How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost in 2023?

The use of WhatsApp by companies enables direct, fast and distinctly personal customer communication. WhatsApp is particularly valuable for companies that want to offer their customers an easy and convenient channel for questions, orders or support requests. Good and fast customer service that supports customers in their purchasing decisions usually leads to significantly increased sales and higher shopping carts. Unlike emails, end consumers do not associate WhatsApp with endless waiting times. WhatsApp is seen as a communication tool where people can be reached quickly. Moreover, the personal user atmosphere is ideal for your company's sales and marketing department. The advantages of WhatsApp as a communication channel with its 2 billion users worldwide and an open rate of conversations of more than 95% speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, only communication via the paid WhatsApp Business API is GDPR-compliant. The free WhatsApp Business app is not compliant with the applicable data protection guidelines. But what does WhatsApp Business API use actually cost since the changes in June 2023? This article breaks down the costs in detail.

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What is the WhatsApp Business API?

To provide larger businesses with a secure, scalable, and GDPR-compliant solution tailored to their needs, Facebook launched the WhatsApp Business API in August 2018. This application programming interface (API) allows businesses to receive and reply to unlimited WhatsApp messages from their customers.

Unlike the WhatsApp Business App, the API itself comes without a user interface. The API connects WhatsApp with a professional messaging tool, such as Mateo offers. Companies integrate the WhatsApp API endpoint into the software of an official WhatsApp Business Solution provider. Mateo offers enterprise customers the corresponding integration in a clear user interface with its in-house software.

Reading tip: You can get all the info on the WhatsApp Business API, including the advantages over the normal WhatsApp Business app, in our article "What is the WhatsApp Business API?"

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How much does the WhatsApp Business API cost?

When considering the cost of the WhatsApp API, it is particularly important to understand Meta's distinction between conversations initiated by the user and conversations initiated by the company. Meta defines these categories as follows (source: Meta Platforms):
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User-initiated conversations: "A conversation started in response to a user message. Once a company responds to a user's message within the 24-hour customer service window, the conversation is counted as a user-initiated conversation from that message forward. Companies may send informal messages within this 24-hour customer service window."

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Company-Initiated Conversations: "A conversation that a company initiates by sending a message to a user outside of the 24-hour customer service window. Messages that initiate a company-initiated conversation require a message template."

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The first 1000 conversations per month are free of charge

A conversation is a conversation with a WhatsApp user that takes place over a 24-hour time window. The countdown for the time window starts with the first message from the company. If a customer contacts you via WhatsApp, the conversation is only counted as soon as you reply. The advantage is that there are no costs for you, provided that the messages are suspicious of spam or irrelevant topics.

Even sending message templates is free for the first 1,000 conversations initiated by customers, according to information from Meta Platforms: "Businesses can continue to test the WhatsApp Business platform with 1,000 free user*initiated conversations per month. Conversations started by the business are no longer free." It continues, "Businesses and users can exchange an unlimited number of messages, including template messages, within a 24-hour conversation session at no additional cost. Each 24-hour conversation session will be billed separately."

Furthermore, conversations that customers start via a call-to-action button or a click-to-chat ad are free. If a message is started via the WhatsApp button on your Facebook page, it is not counted. The newly introduced pricing model then applies to each new conversation with the customer.

A big advantage is that you can use 1000 conversations per month for free. This means that after the end of the month a new quota of 1000 messages is available. The fees listed below will only be charged for each additional conversation.

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WhatsApp Business API cost from the 1001st WhatsApp conversation

As can be seen in the table shown, Meta charges between 6.3 and 11.3 cents per conversation in Germany after the free quota has been used up. Since June 01, 2023, chats have been divided into four categories:

Service: Entertainment started by a customer. Cost in Germany: 6.79 cents

Utility: conversation initiated by the company and containing information important to the customer. For example, info about orders, transactions, and customer accounts. Cost in Germany: 7.07 cents

Authentication: conversation initiated by the company containing verification codes for accessing the customer account. Cost in Germany: 6.36 cents

Marketing: Entertainment initiated by the company and containing promotional messages such as product announcements or discount promotions. Cost in Germany: 11.31 cents

Since all conversations initiated by the company can only be started with a message template, the classification into categories is based on this message template.

This table lists the global WhatsApp Business API fees for the four categories:

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This table lists the global WhatsApp Business API fees for the four categories:
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Table of WhatsApp Business API costs — Global cost of WhatsApp messages via API interface provided by Meta Platforms. As of: June 2023 (Source: Meta Platforms)

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Note: WhatsApp message prices and the number of included messages vary depending on the WhatsApp API provider. Be sure to find out what WhatsApp newsletters cost with the API provider of your choice. Since the API providers provide, manage and optimize a user interface, the prices are usually a bit higher than the costs estimated by Meta. Direct connection to Meta's WhatsApp API is only available to a small group of select corporations. For all other companies, access is only possible via an API provider like Mateo.

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What does the new WhatsApp Business API pricing model mean?

The model is still very exciting for SMEs because the first 1000 conversations per month are free. Only with each additional conversation are the costs billed. For many companies, WhatsApp API use should therefore remain completely free of charge except for the monthly basic fee of the API provider (for example, Mateo).

For customers who regularly send newsletters via WhatsApp to a large number of contacts, the prices increase slightly. Nevertheless, the cost-benefit ratio is more than justified when you consider the open and conversion rates of WhatsApp marketing newsletters alone.

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Use WhatsApp API with MATEO

How much does Mateo's WhatsApp API solution cost?

The price depends on the desired number of users, channels and phone numbers. The starter package is a monthly investment of 79€. You can find more information in the menu above under"Price".

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What features does Mateo include?

WhatsApp continues to be the optimal solution for customer communication. Both for sales and support use cases. With MATEO you can send targeted campaigns to your contacts to reactivate customers. Furthermore, with MATEO you have all channels on one central platform, so that no request goes missing. With Mateo your company starts into the new age of customer communication. You benefit from several additional functions. Our customers particularly appreciate the following advantages:

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Central user interface

In addition to WhatsApp Business API, Mateo bundles many other communication channels such as email, Instagram, SMS or Facebook Messenger in a central inbox. On the intuitive and clear user interface, you will find various helpful tools for particularly efficient customer communication. A web widget with the messaging channels you support is available for your customers for particularly easy contact.

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With Mateo's WhatsApp API solution, newsletters can be sent in a GDPR-compliant manner. Due to the first-class open rate of 98% for WhatsApp messages, marketing can thus be carried out significantly better than via email or other channels.

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Custom Message Templates

Thanks to various message templates that can be created individually, the amount of paperwork is minimized and the efficiency of customer communication is increased. This means that personnel resources in the service area can be deployed elsewhere.

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More positive Google reviews

With Mateo, you create an outstanding customer experience. Mateo can automatically request online reviews from your customers. The more reviews you have, the better you will be found on Google, for example. Reviews also create trust in your company.

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Privacy

Mateo's messaging tool is compatible with all German and European legally binding data protection requirements. If the law changes, the software will be revised accordingly. For absolutely secure customer communication, all messages are encrypted end-to-end. You can read all the info about the GDPR when using WhatsApp in our article"WhatsApp Business and GDPR". This will help you avoid the warnings, severe penalties and expensive legal costs that often occur in the event of non-compliance with the GDPR (= use of the standard WhatsApp Business app).

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Scalability for all company sizes

The scalability of the messaging tool has been confirmed by the large number of companies already using Mateo with a high level of satisfaction. Whether customers have just a few employees or many hundreds, the software works smoothly and, depending on the package, with an unlimited number of end devices, users and phone numbers. The fact that Mateo significantly reduces the workload in the customer service area opens up new growth opportunities for many companies.

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Low cost provider for WhatsApp Business API

With an entry-level price of just 79 euros per month, Mateo is a cost-effective provider for WhatsApp Business API solutions on the German market. Combined with the integration of additional communication channels and various helpful tools, Mateo offers excellent value for money. Mateo's personal customer support assists companies with every step of the integration, ensuring very low barriers to entry.

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Arrange a free and non-binding consultation and we will show you how MATEO can meet your communication needs! Simply book here or write to us via our web widget.

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What will the WhatsApp Business API cost in 2023?