Notice: Changes to WhatsApp's Pricing [July 2025]

Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp will officially switch from per-conversation pricing to per-message pricing. Here’s what’s changing:

All template messages initiated by businesses (marketing, notifications, verification) will now be charged per message sent, rather than per 24-hour session.
Within the 24-hour customer service window (reset every time a user responds), businesses can continue to send utility notification templates for free, with no cap.
Conversations started via Click-to-WhatsApp ads or Facebook Page buttons will trigger a 72-hour free messaging window, with no limits.

These changes mark WhatsApp’s evolution from a basic communication tool into a full-fledged business platform, aimed at making pricing more transparent and encouraging meaningful customer engagement over spammy broadcasts.

For global merchants, this means higher messaging costs, especially for marketing campaigns. However, with smart strategies, businesses can optimize costs while boosting engagement quality.

This guide breaks down WhatsApp's new pricing structure and equips global merchants to tackle its challenges, transforming fee changes into opportunities for cost efficiency and meaningful customer engagement.

WhatsApp New Updates

WhatsApp Sales Model Changes: What You Need to Know

Cost Impact

Costs May Increase: Under the new policy, sending multiple marketing templates now incurs a fee for each message, instead of a flat fee per session.
Cost Reduction Opportunities: Messages within active customer service windows remain free, and 72-hour free messaging applies to conversations triggered via Click-to-WhatsApp ads or Facebook buttons. By encouraging customer-initiated chats, you can reduce overall costs.

Marketing Impact

Precision Over Quantity: With per-message pricing, businesses must focus on message relevance and personalization to drive better open and conversion rates.
Stricter Marketing Rules: WhatsApp now limits businesses to just two marketing messages within a 24-hour window if there's no customer response, meaning mass message blasts are no longer effective.

Customer Service Impact

Support Quality Matters: Since customer-initiated conversations are free for 24 hours, brands are incentivized to provide faster and better support to maximize the free window and boost satisfaction.
Stricter Message Classification: Notification templates must now be non-promotional and directly relevant to the user, helping businesses deliver more valuable, compliant service updates.

Strategy Guide: How to Maximize Benefits Under the New Rules

1. Segment Users to Reduce Wasted Reach

Use SCRM tagging to categorize customers (e.g., inactive, repeat buyers, new users) and tailor outreach accordingly. Send free utility templates (order updates, shipping info) to low-engagement users and personalized marketing messages only to high-value ones.

2. Leverage the 72-Hour Free Window

Drive users to initiate conversations via Click-to-WhatsApp ads of the Facebook/Instagram Page button, unlocking a 72-hour window to promote offers, answer questions, and complete transactions without incurring extra costs.

3. Reframe Template Content to Reduce Charges

WhatsApp now categorizes messages as marketing, utility, or authentication, each with different rates. For example, utility messages in India cost as little as $0.0014, while marketing messages can cost up to $0.028. Label templates correctly to avoid unnecessary fees.

4. Turn Marketing into Conversational Campaigns

Encourage users to reply with prompts like “Reply with ‘OFFER’ to receive your discount.” This extends the free window and fosters two-way engagement.

5. Reduce Message Frequency, Increase Value

Stop sending bulk blasts. Instead, combine one high-value marketing message with several free utility updates to drive ROI efficiently.

How SaleSmartly Helps You Adapt to WhatsApp’s New Pricing

1. Smart Customer Tagging

With WhatsApp charging per marketing message, it’s crucial to avoid spamming low-intent users. SaleSmartly’s tagging system lets you segment users by behavior, source, and purchase history, so you can focus paid efforts on high-potential leads only.

2. Automation for Cost-Effective Messaging

SaleSmartly links tags with automation to optimize message timing:

72-hour ad leads: Automatically tag and nurture with a 3-day conversion flow during the free window.
24-hour service customers: Tag users as “in support” and resolve issues promptly to stay within the free period.
High-intent shoppers: Trigger time-sensitive offers for those who’ve added to cart or browsed multiple times, boosting ROI.

3. Channel Analytics

When every message costs money, you need to invest in the most effective platforms. SaleSmartly’s channel analytics show user IP, language, source platform (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram), and entry points, enabling you to build rich customer profiles.

Track Cross-Platform Customer Acquisition: Analyze visitor volume, inquiry rates, and conversion metrics across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc., to identify your highest-performing channels.
Dynamically Reallocate Ad Spend: Shift budgets toward high-conversion platforms (e.g., WhatsApp ads yielding 30%+ higher ROI than Facebook in key markets) while scaling back underperforming channels.

4. Broadcast Smartly Across Channels

Under WhatsApp's new policy, customer-initiated conversations benefit from a 24-hour free messaging window, while interactions launched via Click-to-WhatsApp ads or Facebook page buttons enjoy a 72-hour window. SaleSmartly’s Broadcast Tool maximizes these free periods by integrating with [Client]. Filter recently engaged customers (within 24h), prioritize utility broadcasts like order confirmations and shipping updates, and avoid extra fees.

SaleSmartly supports multichannel broadcasting across WhatsApp, Email, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, and LINE, enabling merchants to strategically shift non-WhatsApp users to email/social campaigns, such as executing cost-effective email marketing through its managed campaign service, significantly cutting WhatsApp messaging fees.

Conclusion

WhatsApp’s pricing shift is both a challenge and an opportunity.

With tools like SaleSmartly’s smart tagging, automation, channel insights, and broadcast management, global merchants can stay ahead of the curve, refining strategies, minimizing costs, and maximizing engagement. As WhatsApp evolves into a full-fledged business platform, proactive brands will be the ones to thrive.

In today’s rapidly shifting global sales landscape, policy changes like this can impact your entire business. Stay informed, plan ahead, and let SaleSmartly be your trusted partner in navigating change, helping you unlock new growth in global markets.