> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs-next.gallabox.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# How WhatsApp Message Pricing Works
> What's free and what's charged on WhatsApp: the 24-hour service window, Utility, Authentication, and Marketing templates, and how Meta bills per message.
WhatsApp charges **per message**, based on the message's category and the recipient's country. Whether a message is free or charged also depends on whether it's sent inside or outside the customer's 24-hour service window.
## The 24-hour service window
When a customer messages your business, it opens a **24-hour service window**. The window resets every time the customer sends you a new message — it's a rolling window, not a fixed one.
Inside this window, you're talking to someone who just reached out to you. That's reflected in what's free:
| Message type | Inside the 24-hour window | Outside the window (business-initiated) |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Free-form text (normal replies) | **Free** | Can't be sent — a template is required to re-open contact |
| Utility template | **Free** | Charged |
| Authentication template | **Free** | Charged |
| Marketing template | Charged | Charged |
**The takeaway:** if you're replying to a customer who messaged you in the last 24 hours, Utility and Authentication templates cost nothing — same as a plain text reply. You only pay for them once you're the one re-opening the conversation after the window has closed. Marketing templates are billed every time, since they're inherently promotional rather than a reply to the customer.
This is Gallabox's current per-message pricing model. An older, retired model billed by 24-hour *conversation* rather than by individual message — see [Conversation Pricing (Legacy)](/pricing-and-billing/conversation-pricing) if you're looking at historical invoices from before that change.
## Template categories
* **Marketing** — promotional content, offers, product announcements, re-engagement campaigns. Always charged.
* **Utility** — transactional updates tied to an existing transaction: order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders, account alerts. Free inside the service window, charged outside it.
* **Authentication** — one-time passcodes and identity verification codes. Free inside the service window, charged outside it.
## Rates by market
Gallabox's WhatsApp messaging rates vary by category and by the recipient's country. Use the tabs below to switch currency, and search to filter by market.
| **Market** | **Region** | **Marketing** | **Utility** | **Authentication** |
| :------------------------------- | :----------------------- | ------------- | ----------- | ------------------ |
| Argentina | Latin America | 0.0711 | 0.0299 | 0.0299 |
| Brazil | Latin America | 0.0719 | 0.0078 | 0.0078 |
| Chile | Latin America | 0.1022 | 0.0230 | 0.0230 |
| Colombia | Latin America | 0.0144 | 0.0009 | 0.0009 |
| Egypt | Middle East & Africa | 0.0741 | 0.0041 | 0.0041 |
| France | Western Europe | 0.0988 | 0.0345 | 0.0345 |
| Germany | Western Europe | 0.1570 | 0.0633 | 0.0633 |
| India | Asia Pacific | 0.0136 | 0.0016 | 0.0016 |
| Indonesia | Asia Pacific | 0.0473 | 0.0288 | 0.0288 |
| Israel | Middle East & Africa | 0.0406 | 0.0061 | 0.0061 |
| Italy | Western Europe | 0.0914 | 0.0345 | 0.0345 |
| Malaysia | Asia Pacific | 0.0989 | 0.0161 | 0.0161 |
| Mexico | Latin America | 0.0351 | 0.0098 | 0.0098 |
| Netherlands | Western Europe | 0.1837 | 0.0575 | 0.0575 |
| Nigeria | Middle East & Africa | 0.0593 | 0.0077 | 0.0077 |
| Pakistan | Asia Pacific | 0.0544 | 0.0115 | 0.0115 |
| Peru | Latin America | 0.0808 | 0.0230 | 0.0230 |
| Qatar | Middle East & Africa | 0.039215 | 0.0138 | 0.0138 |
| Russia | Central & Eastern Europe | 0.0922 | 0.0460 | 0.0460 |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East & Africa | 0.0576 | 0.0123 | 0.0123 |
| South Africa | Middle East & Africa | 0.0436 | 0.0087 | 0.0087 |
| Spain | Western Europe | 0.0813 | 0.0230 | 0.0230 |
| Turkey | Central & Eastern Europe | 0.0125 | 0.0010 | 0.0010 |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East & Africa | 0.0574 | 0.0181 | 0.0181 |
| United Kingdom | Western Europe | 0.0730 | 0.0253 | 0.0253 |
| North America | North America | 0.0288 | 0.0039 | 0.0039 |
| Rest of Africa | Middle East & Africa | 0.0259 | 0.0046 | 0.0046 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific | 0.0842 | 0.0130 | 0.0130 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | Central & Eastern Europe | 0.0989 | 0.0244 | 0.0244 |
| Rest of Latin America | Latin America | 0.0851 | 0.0130 | 0.0130 |
| Rest of Middle East | Middle East & Africa | 0.0392 | 0.0105 | 0.0105 |
| Rest of Western Europe | Western Europe | 0.0681 | 0.0197 | 0.0197 |
| Other | Other | 0.0695 | 0.0089 | 0.0089 |
| **Market** | **Region** | **Marketing** | **Utility** | **Authentication** |
| :------------------------------- | :----------------------- | ------------- | ----------- | ------------------ |
| Argentina | Latin America | 5.2087 | 2.1921 | 2.1921 |
| Brazil | Latin America | 5.2679 | 0.5732 | 0.5732 |
| Chile | Latin America | 7.4905 | 1.6852 | 1.6852 |
| Colombia | Latin America | 1.0535 | 0.0676 | 0.0676 |
| Egypt | Middle East & Africa | 5.4270 | 0.3035 | 0.3035 |
| France | Western Europe | 12.0732 | 2.5293 | 2.5293 |
| Germany | Western Europe | 11.5084 | 4.6370 | 4.6370 |
| India | Asia Pacific | 0.9926 | 0.1323 | 0.1323 |
| Indonesia | Asia Pacific | 3.4628 | 2.1063 | 2.1063 |
| Israel | Middle East & Africa | 2.9751 | 0.4468 | 0.4468 |
| Italy | Western Europe | 5.8206 | 2.5270 | 2.5270 |
| Malaysia | Asia Pacific | 7.2493 | 1.1801 | 1.1801 |
| Mexico | Latin America | 2.5711 | 0.7160 | 0.7160 |
| Netherlands | Western Europe | 13.4640 | 4.2154 | 4.2154 |
| Nigeria | Middle East & Africa | 4.3529 | 0.5652 | 0.5652 |
| Pakistan | Asia Pacific | 3.9885 | 0.4554 | 0.4554 |
| Peru | Latin America | 5.9267 | 1.6861 | 1.6861 |
| Qatar | Middle East & Africa | 2.874195 | 1.010735 | 1.010735 |
| Russia | Central & Eastern Europe | 6.7582 | 3.3708 | 3.3708 |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East & Africa | 3.8286 | 0.9009 | 0.9009 |
| South Africa | Middle East & Africa | 3.1994 | 0.6416 | 0.6416 |
| Spain | Western Europe | 5.1801 | 1.6845 | 1.6845 |
| Turkey | Central & Eastern Europe | 0.9187 | 0.4467 | 0.4467 |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East & Africa | 4.2105 | 1.3235 | 1.3235 |
| United Kingdom | Western Europe | 4.4559 | 1.8540 | 1.8540 |
| North America | North America | 2.1060 | 0.2865 | 0.2865 |
| Rest of Africa | Middle East & Africa | 1.8971 | 0.3370 | 0.3370 |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific | 6.1714 | 0.9524 | 0.9524 |
| Rest of Central & Eastern Europe | Central & Eastern Europe | 7.2447 | 1.7820 | 1.7820 |
| Rest of Latin America | Latin America | 6.2338 | 0.9520 | 0.9520 |
| Rest of Middle East | Middle East & Africa | 2.8742 | 0.7665 | 0.7665 |
| Rest of Western Europe | Western Europe | 4.9885 | 1.4393 | 1.4393 |
| Other | Other | 5.0885 | 0.6487 | 0.6487 |
Rates shown are Gallabox's WhatsApp messaging rates for each category and market — the amount deducted from your [Message Credits](/pricing-and-billing/message-credits) wallet per message sent.
## Ad-originated conversations
If a customer starts messaging you from a WhatsApp ad or a Facebook/Instagram Page button, a different — and longer — free window applies. See [Ad Engagement Window](/pricing-and-billing/ad-engagement-window) for how that works and how it differs from the standard 24-hour window above.
## Related Articles
* [Message Credits](/pricing-and-billing/message-credits) — the wallet these charges are deducted from
* [Reduce Your WhatsApp Message Costs](/pricing-and-billing/reduce-whatsapp-costs) — practical ways to lower your spend
* [Ad Engagement Window](/pricing-and-billing/ad-engagement-window) — the free window for ad-originated conversations