In order to upgrade the WhatsApp Business API product experience and pricing, and encourage customers to easily choose to receive after-sales notifications and marketing messages from merchants, and contact merchants for customer service through WhatsApp, Meta has launched new conversation categories and calls. There will be three new merchant-initiated conversation categories in the future, and user-initiated conversations will be renamed to match the primary way merchants and users upload messages on WhatsApp. The new conversation categories are as follows:
- Utility conversations
Transaction-related conversations initiated by merchants, including sending post-sales notifications and periodic invoices to customers who have agreed to receive messages.
- Authentication dialog
A merchant-initiated conversation to verify a user’s identity using a one-time password at multiple steps in the sign-in process, such as account registration, account recovery, and integrity checks.
- Marketing conversation
Conversations initiated by merchants to market products or services to customers, such as providing relevant offers to customers who have agreed to receive messages. Any conversation initiated by a merchant that does not qualify as a verification or useful conversation also falls into this category.
- Service conversations
Any user-initiated conversation, such as sending a message to resolve a customer inquiry.
Pricing for each message will vary based on the value these different experiences bring to merchants and users. Marketing conversations can lead to additional sales, while practical conversations can boost existing sales. Service conversations can help resolve customer issues.
It’s important to note that starting June 1, 2023, Meta will adopt new pricing for marketing and utility conversations.Rates will be higher for marketing conversations and lower for practical conversations to reflect the value of people and businesses. Rates for service conversations are the same as current rates for user-initiated conversations.
How much does WhatsApp charge if I send templates of different categories within 24 hours?
Each time a template message is sent, unless it is sent within a conversation of the same type, a conversation fee will be incurred. For example, sending a utility template in a service conversation opens another utility conversation related to the utility template that lasts for 24 hours from the time the utility template is sent. If you send another utility template in an already open utility conversation, no new utility conversation will be opened or new charges will be incurred. Meta officially lists out different scenarios charging principle, for your reference.
If there are 2 messages of different types within 24 hours, how much will be charged?
If within 24 hours, the user first initiates a conversation, inquires about the reservation status and receives a reply from the merchant, and then the merchant sends a marketing conversation to promote its services, it will be counted as 1 “Service Conversations” and 1 “Marketing Conversation” Coverage”.
(Meta official photo)
If there are 2 messages of the same type within 24 hours, how much will be charged?
If a merchant sends 2 messages about new product promotions within 24 hours, the fee for “Marketing Conversation” will only be charged once.
(Meta Official pictures)
If a template message includes two different categories, how much is charged?
If a merchant includes “Transaction-related Utility Conversation” and ” Marketing Conversation” in the same template message, it will be regarded as one marketing conversation.
(Meta Official pictures)
If you want to know more charging principles and cases, please pay attention to the details👉Meta official website information
Further reading:2024 WhatsApp Business API Hong Kong Pricing Update
