> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ycloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # WhatsApp pricing > Understand per-message charges, free service replies, utility exemptions, and free-entry-point windows. WhatsApp Business Platform messaging uses per-message pricing for delivered template messages. Do not estimate current costs using the former conversation-based pricing model. Separate Meta messaging charges from your YCloud plan, service charges, calling charges, advertising spend, and any applicable taxes. A Meta pricing exemption does not mean every part of your YCloud usage is free. ## What makes a message billable | Message | Normal Meta treatment | | - | - | | Free-form service message within an open customer service window | No Meta message charge. | | Utility template delivered within an open customer service window | No Meta message charge. | | Utility template delivered outside that window | Utility rate applies. | | Marketing template | Marketing rate applies, including during an ordinary service window. | | Authentication template | Authentication or applicable authentication-international rate applies. | A qualifying free-entry-point window is an exception described below. Rates also depend on the recipient market, category, and applicable pricing tier. See Meta's [current pricing rules and rate cards](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing/updates-to-pricing/). Sending eligibility and pricing are different questions. A message can have no Meta charge and still require an open service window, valid consent, or an approved template. ## The free-entry-point window Qualifying customer contacts from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action can open a 72-hour free-entry-point window when your response is delivered within 24 hours. The free-entry-point window begins with that qualifying business response. During it, Meta waives message charges, including template charges. It does not extend the separate 24-hour customer service window. Once the service window closes, use an approved template even if the free-entry-point pricing window remains open. Check eligibility against Meta's current rules. A normal website link, QR code, or an ad on another platform should not be assumed to qualify. ## Work through a messaging example Suppose a customer messages you at 09:00 on Monday, without a qualifying ad entry point: * You answer with a free-form reply: no Meta message charge. * You deliver a utility order confirmation while the service window is open: no Meta message charge. * You send a marketing offer in the same window: the marketing rate normally applies. * You deliver another utility update on Tuesday after the window closes: the utility rate normally applies. The number of messages matters. A paid template does not purchase a 24-hour period of unlimited paid-template sends. ## Estimate a campaign or notification workflow Build an estimate from: 1. Expected delivered messages, grouped by template category. 2. Recipient markets. 3. Messages expected to qualify for a service-window or free-entry-point exemption. 4. Applicable volume tiers and authentication-international rules. 5. Your YCloud commercial terms and other charges. Treat this as an estimate. Actual delivery, timing, category, and recipient mix can change the final cost. Do not assume the customer will reply or that every utility message will arrive before the window closes. ### Worked estimate without guessing a rate Suppose all recipients are in one pricing market, no free-entry-point window applies, and the applicable rates do not change during the example: | Delivered messages | Count | Meta cost calculation | | - | - | - | | Marketing templates | 1,000 | `1,000 × applicable marketing rate` | | Utility templates outside service windows | 300 | `300 × applicable utility rate` | | Utility templates inside service windows | 200 | `0` | | Free-form service replies inside service windows | 800 | `0` | The estimated Meta messaging cost is the sum of the first two rows. Add YCloud charges and other applicable costs separately. If volume tiers apply, calculate each part of the volume at its applicable tier rather than assuming one flat rate. If the marketing campaign was sent to 1,200 recipients but only 1,000 messages were delivered, do not substitute 1,200 for the delivered count in this example. Also do not treat a billable unit as a unique customer: two paid templates delivered to one person are two messages. ### Example: service window and free-entry-point window diverge Assume a qualifying ad contact and all times in UTC: | Event | Sending and pricing implication | | - | - | | Monday 09:00: customer sends a message from the eligible ad. | The 24-hour service window starts. | | Monday 09:05: your qualifying response is delivered. | A 72-hour free-entry-point pricing window starts, ending Thursday 09:05. | | Tuesday after 09:00: customer has not replied again. | The service window has expired. Use an approved template, even though the pricing exemption continues. | | Thursday after 09:05: no new qualifying event. | The free-entry-point exemption has ended. Normal applicable rates resume. | This is why “free conversation” is too imprecise for planning: the free pricing period and permission to send free-form content are different clocks. ## Reconcile an unexpected charge Check the actual delivered message, not only the campaign draft: 1. Which template language and category were used at sending? 2. Was the category later changed by Meta? 3. Which recipient market and rate applied? 4. Was the relevant window open under the applicable pricing rules? 5. Is the amount a Meta messaging charge, a YCloud service charge, or another cost? 6. Are you comparing final delivered-message values with earlier estimates? Keep the message ID, category, currency, timestamps, and billing reference together. A screenshot of an approved template does not establish the charge for a particular send. ## Read YCloud message pricing correctly YCloud message records can include `totalPrice`, `currency`, `pricingCategory`, `pricingModel`, and `pricingType`. The API contract identifies price and category as estimates while a message is accepted or sent, and final after delivery. Historical records can contain a legacy pricing model; do not interpret that as the current model for a new send. Use [Message delivery statuses](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/messaging/message-delivery-statuses) alongside billing records. For your applicable YCloud rates, see [YCloud pricing](https://www.ycloud.com/pricing) or your agreement. ## Related topics * [Service messages and the customer service window](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/messaging/service-messages) * [Click-to-WhatsApp ads](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/more-whatsapp-features/click-to-whatsapp-ads) * [Messaging limits and throughput](/en/documentation/whatsapp-business-platform/pricing-limits-and-quality/messaging-limits-and-throughput) ## Frequently asked questions The ordinary 24-hour customer service window does not make marketing templates free. Check the delivered message's category and whether a separate qualifying free-entry-point window applied. Do not use the agent's open conversation as the billing rule. No. It is a Meta messaging-pricing exception with specific entry and response conditions. Ad spend, calling, and applicable YCloud charges remain separate. It also does not extend the free-form service window to 72 hours. Use the final delivered-message pricing and relevant billing record, including currency and pricing category. Accepted or sent values can be estimates. Keep message IDs and timestamps so that draft estimates, final deliveries, and legacy pricing records are not mixed in the same comparison. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.