Conversation-Based Pricing
Meta's pricing model for the WhatsApp Business API: businesses are charged per 24-hour conversation, with rates that depend on category and country.
Last updated: 2026-05-03
Definition
Conversation-based pricing is Meta's billing model for the WhatsApp Business API. A "conversation" is a 24-hour window of messaging between a business and a customer, opened by either side, and charged once at the start of the window regardless of how many individual messages flow through it. There are four conversation categories — Marketing, Utility, Authentication, Service — each priced differently per country. Conversations opened from a business-initiated template message are charged at the template's category rate; conversations opened by a user reply within 24 hours of receiving a Service message are free.
How it applies in India
India rates (Meta published, current as of 2026): Marketing ~₹0.78, Utility ~₹0.114, Authentication ~₹0.114, Service ~₹0 (free inside the 24-hour service window). Indian businesses optimise costs by routing transactional messages (order confirmation, payment receipt, OTP, shipping) as Utility instead of Marketing, and by responding to inbound customer queries within the free Service window.
Frequently asked questions
How is a conversation defined?
A conversation is a 24-hour rolling window between a business and a single customer phone number. The window opens when the first qualifying message is sent and closes 24 hours later. Multiple messages within that window count as one conversation for billing.
Are inbound customer messages charged?
No. Customer-initiated messages are free for the customer, and the business is only charged if it sends a billable category template back. Replies inside the 24-hour Service window after a customer message are free for the business too.
Related terms
- Conversation CategoryOne of four labels Meta assigns to a WhatsApp conversation — Marketing, Utility, Authentication, or Service — that determines its price and rules.
- WhatsApp Template MessageA pre-approved message format that a business can send to a customer outside the 24-hour service window — required for any business-initiated conversation.
- Service Window (24-hour)A 24-hour period after a customer's last inbound message during which the business can reply free of charge with any non-template content.
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