WhatsApp to shift to per-message billing from July 1, 2025

WhatsApp to shift to per-message billing from July 1, 2025

Greetings Recruiters,

If you’re using WhatsApp to connect with candidates through Zoho Recruit, there’s an important pricing change coming up that you’ll want to plan for.

What’s changing?  

Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp is moving away from conversation-based pricing and switching to per-message billing on the WhatsApp Business Platform.

Previously, you were charged once for all messages sent within a 24-hour window (after initiating a conversation). With the new model, every business-initiated message will be charged separately—based on:

➡ WhatsApp Business Platform Pricing

Note: Charges apply only to messages successfully delivered to users.
So if you send, say, one marketing message and two utility messages outside a customer service window, you'll be billed for three separate messages.

What counts as a "customer service window"?  

The customer service window is a 24-hour period that starts every time a candidate sends you a message.

During this window:

  • You can send free-form/ non-template (real-time) replies

  • You can also send utility template messages 

This means updates like interview confirmations, status alerts, and reminders are now free—if they’re sent as part of an active conversation.

This update builds on a change introduced in November 2024, and now includes utility templates as well.

72-hour free messaging after ad or Facebook CTA clicks  

If a candidate taps on a WhatsApp ad or the "Send Message" button on your Facebook page, a 72-hour free window is triggered.

Here’s how it works:

  • First 24 hours: You can send any number of free-form or template messages

  • Next 48 hours: You can continue the conversation using template messages only

➡ More on the 72-hour window

This is a great way to follow up with interested candidates—at no extra cost.

Volume-based discounts now available  

If you regularly send high volumes of utility or authentication messages, WhatsApp’s new tier-based pricing model can help reduce costs automatically.

Discounts are:

  • Applied based on your monthly volume

  • Available for utility and authentication messages only

  • Region-specific, with updated rates shared by Meta

➡ View volume-based pricing

What’s considered a utility message?  

From July 1, 2025, utility templates must meet stricter criteria.

They should:

  • Be non-promotional

  • Contain information the user explicitly requested

  • Be essential to a process (e.g., appointment reminders, job status updates, or login alerts)

Templates that don’t meet these criteria may be recategorized as marketing, and charged accordingly.

What should you do now?  

  1. Audit your existing templates – Make sure they're correctly categorized

  2. Time your responses to make use of the free 24-hour and 72-hour windows

  3. Review your usage patterns and prepare for potential cost shifts

  4. Bookmark Meta’s pricing page for the most current region-specific rates

➡ WhatsApp's official website for up to date rates

We'll keep monitoring this on our side too. If anything changes from the Zoho Recruit end—or if we roll out specific features or best practices to support this—we’ll update you right away.

Regards,
Team Zoho Recruit

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