Scaling with WhatsApp: Exclusive 2024 Insights and What’s Ahead in 2025 – Cloud API, Conversation-Based Pricing, and More

December 23, 2024 — by 360dialog Communications Team

As 2024 comes to an end, it’s inspiring to reflect on the success we’ve achieved together. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey. Looking ahead to 2025, we remain committed on bringing you first-hand WhatsApp ecosystem updates to help you thrive.

If you have any questions, our Support Team is available to assist you!

Insights from our “The Growth of WhatsApp Business” Report

WhatsApp is transforming how brands connect with customers. With 98% open rates, 50% click-through rates, and 3X ROAS, the data is clear—brands leveraging WhatsApp are driving significant growth.

We recently conducted a market research in Saudi/UAE and Brazil, and our “The Growth of WhatsApp Business” report offers data-driven insights and actionable strategies to maximize WhatsApp’s potential as a performance messaging channel.

We show you:

✅ How businesses are achieving up to 40% conversion rates
✅ Why WhatsApp reduces cost per lead by 20%
✅ The secrets to integrating Performance Messaging for maximum ROI

WhatsApp continues to outperform traditional communication channels, offering enormous opportunities for businesses to connect with audience meaningfully and effectively.

Download it by clicking the button below and discover how to take advantage of these insights to scale your success in 2025! (Disponível também em Português sobre o mercado brasileiro).

Cloud API: Ensure Continuity in 2025

Meta’s shift to a fully Cloud-hosted WhatsApp Business Platform means On-premise APIs will no longer be supported from 23, October 2025. To ensure uninterrupted service, it is mandatory to migrate On-premise numbers to Cloud API.

We recommend preparing for the Cloud API migration, but only executing it after the holiday season. For businesses with ongoing or planned campaigns tied to on-premise numbers, it’s best to wait until this period has passed to ensure minimal disruption.

Why You Must Act Now

• Ensure Service Continuity: Messages sent to or from business numbers still registered for use with On-Premises API will not be delivered.
• OTP required: Meta may soon require OTP verification during the migration process, which could difficult bulk migrations. We don’t have confirmation on when/if this will be applied, but acting soon can avoid further complications.

We are available to support you in this transition. If you still have any concerns or limitations about your integration with Cloud API, please reach out to our Support Team or your Technical account manager and we will work together to adapt to this new reality.

Schedule Bulk Migration

When you’re ready to proceed, and need to schedule a bulk migration of 50+ numbers, or if you require assistance during the process, please contact us:

1. Talk to our Support Team: Open the Support Widget in the Hub, click on Onboarding > Number Migration (you must be logged with a Partner User) > request “Schedule a Bulk Migration to Cloud API”.
2. Schedule the Bulk Migration: Confirm your details, including partner ID, and select a date for the migration.
3. Prepare for the Transition: Review documentation on Cloud API setup and confirm the numbers with our team.

360Dialog will continue enforcing actions to encourage migration of all On-premise numbers by Q1 2025. Taking early action will help you and your clients to avoid disruptions and ensure a smooth transition.

See our documentation for more details.

Data Compliance

Cloud API supports Local Storage and is compliant with all Data Privacy laws. You can read more about Local Storage here. There are also details in the Business Messaging Compliance Center.

The SLA that signed by Partners and Clients with 360Dialog incorporates the current DPA, which points to Meta’s T&Cs and data processing for the Cloud API product. This means that no DPAs need to be updated to ensure compliance for Cloud API.

Meta Conversation-Based Model in 2025

Meta’s new per-message pricing model, represents a significant change for businesses using WhatsApp. Starting in 2025, WhatsApp will transition from a per-category pricing model to a per-message pricing model. This change is aimed to streamline costs and enhance the overall messaging experience. 

With the new per-message pricing model, businesses will be charged as follow:

• Per message for each marketing template
• Per message for each authentication template
• Per message for each utility template sent outside of a customer service window

For example, if you send a marketing template followed by two utility templates to a WhatsApp user, you will incur three charges (1 for marketing, 2 for utility). However, if the two utility templates are sent within the customer service window, you will only be charged for the marketing message.

Here’s a timeline of key changes to come in the WhatsApp Business Platform:

• February 1, 2025: The introduction of international rates for authentication in seven additional markets: Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. 
• April 1, 2025: Utility templates will be free within the 24-hour customer service window. The launch of the per-message pricing model will start and some business will start transitioning to the new pricing structure.
• July 1, 2025: Per-message pricing will officially take effect for 360dialog Partners and Clients.

We will continue to support you throughout these changes. You can consult our documentation for details and will share materials in 2025 regarding this topic. Stay tuned!

Simplified Opt-In Policies

Meta has updated its opt-in requirements for WhatsApp, offering businesses greater flexibility while maintaining compliance with local regulations. The updated Business Messaging Policy allows for a general opt-in rather than WhatsApp-specific consent, as long as the opt-in is clear, explicit, and legally compliant in the relevant region.

This means that businesses may contact people on WhatsApp if: (a) they have given their mobile phone number; and (b) businesses have received opt-in permission from the recipient confirming that they wish to receive subsequent messages or calls from a particular business.

While these changes simplify the process, obtaining proper consent is still critical. Sending messages to users without consent can result in negative feedback, blocked numbers, or account suspension. It remains essential that users understand the type of messages they will receive when opting-in, whether promotional, transactional, or security-related.

Meta is encouraging businesses and Partners to review and update their documentation, processes, and team training to reflect these changes.

You can see more details our documentation.

Read Rates added as metric to the Template Pacing functionality

Meta is continuously investing in new ways to help businesses create a quality experience for your customers and ensure all messages are relevant and expected. Thus, they are adding additional signals such as read rate to the existing template pacing feature.

This change is expected to create more engaged audiences which ultimately leads to better outcomes for businesses. 

Recap of how template pacing works

Template pacing was launched last year as means for Meta to proactively gather real-time user feedback on a limited sample of campaign recipients before scaling to a wider audience.

During this holding period, Meta assess the quality of the template based on feedback from the initial subset of users. If the feedback is positive, indicative of a high-quality template, they then deliver the remaining messages. Conversely, if the feedback is negative or read rate is low, the template is paused and remaining undelivered messages are dropped, preventing further negative feedback from a wider audience and helping businesses avoid potential quality enforcement issues.

Business are notified in advance to have an opportunity to adjust underperforming templates by modifying content, refining the audience, or optimizing timing. To stay alert on template quality, use webhooks such as message_template_status_update and message_template_quality_update.

For detailed guidance, please refer to our documentation on template pacing.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with happiness, rest, and fresh inspiration for the year ahead.

Thank you for your continued and trusted partnership— Here’s to making 2025 unforgettable!