WhatsApp/ChatApp Messaging Pricing Updates and Their Impact on SaleSmartly Customers
Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will update the WhatsApp Business Platform messaging pricing policy and rates for different message categories.
The main changes include: regular customer service replies will be charged based on message type; message rates in some countries or regions will change; and the Free Entry Point (FEP) window, which remains open for 72 hours, will continue to be available for eligible conversations.
Effective date of the new rates: October 1, 2026, based on the time zone of the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) associated with the phone number.
This article applies only to WhatsApp API accounts billed through SaleSmartly (Billing Method: SaleSmartly).
1. What Is Changing in Meta's Pricing Policy?
| Update | Change to Meta's Policy | Impact on Your Use of SaleSmartly |
|---|---|---|
| Service messages become chargeable | Non-template replies sent within the 24-hour customer service window will change from free to being charged per successfully delivered message. | Regular customer service replies, including text and images, as well as non-template replies sent through automation or AI, may incur Official Charges. |
| Some message rates are changing | Rates for certain countries, regions, and message types will change. | Sending the same number of messages to customers in different countries or regions may result in different Official Charges. |
| The Free Entry Point (FEP) window remains available | When a customer starts a conversation through an eligible Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action button, an agent's qualifying reply can open a FEP window, which remains open for 72 hours. | Service messages and template messages sent within this window may be exempt from the applicable Official Charges, while the Platform-Sent Messages Fee continues to apply. |
For example, a customer asks about the status of an order. An agent sends two text replies and then sends one order update template. This totals:
- 2 service messages;
- 1 utility template message.
Under standard billing, each of the three messages is charged separately.
After this update, you should account for everyday customer service and automated replies in addition to broadcast template messages. For policy details and affected markets, see Meta's official announcement.
2. How Are WhatsApp Messages Charged in SaleSmartly?
When you send WhatsApp messages through SaleSmartly, the charges consist of two components:
Messaging Charges = Official Charges + Platform-Sent Messages Fee
| Fee Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Official Charges | Determined by the message type, the country or region associated with the recipient's phone number, and the channel used for the WhatsApp number. Actual rates may vary by channel. |
| Platform-Sent Messages Fee | A service fee charged for each message sent through SaleSmartly. It applies regardless of message type and is not subject to a per-conversation fee cap. |
⚠️ Note: Official Charges may vary by country, region, and billing channel. The Platform-Sent Messages Fee may also vary by billing channel. Refer to the SaleSmartly Pricing Calculator for the applicable rates.
Pricing
For the ChatApp channel, the ChatApp Official Rate for service messages is 1.1 times the corresponding Meta Official Rate. The ChatApp Official Rates for template messages are the same as the corresponding Meta Official Rates. The Platform-Sent Messages Fee is USD 0.005 per message.
The following rates are used to illustrate messages sent to North American or Canadian numbers:
| Message Type | Meta Official Rate | ChatApp Official Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Utility Template Message | USD 0.015/message | USD 0.015/message |
| Marketing Template Message | USD 0.025/message | USD 0.025/message |
| Service Message | USD 0.010/message | USD 0.011/message |
| Platform-Sent Messages Fee | — | USD 0.005/message |
These rates are provided only to illustrate the calculations in this article. Refer to the SaleSmartly Pricing Calculator for the applicable rates.
3. How Are Free Messaging, Upfront Deductions, and Refunds Handled?
1. Free Entry Point Window (FEP)
A conversation may qualify for a Free Entry Point (FEP) window when a customer starts it through either of the following entry points:
- an eligible Click to WhatsApp Ad;
- a Facebook Page Call-to-Action button.
After the customer starts the conversation, an agent must reply within 24 hours. If the conversation qualifies, the FEP window begins when the agent replies and remains open for 72 hours.
During the FEP window:
- service messages and template messages may be exempt from the applicable Official Charges;
- the Platform-Sent Messages Fee continues to apply;
- service messages must still comply with the 24-hour customer service window.
For details, see Meta's Free Entry Point window rules.
2. How Does SaleSmartly Deduct and Settle Charges?
SaleSmartly deducts fees upfront and settles them based on the final message result.
When a message is sent, the system deducts the following from the project balance:
- Official Charges;
- the Platform-Sent Messages Fee.
After the service provider returns the final message result, the system completes settlement or issues a refund according to the following rules:
| Final Message Result | Fee Handling |
|---|---|
| Standard billing applies | Both Official Charges and the Platform-Sent Messages Fee are charged. |
| The service provider confirms that the message qualifies for free messaging | The Official Charges are refunded, while the Platform-Sent Messages Fee remains payable. |
| The service provider confirms that the message failed to send | Both the Official Charges and the Platform-Sent Messages Fee are refunded in full. |
Eligibility for free messaging and message delivery failures are determined by the final message result returned by the service provider.
4. Billing Examples
The following examples use rates for messages sent through the ChatApp channel.
Scenario 1: A Business Sends a Marketing Template Broadcast
Suppose you send one marketing template message to each of 1,000 customers. All messages are successfully delivered and subject to standard billing.
| Fee Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Official Charges | 0.025 × 1,000 | USD 25.00 |
| Platform-Sent Messages Fee | 0.005 × 1,000 | USD 5.00 |
| Final Total | Official Charges + Platform-Sent Messages Fee | USD 30.00 |
Scenario 2: A Customer Makes an Inquiry, and an Agent Replies and Sends an Order Notification
A customer sends an inquiry, opening a 24-hour customer service window.
Within the window, an agent sends:
- 3 regular text replies;
- 1 order confirmation template.
This totals 3 service messages and 1 utility template message. All four messages are successfully delivered and subject to standard billing.
| Fee Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Official Charges — Service Messages | 0.011 × 3 | USD 0.0330 |
| Official Charges — Utility Template Message | 0.015 × 1 | USD 0.0150 |
| Platform-Sent Messages Fee | 0.005 × 4 | USD 0.0200 |
| Final Total | Official Charges + Platform-Sent Messages Fee | USD 0.0680 |
A customer inquiry opens a 24-hour customer service window, but messages sent within that window are not automatically exempt from Official Charges.
Scenario 3: A Customer Starts a Conversation Through an Ad and Qualifies for a Free Entry Point Window
A customer clicks an eligible Click to WhatsApp Ad and sends an order inquiry, opening a 24-hour customer service window.
An agent sends one greeting reply within the window. The Free Entry Point (FEP) window begins with this reply and remains open for 72 hours. The agent then sends one order confirmation template.
The customer does not reply again. After the 24-hour customer service window closes, the agent can no longer send regular service messages but can still send template messages. Before the FEP window closes, the agent sends one product marketing template.
This totals:
- 1 service message;
- 1 utility template message;
- 1 marketing template message.
All three messages are successfully delivered, and the service provider confirms that they qualify for free messaging.
| Fee Component | Upfront Deduction and Refund | Final Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Official Charges — Service Message | USD 0.011 deducted upfront and refunded after free-message eligibility is confirmed | USD 0 |
| Official Charges — Utility Template Message | USD 0.015 deducted upfront and refunded after free-message eligibility is confirmed | USD 0 |
| Official Charges — Marketing Template Message | USD 0.025 deducted upfront and refunded after free-message eligibility is confirmed | USD 0 |
| Platform-Sent Messages Fee | 0.005 × 3 | USD 0.015 |
| Final Total | Only the Platform-Sent Messages Fee is charged | USD 0.015 |
The total upfront deduction is calculated as follows:
- Official Charges: 0.011 + 0.015 + 0.025 = USD 0.0510;
- Platform-Sent Messages Fee: 0.005 × 3 = USD 0.015;
- Total upfront deduction: USD 0.0660.
After the service provider confirms that the messages qualify for free messaging, USD 0.0510 in Official Charges is refunded. The final charge is USD 0.015 for the Platform-Sent Messages Fee.
The 24-hour customer service window determines whether regular service messages can be sent. The FEP window, which remains open for 72 hours, determines whether messages qualify for an exemption from Official Charges. Even after the 24-hour customer service window closes, eligible template messages sent while the FEP window remains open may still be exempt from Official Charges.
Scenario 4: Some Messages Fail to Send
Suppose you send one marketing template message to each of three customers.
When the messages are sent, the system deducts the Official Charges and Platform-Sent Messages Fee for all three messages from the project balance. The service provider subsequently confirms that:
- 2 messages were successfully delivered and are subject to standard billing;
- 1 message failed to send.
| Settlement Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Deduction | (0.025 + 0.005) × 3 | USD 0.090 |
| Refund for the Failed Message | (0.025 + 0.005) × 1 | USD 0.030 |
| Final Total | 0.090 − 0.030 | USD 0.060 |
After the service provider confirms that a message failed to send, both the Official Charges and the Platform-Sent Messages Fee for that message are refunded in full. The remaining successfully delivered messages are charged normally.
Scenario 5: A Broadcast Is Settled Based on the Final Message Results
Suppose you use a broadcast task to send one marketing template message to each of 100 customers.
The system deducts the charges upfront as follows:
| Upfront Deduction Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Official Charges | 0.025 × 100 | USD 2.50 |
| Platform-Sent Messages Fee | 0.005 × 100 | USD 0.50 |
| Total Upfront Deduction | Official Charges + Platform-Sent Messages Fee | USD 3.00 |
The service provider returns the following final message results:
- 80 messages were successfully delivered and are subject to standard billing;
- 10 messages were confirmed to qualify for free messaging, so their Official Charges are refunded while the Platform-Sent Messages Fee remains payable;
- 10 messages failed to send, so both their Official Charges and Platform-Sent Messages Fee are refunded.
| Settlement Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Refund for Messages That Qualify for Free Messaging | 0.025 × 10 | USD 0.25 |
| Refund for Failed Messages | (0.025 + 0.005) × 10 | USD 0.30 |
| Final Total | 3.00 − 0.25 − 0.30 | USD 2.45 |
Before a broadcast task is sent, the system does not check whether each customer is within a 72-hour FEP window. It deducts the Official Charges and Platform-Sent Messages Fee upfront for all messages, then settles or refunds the charges based on the final message results returned by the service provider, including whether each message qualifies for free messaging or fails to send.
5. How Should You Prepare?
- Keep sufficient funds in your project balance: Official Charges and the Platform-Sent Messages Fee are deducted upfront when a message is sent. Even if a message may qualify for free messaging, your project must have a sufficient balance when it is sent.
- Review your messaging budget: Include everyday customer service replies, automated messages, and AI-generated replies in addition to template messages.
- Check rates for your primary customer markets: Official Charges may vary by country, region, message type, and billing channel.
- Continue to follow the messaging window rules: Regular service messages must be sent within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that window closes, a template message is required.
- Distinguish sending permissions from free messaging: The FEP window does not extend the period during which regular service messages can be sent.
- Set up a payment method: If you use a WhatsApp API number billed directly by Meta (Billing Method: Meta), link a payment method before October 1, 2026. Otherwise, your ability to send service messages may be restricted. See Meta's official instructions for the setup process.
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