApp Business App is the business equivalent to the private app. You can download the app for free on your smartphone, and it'll look and feel very similar to the regular WhatsApp app. 

It's designed for very small companies and comes with a few business features. You can set up a company profile, add your business hours, and have one-on-one conversations with customers. You can send out broadcasts as well, but only to a maximum of 256 recipients per broadcast list, and only if they have your number saved in your contacts (WhatsApp blocks businesses that violate these rules).

The WhatsApp Business App is limited to a maximum of five users per number / business profile. 

There's no cost for using this version of the WhatsApp Business App. However, as you can see, it also isn't the best solution for larger companies or even small businesses that want to really take advantage of WhatsApp's business features like chatbots or bulk messaging. In addition, this solution isn't compliant with many data privacy laws. 

WhatsApp Business Premium

In 2021, WhatsApp introduced a paid version of WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp Business Premium. The subscription model offers a few upgrades, like adding up to ten users to your profile (still only one smartphone allowed) and there are a few upgrades to the profile that appears on the WhatsApp website for your business. 

You can choose a customized link (vs. the default wa.me link), and the website and profile are synched, so if you change anything in your profile, it automatically changes on the website, too. WhatsApp is also testing some premium marketing message features for the WhatsApp Business App, such as automated target lists. 

Currently, WhatsApp Business Premium is only available to  some select business users in a few countries. There hasn't been any official communication from WhatsApp on exact pricing yet. 

As of now, the premium version doesn't offer much more than the free version, and most features that companies are looking for (marketing tools, chatbots, integrations) aren't available either. These are exclusive to the WhatsApp Business Platform. 

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WhatsApp Business Platform pricing

The WhatsApp Business Platform (formerly: WhatsApp Business API) is the business option that WhatsApp developed for medium and large companies. Only here, businesses get access to all the commercial features, from mass messaging to integrations to chatbots, and much more. That's why this WhatsApp Business version isn't free of charge. 

If you're using the API, WhatsApp charges you for the messages you exchange with your customers. The exact WhatsApp Business Pricing depends on the type of message and the recipient's country code. 

• Conversations through the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) are divided into four message categories: utility, authentication, service, and marketing.
• Each message category is priced differently.
• The first 1,000 user-initiated conversations are free for companies per month and per WhatsApp Business account.

This is how WhatsApp defines its message categories. 

1. Utility conversations: Business-initiated conversations relating to a transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements to customers who have opted in.
2. Authentication: Business-initiated conversations that enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes at multiple steps during the login process, such as account registration, account recovery, and integrity challenges.
3. Marketing conversation: Business-initiated conversations to market a product or service to customers, such as relevant offers to customers who have opted in. Any business-initiated conversation that doesn't qualify as an authentication or utility conversation would also fall under this category.
4. Service conversations: Any user-initiated conversation, such as to resolve a customer inquiry.

Generally speaking, service conversations are the cheapest, while marketing conversations (promotional messages, newsletters, etc.) are the most expensive. 

💡Read Meta's messaging guidelines and check out four scenarios to understand how the categories work! 

WhatsApp Business pricing in the UK, India, US, and worldwide

The prices for a WhatsApp Business conversation / session vary by country. The costs (here in US dollars) are based on the country code of the end user's phone number.

• Brazil: from 0.05 USD to 0.0625 USD
• India: from 0.0066 USD to 0.0099 USD
• Italy: from 0.0643 USD to 0.0691 USD
• Mexico: from 0.0349 to 0.0436 USD
• South Africa: from 0.0280 USD to 0.0379 USD
• UK: from 0.0647 USD to 0.0705 USD
• Canada and the US: from 0.0147 USD to 0.0250 USD

Additional WhatsApp Business costs for the API

Unlike the WhatsApp Business App, the API doesn't have a user interface. This means that businesses have to create their own software or use an already existing software from a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider. 

If you have the IT resources and need a highly customized solution, building your own software is a good option. Here, you only pay for the messages. There are pricing models where you either pay per individual message or a flat rate for a certain number of monthly messages. 

When you access the WhatsApp Business API through a solution provider's software (typically the easiest way to use the API), the cost depends on the pricing model of that particular provider. 

You should read very carefully through the costs because sometimes solution providers promise a low price upfront, but have hidden costs or limited features where you end up paying more for the upgrades than you thought. 

Also make sure that the solution you're picking really comes from a verified WhatsApp partner, as there are many fake versions that either come with technical issues or carry security risks. Always check Meta's partner directory first! 

WhatsApp Business pricing with Sinch Engage

Sinch Engage is one of these verified WhatsApp Business Solution Providers that offer a ready-to-go business software for WhatsApp and other messaging apps. With us, there are no separate set-up costs, and you don't need any special IT skills. 

Our monthly plans are based on the amount of agents, users, channels, and messages. There are no additional costs for WhatsApp messages, as they're already included in your subscription plan, and you can, of course, also change your plan, if needed. 

We also offer a free trial if you want to check out our solution first. 

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WhatsApp Business API costs: Four examples

If you're curious to see how exactly the message costs are calculated on the WhatsApp Business API, we've set up four scenarios to show you how the message categories work. 

Scenario 1: Opening a marketing conversation inside a service conversation

Situation: A service conversation is opened at 9:31 AM when a business response to a customer message is delivered. While this conversation is open, the business also delivers a marketing template at 4.30 PM. This now triggers a (new) separate marketing conversation.

Changing the message category within the same chat triggers a new conversation charge.

Cost: This results in one charge for a service conversation and one charge for a marketing conversation.

Exception: Free entry point conversations are an exception to this rule. A template sent during the three-day free window doesn't open a new conversation.

Scenario 2: Opening a utility conversation inside a marketing conversation

Situation: A business opens a marketing conversation at 3:40 PM when their marketing template message is delivered. A few hours later, with the marketing conversation still open, the business delivers a utility template. This now opens a separate utility conversation.

Cost example for starting a utility message within a marketing conversation. 

Cost: The business is charged for one marketing conversation and one utility conversation.

Scenario 3: Two templates of the same category result in only one conversation charge

Situation: A business delivers a utility message at 9 AM. Two hours later, at 11 AM, the company delivers a second utility template message.

Two conversations of the same message category count as one.

Cost: There is only a charge for one utility message because the business didn't change the message template type.

Scenario 4: One template with both utility and marketing content

Situation: A business sends one template that includes both, marketing and utility content at 11.59 AM. Whenever WhatsApp identifies marketing content in another message template, it categorizes the message as "marketing".

If WhatsApp identifies marketing content in a message, it charges a business for a marketing conversation.

Cost: The business receives one marketing conversation charge.

FAQs: WhatsApp Business pricing for the API

In the following, we answer the most common questions around costs for the WhatsApp Business API. 

Costs

Q: Why did WhatsApp change the pricing model for messaging in 2023? 

A: WhatsApp wants their conversation pricing to better reflect the value of the message (in comparison to a regular text message). Due to the more engaging, multimedia capabilities, and re-engagement options of the WhatsApp marketing messages, the company increased the price (slightly), while at the same time lowering the cost for utility messages.

Q. Are there free messages on the WhatsApp Business API?

A: Yes! The first 1,000 user-initiated conversations per month and per WhatsApp Business account are free.

Q: If a business sends more than one message template in an open 24-hour conversation session, will that result in more charges? 

A: It depends. If a business sends a new conversation of the same category in the 24-hour window, there will be no additional charges. However, if a company delivers two different types of templates, for example, it first sent a utility template, and then starts a marketing template, a new conversation is opened, and charged separately according to the message category.

Q: What if a business receives a message from a user, but doesn't reply. Will the business be charged for a conversation? 

A: No, conversations will only be charged after the first business reply to a user message is delivered.

Q: What if a business responds to a user message within the 24-hour conversation session, but the business’ message is not delivered until after the conversation session closes? Will the business be charged for another conversation? 

A: No. There will be no additional conversation charge if a message is sent to a user in an open 24-hour conversation session, but only delivered after the 24-hour conversation session closes.

Time window

Q: Is there still a 24-hour window for replying to messages? 

A: Yes. WhatsApp still charges for a conversation within a 24-hour time frame. However, WhatsApp has added an exception. If customers enter a conversation with a business through a free entry point, such as a click-to-WhatsApp ad or a call-to-action button on a Facebook page, companies now have three consecutive 24-hour windows (a total of 72 hours) to reply.

Q: Do the free conversations from click-to-WhatsApp ads or page CTAs on Facebook count toward a business’ 1,000 free conversations each month? 

A: No. The 1,000 free conversations are in addition to any free conversations from click-to-WhatsApp ads or Page CTAs on Facebook. Starting March 1, WhatsApp will allow more free conversations through this free entry point by extending the free conversation window from 24 hours to 72 hours.

Malicious attacks

Q: What if a business is the victim of malicious attacks, unwanted messages or spam? Will I have to pay for receiving these unwanted messages? 

A: A conversation session does not initiate until the first business reply to a user message is delivered. Businesses will only be charged for a user-initiated conversation when their first reply to a user-initiated message is delivered.

💡 Do you have questions about the WhatsApp Business pricing? Get in touch with our team, and we're happy to explain the details!