New WhatsApp Business API Pricing

WhatsApp is transitioning to a conversation-based pricing model on February 1, 2022, affecting all businesses that use the WhatsApp Business API (WABA).

There are two types of WABA conversations:

1. User-initiated conversations: Conversations that begin with your response to a message from a user. You have 24 hours to respond to these messages, and you can restart these by activating conversations that have been archived.

2. Business-initiated conversations: Conversations that businesses start by sending users a message template. After getting the relevant permissions, a user can receive ticket information, updates, transaction info, and other information/notifications via these messages. You have the ability to send message templates and initiate a WhatsApp chat.

User-initiated conversations

The customer, Jane Shepard, sends CommerceBird a message about to inquire about an order.

Jane Shepard: Hi, I still haven't received my order #12345, could you check if it’s shipped?

The 24-hour timer starts when CommerceBird responds to this message, and a session fee is charged. For 24 hours, there is no additional payment for the chat with the user. After 24 hours, the business must send a template message to restart the dialogue, or a new message must be sent by Jane Shepard. Both options will be subject to a fee.

Business-initiated conversations

Customers that authorize CommerceBird to contact them over WhatsApp are sent the most recent status of their order.

CommerceBird: Hello, your order #12345 is ready for shipment. It will be delivered to you as soon as possible.

The 24-hour period starts with the business-initiated message, and a conversation fee is charged. The customer can continue the conversation in this 24-hour period at no additional cost.

Additional Notes

WABA conversations are measured by 24-hour periods. A WhatsApp discussion starts with a message template sent by a business or a response to a user message, and lasts for 24 hours at no extra cost. During this 24 hour period, you can interact with your users as often as you want, and you can send an unlimited number of template messages to the user who started the conversation.

The cost of a conversation varies depending on the country code of the customer sending a message your business or to whom you are sending the message. Every month, the first 1000 conversations are free of charge for all WABA businesses. Each conversation will be charged based on the user's country code after 1000 conversations.

In Turkey, the pricing is $0.0100 for business-initiated conversations and $0.0030 for user-initiated conversations. More detailed information and the cost for all countries can be found in this link.