WhatsApp can only be used 100% GDPR compliant with the WhatsApp Business API. The API is an interface to WhatsApp services and the use of WhatsApp conversations for businesses.
Providers like Superchat are built on Meta's WhatsApp Business API and provide messaging platforms for end users. The pricing of WhatsApp conversations is solely determined by Meta.
The costs for advanced features in the form of messaging platforms and the pricing of WhatsApp conversations reside with operators such as Superchat.
In this article you will learn about the following:
- Cost of WhatsApp conversations in detail,
- Pricing structure of a messaging platform like Superchat,
- FAQ about pricing adjustment 2023.
Starting 6/1/2023, the new pricing structure for WhatsApp conversations will apply. Meta introduces four new categories: Marketing, Administration, Authentication and Service. The first three categories fall under business-initiated conversations.
Service conversations, on the other hand, are called user-initiated conversations. Prices for each category range from €0.06 to €0.11 per conversation. All users of the WhatsApp Business API are affected by these changes.
Thus also providers of messaging platforms like Superchat and their end users. Previously, there was a free quota. 1,000 WhatsApp conversations per month. Both for business-initiated, as well as for user-initiated conversations. This quota will be dropped for business-initiated conversations from 1.6.2023.
Messaging platform providers respond individually to price adjustments. Superchat offers its customers a free monthly quota of business-initiated conversations. Additional business-initiated conversations do not include a price surcharge and are based 1:1 on Meta's prices. The prices for the Superchat packages Basic, Professional, Advanced and Premium remain unchanged.
WhatsApp conversation is not the same as WhatsApp message. A WhatsApp conversation represents a time slot in which you can exchange WhatsApp messages. More about this in the following chapters.
Costs for WhatsApp conversations in detail
Meta charges costs per initiated WhatsApp conversation. WhatsApp conversations are divided into business-initiated conversations and user-initiated conversations.
Business-initiated conversations start as soon as you have sent a WhatsApp template. This is a pre-written message. It must be submitted to Meta for review and can be reused afterwards.
User-initiated conversations start with the first reply to the initial customer message. This response does not have to be a WhatsApp template.
Categories for WhatsApp conversations
Meta defines 4 new categories for business-initiated conversations and user-initiated conversations. These primarily determine expenses for initiated WhatsApp conversations.
Secondarily, prices are differentiated based on the country code of your customers. The following table shows an example of UK prices in GBP (November 2024):
| Category | Description | Type | Price per conversation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility | Conversation with important information about customer accounts, transactions, orders or other updates after purchase completion. | Business-initiated | £0.0159 |
| Authentication | Conversation with one-time passwords or verification codes to access a customer account. | Business-initiated | £0.0636 |
| Marketing | Conversation with promotional offers or product announcements. | Business-initiated | £0.0382 |
| Service | Conversation started by your customers. | User-initiated | £0.00 |
Starting on June 1, 2023, the first business-initiated conversation will already be billed. For user-initiated conversations, the monthly budget of 1,000 WhatsApp conversations will remain.
24 hour time window for WhatsApp conversations
Business-initiated conversations and user-initiated conversations have a time window of 24 hours. Within this time frame, you can send pre-designed WhatsApp templates or custom responses. There are no additional charges for messages within this time window.
This does not apply to sending WhatsApp templates with different categories within a 24-hour conversation. This process triggers a new and chargeable business-initiated conversation (example: sending a marketing category WhatsApp template within a 24 hour service conversation).
Pricing policies on messaging platforms
Each messaging platform provider ties the cost of WhatsApp conversations into their own pricing package differently. On Superchat's messaging platform, for example, you can manage your monthly budget for WhatsApp conversations.
Superchat is the first German provider to provide customers with a monthly bonus for WhatsApp conversations. This bonus is free of charge and is intended to cushion Meta's new costs for medium-sized companies.
The amount of the bonus for business-initiated conversations depends on the respective plan. The respective bonus is issued in euros. The amount of the bonus for user-initiated conversations is plan- and category-independent and amounts to 1,000 conversations.
| Superchat Plan | Free bonus (business initiated) | Free bonus (user-initiated) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 10 € per month (approx. 90 marketing conversations per month) | 1,000 conversations per month |
| Professional | 25 € per month (approx. 230 marketing conversations per month) | 1,000 conversations per month |
| Advanced | 40 € per month (approx. 360 marketing conversations per month) | 1,000 conversations per month |
| Premium | 100 € per month (approx. 900 marketing conversations per month) | 1,000 conversations per month |