> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chatsyncs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Conversation Categories & Pricing

> How WhatsApp Cloud API billing works — you pay per conversation (not per message), and there are four conversation types: Service, Marketing, Utility, and Authentication. Each type has different billing rules and different conditions that open it. Use when a customer asks how WhatsApp API billing works, why they're being charged, what a service or marketing conversation is, or how the Free Entry Point window affects cost.

WhatsApp Cloud API charges per **conversation**, not per message. One conversation = a
24-hour window in which you can send unlimited messages for a single charge. The charge
depends on the **conversation type**, which is determined by what opens the window.

## The four conversation types

| Type               | What opens it                             | Can you send outside CSW?      | Billable inside CSW? |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------- |
| **Service**        | Customer messages you first               | No — free-form only inside CSW | No (free)            |
| **Marketing**      | You send a Marketing template             | Yes (anytime)                  | Yes                  |
| **Utility**        | You send a Utility template               | Yes (anytime)                  | No (free inside CSW) |
| **Authentication** | You send an Authentication template (OTP) | Yes (anytime)                  | Yes                  |

**CSW** = Customer Service Window (the 24-hour window after the customer messages you).
**FEP** = Free Entry Point (see below).

## Key billing rules

1. **Pay once per 24-hour window.** Send 1 message or 20 messages in the same window — you're
   charged once.
2. **Service conversations** — opened when the customer messages you. Free for the first
   1,000 per month; after that, charged at the service rate.
3. **Marketing and Authentication templates are always billable**, even if sent inside an
   open CSW (they open a new billed conversation).
4. **Utility templates inside an open CSW are free** — they don't open a new billable
   conversation.
5. **Free Entry Point (FEP)** — when a customer clicks a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, a 72-hour free
   window opens. Any template type sent inside this FEP window is **free**.

## Summary

* Customer messages you → Service conversation → free (first 1,000/month)
* You send Marketing template → Marketing conversation → charged
* You send Utility template outside CSW → charged; inside CSW → free
* You send Auth template (OTP) → charged
* Customer came from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad → 72h FEP → all templates free

## Reference images

<Frame caption="Which conversation types are billable outside the CSW, inside the CSW, and inside the FEP window.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/chatsyncs/9KTO5p9xBuKseWPL/images/meta-api/concepts/conversation-categories-and-pricing/conversation-billing-table.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9KTO5p9xBuKseWPL&q=85&s=97b0ff6be6914b18c567ec1db2e48bd5" alt="Conversation billing table" width="1624" height="658" data-path="images/meta-api/concepts/conversation-categories-and-pricing/conversation-billing-table.png" />
</Frame>

<Frame caption="Volume-based discount tiers for Authentication messages — higher volumes get lower rates.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/chatsyncs/9KTO5p9xBuKseWPL/images/meta-api/concepts/conversation-categories-and-pricing/volume-pricing-tiers.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=9KTO5p9xBuKseWPL&q=85&s=a8ce1f5e33e9f1f1977240367fb371b3" alt="Volume pricing tiers" width="1558" height="430" data-path="images/meta-api/concepts/conversation-categories-and-pricing/volume-pricing-tiers.png" />
</Frame>

## Frequently asked

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How does WhatsApp API billing work?">
    You're charged per conversation, not per message. A conversation is a 24-hour window —
    unlimited messages in that window count as one charge. The price depends on the
    conversation type: Service, Marketing, Utility, or Authentication.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it cost anything when a customer messages me?">
    This opens a Service conversation. The first 1,000 Service conversations per month are
    free. After that, the service rate applies.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="If a CSW is already open, do I pay again if I send a marketing template?">
    Yes. Sending a Marketing or Authentication template opens a new, billable conversation
    even if a CSW is already open. Only Utility templates are free inside an open CSW.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the Free Entry Point (FEP) window?">
    When a customer clicks a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, a 72-hour free window opens. Any template
    sent inside this window — including Marketing — is free.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is it cheaper to send a Utility template than a Marketing one?">
    Yes. Utility is cheaper than Marketing. Authentication is cheaper still. Exact rates vary
    by country and change over time — check the
    [Meta pricing page](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing) for current
    figures.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Gotchas & common mistakes

<Warning>
  * **Thinking "no extra charge inside CSW"** — that's only true for Utility. Marketing and Auth
    are charged regardless of whether a CSW is open.
  * **Confusing the FEP 72h window with the CSW 24h window** — they are different. FEP opens
    when a customer clicks an ad; CSW opens when a customer messages you directly.
  * **Pricing changes** — WhatsApp adjusts rates periodically by country. Never quote specific
    prices from memory; always direct to the official Meta pricing page.
</Warning>