# WhatsApp Pricing

When using WhatsApp through Mercuri CX, there are two main cost components:

* [Meta’s standard WhatsApp charges](#metas-standard-whatsapp-charges)
* [Mercuri’s service charges.](#mercuris-service-charges)

### <mark style="color:blue;">Meta’s standard WhatsApp charges</mark>

#### WhatsApp Business API Pricing (Effective July 1st, 2025)

* **Customer-Initiated Conversations Are Free**\
  When a customer initiates a conversation, a **24-hour customer service window** opens. During this window, **businesses can send messages free of charge**, including:
  * Free-form messages
  * Utility messages
  * Messages with CTAs or media
* **Per-Message Billing** \
  WhatsApp will move to a **per-message pricing model**, meaning businesses will be charged **for each message delivered**. This applies to:
  * **Marketing messages**
  * **Utility messages** (**outside** **24-hour Customer Service Window**)
  * **Authentication messages**
* **Pricing Depends on Market & Message Type**\
  Charges will vary based on:
  * The **recipient’s country calling code**
  * The **category of the message** (Marketing, Utility, Authentication)
* **Volume-Based Discounts for Utility & Authentication Messages**\
  WhatsApp is introducing **volume tiers** to reward business growth on the WhatsApp platform.\
  Businesses can unlock **attractive discounts** based on volume tiers on utility and authentication messages by sending them at higher volumes.&#x20;

*(Utility messages sent to the customer in the customer  service window are not considered.)*

### <mark style="color:blue;">Mercuri’s service charges</mark>

**Templated Messages:**\
In addition to Meta’s charges, Mercuri charges ₹0.25 per templated message in India and $0.025 (2.5 cents) per templated message for other countries.

**AI Responses:**\
If your automation or AI Agents generate a custom reply, each AI response is billed at ₹0.25 in India and $0.025 (2.5 cents) for other countries.