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

    • Sticky Posts

    • An update to improve email delivery | Email Authentication & Relay

      Update Rollout Latest Update: Enterprise users (8th July, 2025) This update is now live for Enterprise plan users in all regions. This includes People Plus, but not Zoho One, which will be covered in an upcoming update. Professional users (31st May 2025)

    • Zoho Recruit User Group Meet-up | INDIA 2025 (Venue Finalised)

      Hello Zoho Recruit users from India, We’re pleased and excited to announce our 2025 edition of Zoho user group meet-up in India in five cities! In this meet-up, our team of experts will help you understand the intricate nuances to use Zoho Recruit better,

    • Zoho Recruit is coming to the UK | Zoho Community Learning Series

      Customers from the United Kingdom, Exciting news: We will be in London for the Zoho Recruit user meet up. Our team will help you better understand the intricate nuances of Zoho Recruit to help you hire faster, inform about new and upcoming features, and

    • Ask the experts - A live Q & A discussion on Zoho Recruit

      We are delighted to come back with another edition of Ask the Experts community series. This edition, we'll be focusing on everything about Zoho Recruit. The topics will focus on the features that are used/asked by the majority of users and also based

    • Restriction on 'From' addresses with a public domain

      Dear Zoho Recruit Community, We hope this message finds you well. This post is to inform you about some important updates regarding email restrictions within Zoho Recruit. Effective post 31st March 2025, we will be implementing changes to the use of email

      • Recent Topics

      • Currency abbreviations

        Hello, Im stuck, and need help. I need the currency fields for example, opportunity value, or total revenue, to be abbreviated, lets say for 1,000 - 1K, 1,000,000 - 1M, and so on, how should I do this?

      • Embed Sign Document

        Has anyone tried embedding a document in a webpage? I'm building a webpage (using PowerPage) and I'm trying to embed it using an iframe then I got this error: Refused to display 'https://sign.zoho.com/' in a frame because it set 'X-Frame-Options' to

      • Zeptomail API error 500 internal server error

        Hi Everyone, getting this eror continuously! Can anyone please guide around the same! Zeptomail API error 500 internal server error Best Regards

      • We’re transitioning from Zoho ShowTime to TrainerCentral

        Hello everyone, Zoho ShowTime was originally built as a training platform to serve training agencies, HR teams, and individual trainers. As the platform grew, we realized that more creators and businesses could benefit from its capabilities. That’s why

      • 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 incoming

      • Upload my theme.

        Hello. I would like to upload my own theme, this one: https://themeforest.net/item/panagea-travel-and-tours-listings-template/21957086 Is it compatible and where I upload it? If not I will hire a developer, what do I have to ask when I search for one?

      • Radar In Focus: Track customer support metrics using Radar's static reports

        Hello everyone, Welcome back to the Radar In Focus series, where we explore how Radar features can add value to your business. In this episode, we're looking at Radar static reports. The help desk is filled with vast amounts of data that can be analyzed

      • Mail ToDo & Tasks Webhooks

        Our company uses Zoho ToDo inside Mail to manage our tasks. When I create a task and assign it to a team member it does not notify them unless I add a reminder via mail. I'm trying to create a webhook for when a task is created to send a cliq message

      • Allocating inventory to specific SO's

        Is there a way that allocate inventory to a specific sales order? For example, let's say we have 90 items in stock. Customer 1 orders 100 items. This allocates all 90 items to their order, and they have a back order for the remaining 10 items which could

      • Improved UI for a Seamless User Experience - Calls, Tasks, and Meetings

        Hello all, We are making UI unification across CRM so that the UI experience is seamless across the product. As part of that effort, we have made changes to the details page of activity-based module records—Meetings, Calls, and Tasks. Let's look at these

      • Where can I find rejected inbound mails and their reason for rejection

        Hi, I was recently made aware by a mailing list which I am subscribed to (ffmpeg-devel@ffmpeg.org) that my Zoho mail Mail account is rejecting some emails. If I look under Admin Panel > Security & Compliance > Quarantine > Incoming, the list there is

      • Refund

        Hi There, Please refund me asap possible, because of no support given. Thank you

      • Empowered Custom Views: Cross-Module Criteria Now Supported in Zoho CRM

        Hello everyone, We’re excited to introduce cross-module criteria support in custom views! Custom views provide personalized perspectives on your data and that you can save for future use. You can share these views with all users or specific individuals

      • تغيير عمله الدفع"Change payment currency"

        ما هى طريقه تغيير عمله الدفع "ما هي طريقة تغيير عملة الدفع؟"

      • How do I fix this? Unable to send message; Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.

        How do I fix this? Unable to send message; Reason:554 5.1.8 Email Outgoing Blocked.

      • Attention API Users: Upcoming Support for Renaming System Fields

        Hello all! We are excited to announce an upcoming enhancement in Zoho CRM: support for renaming system-defined fields! Current Behavior Currently, system-defined fields returned by the GET - Fields Metadata API have display_label and field_label properties

      • Zia's ability to generate and improve content extended to Desk mobile app (iOS and Android)

        In support, agents will have to understand customers' pain points completely to provide empathetic personalized solutions and a positive experience. However, at times, agents might find it challenging to comprehend the customer issues and connect with

      • BANK FEED - MAYBANK , provider from YODLEE IS NOT WORKING

        As per topic, the provider YODLEE is not working for the BANK FEED. It have been reported since 2023 Q3, and second report on 2023 Q4. now almost end of 2024 Q1, and coming to 2024 Q2. Malaysia Bank Maybank is NOT working. can anyone check on this issue?

      • Customer Grouping

        Hi, how can I group multiple customers into single group. So that I can have idea of accounts receivables of all the customers in single group. Like if there are multiple subsidiaries of same company we have having a business with, and want to view the

      • Item images

        Can we get an "On hover" expanded image for items please ?

      • Free webinar—Redefining workforce security with Zoho Vault: Passwords, passkeys, and multi-factor authentication

        Hi everyone! Did you know that in Q2 alone, 94 million data records were leaked globally? Behind every breach is a combination of poor password habits, phishing attacks, privilege misuse, and simple human error. The fallout—including reputational damage,

      • Zoho Sign product updates - Q3 2025

        Hello everyone! Q3 was all about AI. Here's the list of features and enhancements that have gone live, along with a list of what we have in pipeline for the last quarter: AI-powered agreement management Sending documents and authenticating recipients

      • Zoho sites header

        Good day, Im stuck with this situation. I choose a template for my website creation. I have tweaked every instance of the visual editor, regarding the header, I have created created customize fonts presets... I have followed every single step. and my

      • Zoho Books Sandbox environment

        Hello. Is there a free sandbox environment for the developers using Zoho Books API? I am working on the Zoho Books add-on and currently not ready to buy a premium service - maybe later when my add-on will start to bring money. Right now I just need a

      • Quick Create needs Client Script support

        As per the title. We need client scripts to apply at a Quick Create level. We enforce logic on the form to ensure data quality, automate field values, etc. However, all this is lost when a user attempts a "Quick Create". It is disappointing because, from

      • Kaizen #152 - Client Script Support for the new Canvas Record Forms

        Hello everyone! Have you ever wanted to trigger actions on click of a canvas button, icon, or text mandatory forms in Create/Edit and Clone Pages? Have you ever wanted to control how elements behave on the new Canvas Record Forms? This can be achieved

      • DNS set up

        I want to create an email with my company domain. When I tried to add new record with cloudflare it didn't work. The DNS record can't be manually added. I followed the instruction but still can't add it. Could you help?

      • Pocket from Mozilla is closing shop. Don’t lose your favorites . Move them to Zoho Mail Bookmarks now! 📥🔖

        The end of Pocket shouldn't mean the end of your important links and content. Easily import them into Zoho Mail's Bookmarks and continue right where you left off. You can bring over your entire Saves, Collections, and tags just the way they are. Bookmarks

      • General suggestions

        Hello, I've picked this forum as it is at the top of the list! :) First suggestion: A general forum for issues and comments that are not specific to a particular Zoho application. Second suggestion: Put a link on the home page to "Zoho Identity Access Manager" The first suggestion came about because I didn't know where to post the second! ;) Regards Mark

      • All new Address Field in Zoho CRM: maintain structured and accurate address inputs

        The address field will be available exclusively for IN DC users. We'll keep you updated on the DC-specific rollout soon. It's currently available for all new sign-ups and for existing Zoho CRM orgs which are in the Professional edition. Managing addresses

      • Can't upload attachments.

        I can't upload attachment in Zoho Mail.

      • Need Guidance on SPF Flattening for Zoho Mail Configuration

        Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice on optimizing my SPF record for a Zoho Mail setup. I use Zoho Mail along with several other Zoho services, and as a result, my current SPF record has grown to include multiple include mechanisms. My Cloudflare

      • How use

        Good morning sir I tried Zoho Mail

      • Zoho Mail Desktop App Not Loading + Can’t Manage Multiple Accounts

        Hi everyone, I’ve been having ongoing issues with the Zoho Mail desktop app for the past few weeks. The app starts to load but gives up midway and never actually opens — there’s no error message, it just stops loading. The main reason I use the desktop

      • Error when sending emails from Zoho

        Hello, When trying to send an email from Zoho CRM I keep getting the below error: javax.mail.AuthenticationFailedException: 535 5.7.139 Authentication unsuccessful, the user credentials were incorrect. Any support on this will be much appreciated. Thanks,

      • Zoho Tables is now live in Australia & New Zealand!

        Hey everyone! We’ve got some great news to share — Zoho Tables is now officially available in the Australian Data Center serving users across Australia and New Zealand regions! Yes, it took us a bit longer to get here, but this version of Zoho Tables

      • Zoho Inventory - How to pay a supplier up front then receive multiple deliveries

        How do we manage situations where we pay a supplier up front, then the receive the products in increments? Example Workflow: Create Purchase Order > Receive Bill for full amount > Receive Items 2 or more deliveries. Currently, once a Bill is created against

      • Not all emails from outlook365 migrated to my new zoho account

        I recently setup a new email address hosted by zoho. I migrated all my folders and email from my Outlook365 account to my new zoho account, but not all my emails migrated. Looks like only the past 12 months, or so, made the move. How do I get the rest

      • Clients not receiving emails

        I've been informed that my emails are not being received. Is there anything that I should look into to rectify this? Many thanks!

      • Max numbr of IMAP Accounts in Zoho Mail?

        In Zoho mail, you can manage the inboxes of other accounts using IMAP (and POP, actually) https://www.zoho.com/mail/help/external-imap-accounts.html Is there a max to the number of inboxes we can add?

      • Next Page