> ## 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 to Reduce Your WhatsApp Message Costs

> Practical ways to lower your WhatsApp messaging spend on Gallabox — from timing templates around the free service window to using the Ad Engagement Window.

<Info>
  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.
</Info>

## 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.

## 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](/pricing-and-billing/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.

## 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.

## 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.

## 5. Review your usage by category

Your [Message Credits](/pricing-and-billing/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.

## Related Articles

* [How WhatsApp Message Pricing Works](/pricing-and-billing/whatsapp-message-pricing) — the full pricing model
* [Ad Engagement Window](/pricing-and-billing/ad-engagement-window) — the extended free window for ad-originated conversations
* [Message Credits](/pricing-and-billing/message-credits) — checking balance and usage history