New WhatsApp billing rules – Effective July 1, 2025

Starting from July 1, 2025, all WhatsApp Business Accounts will transition to a per-message billing model, instead of the previous conversation-based model. The following message types will now be charged individually once delivered:

• Marketing template messages

• Authentication template messages

• Utility template messages sent outside the service window

Pricing details

YCloud charges are based on the recipient country and message type. WhatsApp classifies template messages into 5 categories as below.

Category	Explaination
Marketing	Sending marketing template messages
Utility	Sending utility template messages
Authentication	Sending authentication template messages
International-Authentication	Companies identified by Meta as eligible for the Authentication-International rate will be charged this rate when initiating authentication template messages to countries where the Authentication-International rate applies. Detailed Explanation
Service	Sending free-form messages

You can view the full pricing here:

🔗 www.ycloud.com/price

⚠️The new pricing will be updated on July 1. You may also contact your account manager to get the new rates.

WhatsApp Messaging Rules

When there is no service window between you and your customers, you can only send template messages to them. The 3 template types are:

• Marketing

• Utility

• Authentication

Templates must be approved by Meta, and the final template type may be adjusted by Meta depending on content compliance. The final template type and recipient country determine the actual cost of the message.

What Is a Service Window?

A 24-hour customer service window is triggered when a user sends a message to your WhatsApp Business Account. The window is automatically extended if the customer sends another message.

• During this service window, you can send free-form messages and template messages.

• Utility template messages and free-form messages are free within the window.

• Marketing and Authentication template messages are still charged.

International Authentication Pricing

Meta applies International-authentication pricing to the following countries:

India, Indonesia, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE.

Qualification Criteria

You’ll be classified as an “international business” if:

• You send more than 750,000 authentication conversations in any 30-day period (180 days for India),

and

• The messages are sent to users in eligible countries listed above.

Once eligible:

• You’ll receive an email confirmation from Meta.

• Meta will try to determine your primary business location based on public information.

• After 30 days, Authentication template messages sent to other eligible countries outside your primary business location will be charged at the International-authentication rate.

Note: This status is permanent once confirmed.

Example:

If your business is determined to be based in Indonesia, Authentication template messages sent to Indonesian users will be charged as usual, but sent to India will be billed at the international rate.

Free Entry Points

If a customer clicks a Facebook Ad or a CTA button on your Facebook Page and sends a message using Android or iOS, a 72-hour free messaging window is triggered. Within this window, all messages (both templates and free-form messages) are free.

Note: Whether you can send free-form messages still depends on the service window.

Also important:

• Only the first click per user per ad triggers the free entry point.

• If the user clicks the same ad again, the second click will not re-open a new free entry point.