WhatsApp Business Platform Updates

October 21, 2024 — by 360dialog Communications Team

Dear Partner,

Here is the latest news from WhatsApp including, new features such as Text truncation, and new authentication templates in the Template Library in the WhatsApp Business Manager.

Pricing Model Changes

Meta is implementing significant updates to the pricing structure of the WhatsApp Business Platform, aiming for simplicity and alignment with industry standards. Starting Nov 1, 2024, Service Conversations (user-initiated conversations) will become free of charge. On Apr 1 2025, a new pricing-based model is introduced and from Jul 1, 2025 takes effect on 360dialog Partners and Clients.

Starting on Apr 1, 2025, WhatsApp will start phasing the transition from a per-category to a per-message pricing model. This change is aimed to streamline costs and enhance the overall messaging experience and will be rolled out gradually for businesses.  

Here’s a timeline of key events that will shape the WhatsApp Business Platform:

• Nov 1, 2024: Service conversations will be free. Businesses can continue to respond to any customer message at no charge using free-form messages within the 24-hour customer service window.
• Feb 1, 2025: Authentication-international rates will roll out to 7 additional markets (Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates).
• Apr 1, 2025: Utility templates will be free within the 24-hour customer service window to all businesses.
• Jul 1, 2025: Per-message pricing will officially take effect for 360dialog Partners and Clients.

Free Service Messages

Starting Nov 1, 2024, Service messages will be free of charge. This will allow businesses to respond to customer messages within the 24-hour service window without any extra costs, making it easier to engage with their clients.

As a reminder, a customer service window must be open between you and a WhatsApp user before you can send non-template (free-form) messages.

See more details in our documentation

Authentication Rate Cards Expanded

Rates for business-initiated conversations and user-initiated conversations vary by market (country or region). 360dialog does not charge anything extra on top of the rates, so you can use the Meta Rate Cards for reference.

This year, Meta introduced authentication-international rates for specific markets. On Feb 1, 2025 they will continue the roll out of Authentication Rate Cards and expand to 7 additional markets:

• Egypt
• Malaysia
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• South Africa
• United Arab Emirates

See more details in our documentation.

Free Utility Templates

Starting Apr 1, 2025, utility templates sent within a customer service window (24 hour window) are free for all businesses. Utility templates sent outside a customer service window will continue to be charged the utility rate (depending on the group phase, it will be charged per category or per message)

Example: If a WhatsApp user sends you a message asking when the package they ordered will be delivered, you can respond within the customer service window with a (free-form) text message or utility template message, and neither incurs a charge.

See more details in our documentation.

Pricing Model to Per-Message

Phased Rollout

Meta will roll out per-message pricing in phases, so it will start for some businesses on Apr 1, 2025. For 360dialog Partners and Clients, the new pricing will take effect on July 1, 2025. Rest assured that we will support you through these changes.

Per-message pricing allows businesses to better align their costs with the incremental value of each message. Each marketing message should be relevant for the user and focused on driving business performance, and each utility message, such as a fraud alert, should deliver a relevant update or call-to-action to a user.

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

See more details in our documentation.

See Meta Official Documentation about Pricing Changes.

Text Truncation for Marketing Messages

Text Truncation is a new feature that affects how marketing messages appear on users’ chat screens. If a message exceeds five lines of text, it will be temporarily shortened, or “truncated,” with a clickable ‘Read more’ link. Users can click this link to view the full content of your message.

Initially, Text Truncation will apply to the ‘Single image + text + click-to-action button(s)’ format. Over time, this will extend to other message formats.

Key Benefits:

• Enhanced User Experience: By reducing the length of the initial display of marketing messages, Meta aims to make interactions more concise and user-friendly. This ensures that marketing messages don’t overwhelm users and encourages higher engagement rates.
• Improved Click-Through Rates (CTR): Shorter, more engaging messages often lead to better CTR as users are prompted to click ‘Read more’ to access the full content, increasing engagement and interaction.

The rollout of the Text Truncation feature is currently gradual, so you may or may not have encountered it in your campaigns yet. It is expected to reach all users by mid-Oct, 2024.

As this update rolls out, test your messages with smaller audience segments to see what drives the most engagement, and adjust your strategy as needed.

See our documentation for more details.

New Authentication Messages in the Template Library

Meta is expanding the template library in the WhatsApp Manager to include authentication and cover more common identity verification use cases, including transaction verification and order delivery. In a few clicks, businesses with Shared WABAs on Cloud API can create and use one of these new authentication templates. The template library is available in the WhatsApp Manager and via API.

See our documentation for more details.

Security Improvements for Authentication Messages 

This update ensures that authentication messages are sent only to a user’s primary WhatsApp device and remain hidden on other linked devices. Users must view authentication messages on their primary device, making it more secure. This new feature is launching in Oct 2024, providing businesses and users greater confidence when sending authentication messages through WhatsApp.

See our documentation for more details.

360dialog Platform Updates

Ticket Service Desk discontinuation

As previously announced, the Ticket Service Desk in the 360dialog Hub will be discontinued in Nov 2024. All support requests must be submitted via chat through the Support Widget located in the bottom right corner of the Hub.

This change will facilitate the communication with our Support Team and provide easier access to our Resource Center.

Please note that access to the Support Widget requires logging in to your Partner or Client 360dialog Hub.

We will update our documentation with best practices for interacting with the Support Widget over the coming weeks.

“Add Number” button removed for Partner-Paid Clients

We recently removed the “Add Number” button from the 360dialog Hub for Clients whose Partners handle their payments (Partner-Paid Clients). This change improves security by ensuring that the Partner is always on the forefront of their Client’s accounts. Moving forward, Partner-Paid Clients must Add new numbers using the Integrated Onboarding or Signup Link provided by their Partner.

See our documentation for more details.

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