Unlocking the Latest WhatsApp Business API Pricing from June 1, 2023
WhatsApp has become a crucial communication platform for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to connect with their customers in a cost-effective way. However, WhatsApp has recently announced changes to its pricing structure for businesses using its platform for customer communication, which will come into effect from June 1, 2023.
This blog post will cover all the details of the upcoming price change, set to take effect on June 1st, 2023, and provide a comprehensive guide to help you plan ahead and ensure your company stays competitive. Fortunately, the price change will result in a more precise and ROI-focused WhatsApp Business Messaging API, and we GreenAds Global is ready to deliver even better customer experiences with our updated Telinfy platform.
Introducing Four New Conversation Categories and Conversation Charges
Effective June 1, 2023, our messaging platform will introduce four new conversation categories to enhance the user experience. These categories are utility conversations, authentication conversations, marketing conversations, and service conversations.
Utility conversations: These are initiated to facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction or to update a customer about an ongoing transaction. This category includes post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements.
Authentication conversations: These will enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process, such as account verification, account recovery, and integrity challenges.
Marketing conversations: These will include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond or take action. Any conversation that does not qualify as utility or authentication is a marketing conversation.
Service conversations: All user-initiated conversations will be categorized as service conversations, which help customers resolve enquiries.
How conversation charges will be initiated?
Conversation charges will depend on the template category used. When a template is delivered, it will start a new conversation of that category and incur the charge for that specific conversation category, unless the template is delivered within an open conversation of the same category. Multiple templates of the same category sent within an open conversation will not incur additional charges.
A service conversation can only be started if there are no other conversation windows open, and the business must reply to a user’s message with a free-form message within the 24-hour customer service window. If a business sends a template message in an open service conversation, this will initiate a new conversation based on the template category.
Free entry point conversations allow businesses to send multiple templates of different categories during the free window without incurring new conversation charges. Conversation charges are based on the user’s country code, and rates for business-initiated and user-initiated conversations vary by country or region.
How will the new pricing structure impact businesses?
The new pricing structure for businesses using WhatsApp for customer communication could have a significant impact on businesses, especially SMEs.
The pricing for all four conversation categories will vary depending on the region, as indicated on the official website of WhatsApp Business API. Below is a summary of the changes to the conversation-based pricing, which will be effective starting from June 1st, 2023.
Here are some of the key factors that businesses should consider
Further modifications to the pricing model based on conversations are anticipated in 2023
In 2023, there will be further adjustments to the pricing model for conversation-based services. From March 1, 2023, businesses will not be charged for conversations that originate from call-to-action buttons on Ads that Click to WhatsApp or Facebook Page, and the free conversation window will be extended from 24 hours to 72 hours. During this free window, no other conversation category can be opened, even if a business sends a template. Standard pricing will apply to Ads that Click on WhatsApp, with the conversation being free but not the ad itself.
New WhatsApp feature updates
WhatsApp has introduced novel features for its business users, in addition to the updated pricing structure. The forthcoming “Conversation Metrics” feature will enable businesses to gauge the efficacy of their messages and is anticipated to be released during the latter half of 2023.
In the spheres of Utility, Marketing, and Service-related discussions, businesses will soon gain access to performance statistics that will provide them with data on message sends, reads, and top block reasons. These statistics will be accessible via WhatsApp Manager.
For Marketing messages exclusively, metrics such as click rate, click-through rate, and media views will be available. This will enable businesses to evaluate the success of their marketing campaigns.
To assist businesses in implementing complete ROI measurement for marketing messages, the “ROI Measurement Playbook” will offer step-by-step instructions.
In conclusion, WhatsApp has become an effective tool for enterprises to engage with their clients and customers. With the advantages of increased message opening rates, improved interaction rates, and the ability to provide conversational assistance, businesses worldwide are leveraging WhatsApp to enhance their customer service and marketing strategies. As communication channels continue to evolve, enterprises that adapt and adopt these new technologies are likely to stay ahead of the competition and build stronger relationships with their clients. Therefore, incorporating WhatsApp into customer engagement strategies can be a game-changer for businesses looking to improve their overall performance and stay competitive in the marketplace.
