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Most WhatsApp costs come down to when and what you send. These changes don’t require a plan upgrade — they’re about how you use messaging that’s already free.

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1. Send Utility and Authentication templates while the window is open

Utility and Authentication templates are free inside the customer’s 24-hour service window and charged outside it. If you’re sending an order update, appointment reminder, or OTP shortly after a customer has messaged you, you’re very likely still inside that window — check timing before assuming a template send is billable. Marketing templates are billed regardless of timing, so this doesn’t help for promotional sends — see #3 below for those.

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2. Use the Ad Engagement Window for ad-driven conversations

If your customers come from Click-to-WhatsApp ads or a Facebook/Instagram Page button, messaging within the resulting Ad Engagement Window is free for up to 72 hours — any message type, not just Utility/Authentication. Structure your ad campaigns to get as much of the conversation done inside this window as you can.

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3. Be deliberate with Marketing templates

Marketing templates are charged every time you send them, in-window or out, so they’re the category most worth reviewing:
  • Send to a segmented, opted-in audience rather than your full contact list.
  • Avoid sending near-duplicate campaigns to the same contact within a short window.
  • Reserve Marketing for genuinely promotional content — if a message is really a transactional update, Utility pricing (and being in-window) will usually cost less.

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4. Reply with free-form text, not a template, when you can

Once a customer has messaged you, a plain-text reply inside the service window is always free — you don’t need a template to respond to an open conversation.

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5. Review your usage by category

Your Message Credits transaction history shows usage broken down over time. Exporting up to six months of history lets you spot which category or campaign is driving spend, so you know where to focus.