Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Understanding New WhatsApp Business Messaging Pricing (Effective July 1, 2025)

Key Changes:

• From Conversation to Message-Based Pricing: Previously, you were charged per 24-hour conversation window. Starting July 1, 2025, you will be charged for each individual message sent to a customer via a WhatsApp template.

• Multiplier Consistency: The existing multipliers for different message categories (Marketing, Utility, Authentication) will remain the same. The only change is that these multipliers will now apply to each message instead of each conversation.

• Free Utility Messages within Customer Support Window: Utility messages sent by your business within an open 24-hour customer support window (initiated by the customer) will be free of charge.

• Charged Utility Messages outside Customer Support Window: Utility messages sent outside of an open customer support window will continue to be charged at the prevalent multipliers for Utility messages.

What this means for you:

Under the previous model, if you sent multiple template messages (of the same conversation category) within a 24-hour conversation window, you would incur a single conversation charge. With the new message-based pricing, each template message you send will be a billable event, unless it's a free Utility message within the customer support window. Note that we only charge for messages which are delivered to the end users.

Impact on Message Categories:

• Marketing Messages: Each marketing template message sent will incur a charge based on its respective multiplier and the recipient's country.

• Authentication Messages: Each authentication template message sent will incur a charge based on its respective multiplier and the recipient's country.

• Utility Messages:

  • FREE: If a customer initiates a conversation, and your business sends a Utility message (e.g., an order confirmation, shipping update, account alert) within that active 24-hour customer support window, that Utility message will be free.

  • CHARGED: If you initiate a Utility message outside of a customer-initiated 24-hour window (e.g., a proactive billing reminder), each such Utility message will be charged at the standard Utility message multiplier for the recipient's country.

• Service Messages (User-Initiated): Conversations initiated by users (e.g., customer support inquiries) where your business responds with a free-form message within the 24-hour customer service window will generally remain free, as per existing Meta policies. The new pricing primarily impacts business-initiated template messages.

Examples of Billable Scenarios (Effective July 1, 2025):

Action Required/Recommendations:

1. Review your WhatsApp Messaging Strategy:

   • Optimize Marketing Sends: Consider consolidating marketing messages where possible to minimize individual message charges.

   • Maximize Free Utility Messages: Encourage customers to initiate conversations when appropriate, allowing your subsequent Utility messages to fall within the free customer support window.

   • Strategic Use of Utility Messages: Be mindful of sending proactive Utility messages outside the customer support window, as these will now incur a per-message charge.

2. Monitor Usage and Costs: Salesforce Marketing Cloud will continue to provide reporting and analytics to help you track your WhatsApp message usage and associated costs under the new pricing model. This will allow for better cost forecasting and optimization.

3. Stay Informed: Meta may introduce further refinements to their pricing policies. We will continue to update you on any significant changes. Regularly check the official Meta for Developers documentation for the most up-to-date information on WhatsApp Business Platform pricing.

Where to find more information:

• Meta for Developers - WhatsApp Pricing Updates: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing/updates-to-pricing/

• Salesforce Marketing Cloud Multipliers: https://www.salesforce.com/marketing/sms-ratio-updates/ and https://www.salesforce.com/marketing/salesforce-message-credits

• Contact Salesforce Support: If you have specific questions about your Salesforce Marketing Cloud WhatsApp Business Messaging usage and billing, please contact your Salesforce Account Executive or Salesforce Support.