WhatsApp to Charge Businesses Per Message Starting October 1
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
WhatsApp's business API will charge companies per outgoing message starting October 1, with the first 1,000 monthly messages free. The change targets large businesses using chatbots and does not affect regular users or small businesses.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- WhatsApp business API will charge per outgoing message from Oct 1.
- First 1,000 monthly messages remain free for businesses.
- New fees primarily affect large businesses and chatbot users.
- Incoming customer messages will still be free.
- Standard WhatsApp and small business app are unaffected.
WhatsApp is introducing a new payment structure for its business API platform, which will take effect on October 1. Previously, businesses paid to initiate a conversation with a customer and then had 24 hours of free messaging. Under the new rules, companies will be charged for every outgoing message sent, regardless of whether it's from a chatbot or a human operator, starting from the very first message.
The cost per service message will be approximately $0.0056, or 1.7 agorot. However, the first 1,000 messages sent each month will remain free, with charges applying from the 1001st message onwards. This change is expected to primarily impact large businesses and companies that heavily utilize chatbots for customer interaction. Incoming messages from customers will continue to be free of charge.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is advising businesses to consolidate information into more comprehensive messages and reduce the number of short, frequent replies to manage costs. These new regulations do not affect the standard WhatsApp application used by billions globally, nor the WhatsApp Business mobile app designed for small businesses. The changes are exclusively for companies operating through the WhatsApp Business API platform.
This development was reported by Ynet on September 27, noting its potential impact on Israeli businesses. Separately, WhatsApp is reportedly testing a feature that converts voice messages to text as they are being dictated, allowing users to send long messages without manual typing.
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