Meta Restricts WhatsApp Marketing to U.S. numbers; Zoho Desk Limits Bulk & Mass Actions for Marketing Templates
Meta has always limited WhatsApp marketing messages based on user engagement with previously sent templates. Businesses may have repeatedly seen the error message “USER_MARKETING_TEMPLATE_LIMIT” when messages failed to deliver. Learn more about the restriction from metaZoho Desk does not allow marketing templates to be sent in bulk or through mass actions, as this could lead to compliance violations and legal risks for both customers and BSPs.
Hello, everyone!
Starting April 1, 2025, Meta will pause all WhatsApp marketing messages sent to U.S. phone numbers (+1 country code). If you try to send a marketing message to a U.S. number, it will fail and show an error.
This change affects businesses that use WhatsApp to send promotional messages, discounts, or sales offers to customers in the U.S.
However, you can still send important messages like:
- Order confirmations
- Payment receipts
- Shipping updates
- One-time passwords (OTPs)
- Customer service replies within 24 hours
What's changing on April 1, 2025?
- No WhatsApp marketing messages can be sent to U.S. numbers. This affects any message classified as marketing under WhatsApp’s template system, including promotional offers, discounts, and outbound sales messages.
- Non-marketing messages (such as receipts, OTPs, and support replies) are still allowed.
- Businesses outside the U.S. can continue sending marketing messages to non-U.S. customers.
- U.S.-based businesses can still send marketing messages to non-U.S. numbers.
How this affects your business
If You Use a U.S.-registered WhatsApp Business Number
- You can send marketing, utility, and authentication template messages to international (non-U.S.) customers.
- You cannot send marketing messages to U.S. numbers.
- Customer-initiated conversations are still allowed worldwide.
Billing and payment impact
- Prepaid credits: If you prepaid for WhatsApp marketing messages, those credits cannot be used for U.S. numbers.
- Refund credits: If you have purchased credits for sending marketing templates, refunds for those credits can be issued.
- No charges for failed messages: If your marketing message fails due to this restriction, you will not be billed.
- Queued messages: If a message was scheduled before April 1 but fails after that date, refund policies may vary.
- Marketing conversations in the U.S.: No longer billable under WhatsApp’s conversation-based pricing.
How this affects Zoho Desk users
If you use Zoho Desk to manage WhatsApp conversations, this change will impact:
Inbox
- Marketing messages sent to U.S. numbers will not be delivered.
- Agents will see failed message notifications if they try sending marketing templates to U.S. customers.
Automation and workflows
- Any ticket-based automation that sends WhatsApp marketing messages should be updated to exclude U.S. recipients.
What Zoho Desk users need to do next
To comply with this new rule and avoid message failures, Zoho Desk users should:
- Update inbox workflows to remove WhatsApp marketing for U.S. numbers.
- Revise automation rules to prevent failed message attempts.
- Train agents on these changes so they do not send marketing messages to U.S. customers.
Adjusting your business workflows
- U.S. numbers will automatically be excluded from WhatsApp marketing messages.
- WhatsApp delivery rates will drop for U.S. numbers.
Can I still create WhatsApp marketing templates?
Yes, but you cannot use them for U.S. recipients.
What you need to know about creating templates
- Templates will remain approved in Meta’s system.
- Exclude U.S. numbers when sending marketing messages.
- Templates can still be used for non-U.S. customers.
Restrictions on Bulk and Mass Actions for Marketing Templates in Zoho Desk
- Users are not permitted to send marketing templates in bulk or through mass actions in Zoho Desk, as this may lead to compliance and legal risks for both the customers and the Business Service Provider (BSP). These restrictions are applicable across all Zoho data centers (DCs).
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What happens to existing WhatsApp marketing templates?
Pre-approved templates remain in Meta’s system. They can still be used for non-U.S. recipients but will not be deliverable to U.S. numbers.
Will businesses be charged for failed messages?
No, businesses will not be billed for failed WhatsApp marketing messages. If a message was queued before April 1, 2025, refund policies may vary.
Can businesses still send WhatsApp messages to U.S. customers?
Yes, non-marketing messages such as order confirmations, receipts, and OTPs are still allowed.
How can businesses continue engaging U.S. customers?
Encourage customer-initiated chats using Click-to-WhatsApp Ads. Use WhatsApp for transactional updates rather than promotions.
Will Meta lift this restriction in the future?
Meta has not provided a timeline for when WhatsApp marketing may resume in the U.S. Businesses should continue monitoring Meta’s announcements for any policy changes.
Unexpected billing charges for WhatsApp marketing messages to U.S. numbers
The message may have queued before April 1, 2025, and processed later.Can I use Zoho Desk to send bulk or mass marketing or promotional messages via WhatsApp?
Zoho Desk supports both utility and marketing templates for WhatsApp in real-time conversations through the IM inbox. However, bulk and mass actions for marketing templates are not supported in Zoho Desk. For running campaigns or promotional activities at scale, we strongly recommend using Zoho Marketing Automation to ensure compliance with WhatsApp's policies.
Best,
Prabin
Access your files securely from anywhere
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Raj R
Sticky Posts
Zoho Desk Partners with Microsoft's M365 Copilot for seamless customer service experiences
Hello Zoho Desk users, We are happy to announce that Zoho Desk has partnered with Microsoft's M365 to empower customer service teams with enhanced capabilities and seamless experiences for agents. Microsoft announced their partnership during their keynoteWhatsApp pricing changes: Pay per message starting July 1, 2025
Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp is shifting from conversation-based pricing to per-message billing. That means every business-initiated message you send will count. Not just the first one in a 24-hour window. Pricing updates on the WhatsApp Business PlatformLive Webinar - Work smarter with Zoho Desk and Zoho Workplace integration
Hello customers! Zoho Desk and Zoho Workplace are coming together for a webinar on 14th May, 2024. Zoho Workplace is a suite of productivity apps for email, chat, docs, calls, and more at one single place. Zoho Desk is closely integrated with a few toolsApple iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates for Zoho Desk users
Hello Zoho Desk users! Apple recently announced the release of iOS 17 and iPad OS 17. These latest OS updates will help you stay productive and efficient, through interactive and seamless user experiences. Zoho Desk has incorporated the updates to helpZoho Desk Cheat Sheet For The Year-End
Check out these Zoho Desk best practices to end this year on a high and have a great one ahead! #1 Set Business (Holiday) Hours - If you have limited working hours, please make sure you restrict your business hours or set them as holidays for the coming days. Let your customers know when you will, and won't, be available. #2 Update the Annual Holiday List - Check the holidays for the new year and update the holiday schedule. Usually, holidays from the current year will be carried over for the next
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Archiving Contacts
How do I archive a list of contacts, or individual contacts?How do I filter contacts by account parameters?
Need to filter a contact view according to account parameter, eg account type. Without this filter users are overwhelmed with irrelevant contacts. Workaround is to create a custom 'Contact Type' field but this unbearable duplicity as the information alreadyCan I add Conditional merge tags on my Templates?
Hi I was wondering if I can use Conditional Mail Merge tags inside my Email templates/Quotes etc within the CRM? In spanish and in our business we use gender and academic degree salutations , ie: Dr., Dra., Sr., Srta., so the beginning of an email / letteremail moderation issue when email is sent in the name of a mail group
Symptom: an email that is sent by a mail group moderator in the name of a moderated mail group is held back for approval. Reproduction: Create a moderated mail group with members and moderators. Allow that mails can be sent in the name of the group (extended settings). Send an email to the group as a group moderator, but in the name of the group. This mail is held back for moderation which is unexpected. Expected: A mail sent by group moderator to a moderated group are not held back for moderationblank page after login
blank page after logging into my email account Thanks youIntroducing the revamped What's New page
Hello everyone! We're happy to announce that Zoho Campaigns' What's New page has undergone a complete revamp. We've bid the old page adieu after a long time and have introduced a new, sleeker-looking page. Without further ado, let's dive into the mainAlways display images from this sender – Is this feature available?
In Zoho mail, I had my "Load external images" setting set to "Ask me", and that's fine. That's the setting I prefer. What's not fine though is I always need to tick "Display now" for each email I get, regardless if I've done that multiple times from severalFunction #9: Copy attachments of Sales Order to Purchase Order on conversion
This week, we have written a custom function that automatically copies the attachments uploaded for a sales order to the corresponding purchase order after you convert it. Here's how to configure it in your Zoho Books organization. Custom Function: HitFree webinar: Security that works: Building resilience for the AI-powered workforce
Hello there, Did you know that more than 51% of organizations worldwide have experienced one or more security breaches, each costing over $1 million in losses or incident response? In today’s threat landscape, simply playing defense is no longer enough."Subject" or "Narration"in Customer Statement
Dear Sir, While creating invoice, we are giving in "Subject" the purpose of invoice. For Example - "GST for the month of Aug 23", IT return FY 22-23", "Consultancy", Internal Audit for May 23". But this subject is not coming in Customer Statement. OnlyApply Vendor Credit Automatically
Hello!!! Is there a way where in we can apply vendor credits automatically on the FIRST OUTSTANDING BILL of the vendor?? We have lots of VENDOR CREDITS ISSUES mostly!!! Applying it manually is a pain for us. Would be great if we have a way to apply theZoho Notebook Sync problem
I'm facing a problem with syncing of notebook on android app. It's not syncing. Sometimes it syncs after a day or two. I created some notes on web notebook but it's not syncing on mobile app. Please help!!!!Apply Vendor Credits Automatically
We are bulk importing Vendor credits in Zoho Books!!! Is there a way to apply vendor credits automatically to the first UNPAID bill of the Vendor?Cant Save Gauge on Creator Page
How to Save Gauge on Creator Page see movie https://vimeo.com/1116410860?share=copy#t=0Apply Advance option not shown in report
We are facing an issue in Zoho Expenses. While approving an Expense Report, the "Apply Advance" option is not appearing under the three dots (More Options). Details: Module: Expense Reports Issue: "Apply Advance" option not visible Status of Report: AwaitingAuto Capitalize First Letter of Words
Hi I am completely new to ZOHO and am trying to build a database. How can i make it when a address is entered into a form field like this: main st it automatically changes is to show: Main St Thank YouFollow-up emails via Workflow Automation not staying in the same thread
Dear Zoho Support Team, I am currently using Workflow Automation in Zoho Campaigns to send follow-up emails. In my test case, I noticed the following behavior: All emails in the automation have the same subject line. If the follow-up email is sent withinClient Script refuses to set an initial value in Subform field
I tried a very simple, 1 line client script to set a default value in a custom subform field when the "Add Row" button is clicked and the user is entering data. It does not work - can someone tell me why? ZDK documentation suggests this should be doable.Emails Are Not Being Delivered to My Inbox
Hello Zoho Support Team, I am experiencing an issue with my Zoho Mail account. The most important problem is that emails are not being delivered to my inbox. Details: My Zoho Mail address: info@coreforcelife.com What happens: I am not receiving any incomingHelp Center IFrame Issue
I have had a working Help Center on my website using an iframe for a while. But now for some reason the sign in page gets a refused to connect error. Can someone please help. If I go to the url manually it works correcltyStaff rules
Hi! Do you people know what are the default staff rules when a new booking is created? We have two staff members in my team (me as the admin, and my employee). As we share the same services, I'm wondering how Zoho will pick the staff for new apointments.Comment Templates
Is it possible to add a template option for comments? We have some agents in the process who's responses require a pre-formatted layout. It would be incredibly handy to have a template for them where they can insert the template and then add their responses[ZohoDesk] Improve Status View with a new editeble kanban view
A kanban view with more information about the ticket and the contact who created the ticket would be valueble. I would like to edit the fields with the ones i like to see at one glance. Like in CRM where you can edit the canvas view, i would like to editAdding Markdown text using Zoho Desk API into the Knowledge Base
Hi Zoho Community members, We currently maintain the documentation of out company in its website. This documentation is written in markdown text format and we would like to add it in Zoho Knowledge Base. Do you know if there is REST API functionalityAn Exclusive Session for Zoho Desk Users: AI in Zoho Desk
A Zoho Community Learning Initiative Hello everyone! This is an announcement for Zoho Desk users and anyone exploring Zoho Desk. With every nook and corner buzzing, "AI's here, AI's there," it's the right time for us to take a closer look at how the AIShared values: From classroom lessons to teaching moments in customer service
While the world observes Teachers’ Day on October 5, in India, we celebrate a month earlier, on September 5, to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a great teacher, renowned scholar, educationist, and advocate for empowerment.Create a list of customers who participated in specific Zoho Backstage events and send them an email via Zoho CRM
How to create a list of customers who participated in specific Zoho Backstage events and send them an email via Zoho CRM? I was able to do a view in CRM based on customer that registered to an event, but I don't seems to be able to include the filterZoho Desk blank page
1. Click Access zoho desk on https://www.zoho.com/desk/ 2. It redirects to https://desk.zoho.com/agent?action=CreatePortal and the page is blank. Edge browser Version 131.0.2903.112 (Official build) (arm64) on MacOSI hate the new user UI with the bar on the left
How can I reverse this?Question regarding import of previous deals...
Good afternoon, I'm working on importing some older deal records from an external sheet into the CRM; however, when I manually click "Add New Deal" and enter the pertinent information, the deal isn't appearing when I look at the "Deals" bar on the account'sClient Script also planned for Zoho Desk?
Hello there, I modified something in Zoho CRM the other day and was amazed at the possibilities offered by the "Client Script" feature in conjunction with the ZDK. You can lock any fields on the screen, edit them, you can react to various events (fieldOne person/cell phone to manage multiple accounts
Hi. I have a personal Free account to keep my own domain/emails. Now I need to create a Business account to my company's own domain, but I have only one mobile phone number I use to everything. How do I do to manage this? Can I manage a Free domain andTracking KPIs, Goals etc in People
How are Zoho People users tracking employee targets in People? For example, my marketing assistant has a target of "Collect 10 new customer testimonials every month". I want to record attainment for this target on a monthly basis, then add it to theirZoho Desk: Ticket Owner Agents vs Teams
Hi Zoho, We would like to explore the possibility of hiding the ‘Agents’ section within the Ticket Owner dropdown, so that we can fully utilise the ‘Teams’ dropdown when assigning tickets. This request comes from the fact that only certain agents andCan not Use Attachment Button on Android Widget
this always pops up when I touch the attach button on android widget. going to settings, there is no storage permission to be enabled. if I open the app, and access the attach feature there, I can access my storage and upload normally.Announcing new features in Trident for Mac (1.24.0)
Hello everyone! Trident for macOS (v.1.24.0) is here with interesting features and thoughtful enhancements to redefine the way you plan and manage your calendar events. Here's a quick look at what's new. Create calendar events from emails. In additionVendor Master Enhancements for Faster Purchase Entry
I’d like to suggest a few features that will improve accuracy and speed during purchase voucher entry: Automated Item Tax Preference in Vendor Master Add an option to define item tax preference in the vendor master. Once set, this preference should automaticallyMass Mail Statistics - Number of unsent emails
How do I find out which emails were not sent?Est-il possible d'annuler l'envoi d'un mail automatique ?
Bonjour, Lorsque je refuse un candidat, il reçois un mail dans les 24h pour l'informer que sa candidature n'est pas retenue. J'ai rejeté un candidat par erreur. Savez-vous s'il possible d'annuler l'envoi de ce mail ? Merci d'avance pour votre aide.embed a form in an email
Hello, how to embed a form in an email that populates Zoho CRM cases? I would like to send emails to a selected audience offering something. In the same email the recipients - if interested - instead of replying to can fill in a Zoho CRM form that createsNext Page