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2. WhatsApp Integration FAQ's

Dilyara Updated by Dilyara

Starting July 1, 2025, Meta has deprecated conversation-based pricing and introduced a per-message billing model for the WhatsApp Business Cloud API integration.
You can review Meta’s official pricing details here: WhatsApp Business Pricing.

Meta's Pricing Update (Per-Message Model)

Starting July 1, 2025, Meta has deprecated conversation-based pricing, and WhatsApp Business messages are now billed per message delivered.

What Changed?

Before July 2025: Businesses were billed per 24-hour conversation session (different rates for user-initiated vs business-initiated conversations).

Now: Businesses are billed per message delivered. There is no longer a conversation session window for billing purposes.

How Per-Message Pricing Works

Each message sent and delivered by your business is billed individually. Meta costs depend on:

1. Message Category (Utility, Authentication, Marketing, or Service)

2. Recipient country code (the customer’s phone number determines the regional pricing)

3. Message direction:

  • Business-initiated (outbound): template-based, requires opt-in, cost depend on the category of the template.
  • User-initiated: free-form Service replies inside the 24-hour customer service window.

4. Volume tier: Meta offers lower utility and authentication rates based on the number of messages you send in a month.

👉 On top of Meta’s pricing, Landbot applies a fixed fee of €0.05 per template message, and €0.003 per Service message (beyond free quota).

For more information on Country Code Rates and Volume Tiers, please refer to the official Meta's documentation.
This information is also available interactively on the WhatsApp Business website 👀

Message Categories

There are two main types of messages: Business-initiated (template-based) and User-initiated (free-form service replies), and Meta applies different rates depending on the category of the message:

👔 Business-Initiated Messages (Template-Based):

Businesses may initiate conversations with their users only with pre-approved WhatsApp Message Templates, which are specific message formats that:

✅ Comply with WhatsApp policies (templates prevent spam and ensure messaging quality).

✅ Respect customer choice (they can only be sent to users who have opted in previously).

↪ Please refer to this documentation for more information about Opt-in process.

✅ Are categorized into three types to support different business needs:

1️⃣ Marketing Messages — Enables you to achieve a wide range of goals, from generating awareness to driving sales and retargeting customers. Examples include new product, service, or feature announcements, targeted promotions/offers, and cart abandonment reminders.

2️⃣ Utility Messages — Enables you to follow-up on user actions or requests. Examples include opt-in confirmation, order/delivery management (e.g., delivery update); account updates or alerts (e.g., payment reminder); or feedback surveys.

📌 Special rule : Utility templates delivered within an open customer service window are free from Meta fees.

3️⃣ Authentication Messages — Enables you authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery..).

If a message does not clearly fit into Utility, or Authentication, Meta classifies it as Marketing. For more information on how to categorize your messages, refer to this documentation.

Example -> if a business sends 1 marketing message and 1 utility message, that incurs 2 charges (1 of each category):

You can review a detailed example of how Meta calculates per-message charges here 👀
🙋 User-initiated Messages (Service Messages):

→ Service Messages (free-form) — Businesses can respond via service (free-form) messages to users within the 24-hour customer service window. This type of messages enables you to handle incoming customer inquiries or information requests, these are messages sent in conversations initiated by the user.

↪ The customer service window is a 24-hour timer that starts with a user message and resets with each new user message.

📌 Billing:

Meta fee: €0 (Service messages are free of charge from Meta).

Landbot fee:

- Each account with the WhatsApp Professional plan includes 10,000 Service messages per month at no cost.

- After the free quota is used, we apply a €0.003 fee per Service message.

❓FAQs - WhatsApp Pricing

How will Landbot charge for messages?

Template messages (Marketing, Utility, Authentication) - Meta’s per-message fee + €0.05 Landbot fee per delivered message.

For Service messages, Landbot includes 10,000 free Service messages per account per month, then applies €0.003 per message beyond that.

For complete details on Landbot pricing, please check our Pricing page 👈

Do message rates vary by country?

Yes. Meta’s base per-message fee depends on the recipient’s phone number country code. Landbot’s fee (€0.05 for templates, €0.003 for extra Service messages) is fixed and applies globally, regardless of recipient country.

About the 10,000 free messages

Each account with the WhatsApp Professional plan includes a monthly quota of 10,000 free Service messages (user-initiated category).

Free messages reset every month and are not cumulative. This free tier applies only to Service messages (user-initiated), Marketing, Utility and Authentication message templates are not part of it.

Do the free conversations from Ads that Click to WhatsApp count toward a business 10.000 free conversations each month?

No, the 10.000 free conversations is in addition to any free conversations from Ads that Click to WhatsApp. Learn more about Click to WhatsApp ads here.

What about Free Entry Point windows?

If a WhatsApp user messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action button:

- A 24-hour customer service window is opened (as usual).

- If your business responds within that window, a 72-hour Free Entry Point (FEP) window also opens.

- During the FEP window, you can send any type of message at no Meta charge.

The customer service window (24h) and the FEP window (72h) are independent. If the 24h service window closes, you can only send template messages unless the user sends a new message.

Learn more about Free Entry Point here.

If the business doesn’t respond to a user message, will it be charged?

No. The user-initiated conversation only starts when the business responds to the user message.

How does billing work if I have a yearly plan?

- Yearly plan customers enjoy a 20% annual discount.

- Extra message volume (beyond what’s included in your plan) is billed on a monthly basis.

❓ FAQs – Integration with WhatsApp Cloud API via Landbot

Can I still use the WhatsApp app once my number is integrated?

No. Once your number is connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API), it cannot be used in the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business mobile apps.

👉 You’ll manage all conversations directly in the Landbot interface, where you can build flows, reply to messages, send campaigns, and track analytics.

Does Landbot sell WhatsApp numbers?

No. Landbot does not provide or sell WhatsApp numbers. You’ll need to use an existing phone number that must be able to receive either an SMS or voice call during the registration process.

Can I switch my WhatsApp number from another provider to Landbot?

Yes. If your number is already registered on the WhatsApp Business Platform with another provider (BSP), you can migrate it to Landbot. Learn more about the number migration process here.

Can I connect multiple WhatsApp numbers to Landbot?

Yes. You can register and manage multiple numbers within Landbot.

What happens to my existing WhatsApp groups or chat history?

When you integrate a number with the Cloud API:

Existing chat history from the WhatsApp app does not transfer to Landbot.

Groups are also not supported. The API is designed for business-to-customer interactions, not peer-to-peer or group chats.

Do I need technical skills to set up the integration?

No. Landbot provides a guided setup process for registering your number with the Cloud API, so no coding knowledge is required.

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