WhatsApp Cloud Pricing

🟦 NicoChat Pricing

NicoChat does not charge any extra fee for sending and receiving any type of message through the WhatsApp channel.
All sending costs are paid directly to Meta!

🟩 WhatsApp Cloud API Pricing (Official)

Updated according to the new rules effective November 2024

Meta has updated the entire pricing model of the WhatsApp Business Platform. Conversations are now split into two categories, but with one important change:

1. Customer-initiated conversations — NOW 100% FREE

Whenever the user sends the first message, that conversation is not charged, regardless of country, category or volume.

Examples of free user-initiated conversations:

• A message sent by the customer to your number
• A reply to a template
• Clicks on WhatsApp buttons on websites, pages or ads (details below)

There is no monthly limit, so all customer-initiated conversations are free.

Once the customer’s message is received, you have 24 hours to talk freely with them, at no charge.

2. Business-initiated conversations — These are charged

When the business sends a message before the user speaks or outside the 24-hour window, a business-initiated conversation is opened.

For this it is mandatory to use an approved message template (template).

Business-initiated conversations can fall into 3 categories:

• Marketing
• Utility
• Authentication

Prices vary by country and category. You can check the full table here:
👉 business.whatsapp.com/products/platform-pricing

🟨 24-hour service window

• As of July 1, 2025, the WhatsApp API billing model changed: billing is no longer per “24h session / full conversation”, but per template message sent.
• The 24-hour window after the customer’s last message still exists as the “customer service window”.
• During this 24-hour window, you can send free-form messages (text, media, etc.) at no extra cost — as long as it is in reply to the customer’s message.
• “Utility template” messages sent within this 24-hour window remain free.
• Outside this window (or for template types that are charged: marketing / authentication), each message sent will be charged individually according to the category and the destination country.

🟧 Messaging Policy

• If the business needs to send a message more than 24 hours after the customer’s last message, it is mandatory to use a template.
• Sending a regular text message outside the window is not allowed and the message will fail.
• When a template is sent, a new business-initiated conversation is opened, and that conversation is charged according to the category and the country.

🟪 72h Free Entry Point Conversations (Free Entry Point)

• When a customer starts contact by clicking a “Click to WhatsApp” ad (or equivalent), or through a call-to-action button on a Facebook page, this counts as a free entry point.
• If the business replies within 24 hours of the customer’s message, a free messaging window of up to 72 hours opens (FEP Window). During this 72-hour period, all messages sent by the business are free, including template messages (marketing, utility, authentication, etc.).
• Within this 72-hour period, the business can exchange as many messages with the customer as it wants, at no additional cost.