WhatsApp Business new pricing: What UAE users must know before July 1
New pricing to depend on message category and recipient’s country code
DUBAI: WhatsApp Business, widely used by companies in the UAE to engage customers, will enforce a new pricing structure from July 1, 2025.
Meta, the parent company, confirmed a shift from per-conversation to per-message billing across the platform. The move aims to simplify charges and align WhatsApp’s model with global messaging industry norms.
Under the revised policy, businesses will be billed for every message delivered based on the message type – marketing, utility, or authentication – and the recipient’s country code. For instance, a UAE-based business sending three messages (one marketing, two utility) to a client outside the 24-hour customer service window will incur three separate charges.
Per-message charges
All messages – excluding those sent during the customer service window – will be billed individually. Charges only apply when a message is successfully delivered. This marks a major shift from the previous model, where entire conversations were bundled under a single fee.
The changes are designed to bring pricing transparency. Businesses that send marketing templates outside the customer service window will face charges per message, while utility or authentication messages will follow a similar logic unless they fall within an open window.
Free customer window
One feature remains unchanged: a 24-hour window for customer-initiated conversations. Any message from a customer reopens this window, during which businesses can send both free-form replies and utility templates at no charge. This offers businesses some breathing room in terms of operational costs while ensuring prompt responses.
WhatsApp clarified that utility template messages sent in response to user inquiries during this free window will not be billed, regardless of message volume.
Volume-based discounts
To encourage growth, WhatsApp Business is introducing volume-tiered pricing for utility and authentication messages. As businesses send more messages, they automatically move into higher tiers, unlocking discounted rates.
These volume tiers vary by market and message type. A company operating in the UAE, for example, will have different utility rates than a similar firm sending messages in India or Brazil. The dynamic structure rewards high-volume users with more competitive pricing.
The new pricing model will take effect starting July 1, 2025, at 12am local time, based on the WhatsApp Business Account’s set timezone. It’s important to note that this change affects only registered business accounts, not individuals using WhatsApp Business for dual personal-professional use.
With over 2 billion global users, WhatsApp remains one of the most popular platforms for customer engagement. UAE businesses relying heavily on WhatsApp Business for outreach and verification are now advised to reassess their communication strategies under the new model.