This article provides a comprehensive overview of WhatsApp’s pricing, billing, and rebilling process for agencies and locations sub-accounts in HighLevel. It covers essential topics such as message-based pricing, subscription charges, template categories, free entry point conversations, and rebilling workflows.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Overview of WhatsApp Billing
- WhatsApp Messaging Rates
Overview of WhatsApp Billing
WhatsApp in HighLevel now uses a per-message pricing model, charging businesses for each delivered message rather than a flat fee per 24-hour conversation window. This shift offers greater transparency and control over messaging costs, enabling more precise budgeting and strategy.
Messages are categorized into Marketing, Utility, Authentication, and Service types — each with its own pricing logic and strategic use cases. Understanding these message types and how they're triggered is essential for optimizing spend and delivering timely, relevant communication to your customers.
By aligning your outreach with these categories, you can take full advantage of cost-saving opportunities (like free utility messages within an open customer service window) while maintaining high-quality engagement.
Key Benefits of WhatsApp's Pricing Structure
With WhatsApp transitioning to a per-message pricing model, businesses gain greater control, flexibility, and transparency in how they communicate with customers. Understanding these benefits allows agencies and businesses to align their messaging strategy with both operational goals and cost-efficiency.
1. Transparent, Granular Billing
Messages are individually categorized into Marketing, Utility, and Service types. This granularity allows businesses to:
Clearly understand what they’re being charged for.
Design messaging strategies around specific goals—such as promotions, alerts, or customer support—without hidden costs.
2. Optimized Rebilling for Agencies
Per-message billing simplifies client rebilling:
Agencies can offer tailored pricing models based on actual usage.
This enables transparent invoicing and unlocks new monetization opportunities by mapping charges directly to client campaigns.
3. Smarter Cost Control via Customer Service Windows
WhatsApp continues to support 24-hour customer service windows:
Utility messages sent within this window are free, encouraging prompt, customer-initiated engagement.
This reduces the cost of ongoing support while maintaining high responsiveness.
4. Cost-Efficient Entry Points
Though the pricing is per-message, free entry point messages (e.g. via call-to-action buttons or ads) still help reduce acquisition costs by initiating customer conversations without an immediate charge.
WhatsApp Subscription Charges for Agencies
Understanding the subscription charges is essential for agencies and locations to plan their WhatsApp usage and billing effectively. Below are the key details:
- Agency Charge: If you or your customer chooses to use WhatsApp messaging, each sub-account that uses WhatsApp incurs a monthly subscription charge of $10 USD that is charged to the agency.
- Rebilling Opportunity: Agencies can rebill clients at a customized rate. By default, this rate is set at $29.99, creating a profit margin of $19.99 per location per month.
WhatsApp Messaging Rates
Understanding WhatsApp's messaging rates is critical for managing costs effectively. Rates vary based on the template category (Marketing, Utility, Service) and the country/region where the message is sent.
- Payment Processing Fees: A 5% Stripe fee is added to these rates, which should be considered when setting up rebilling.
- Regional Variations: Rates differ significantly by region, so plan campaigns with regional costs in mind.
Rate Application Example
Assume a Marketing message is sent to the U.S.
- Base rate: $0.0263
- Multiplier: 1.5X
- Final cost to the client: $0.0263 × 1.5 = $0.0395
WhatsApp Message-Based Pricing [Effective 1 July 2025]
Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp will adopt a message-based pricing model that charges businesses for each delivered message, rather than per conversation. This shift provides more transparent cost alignment with how businesses engage with users and encourages efficient, purposeful messaging.
Understanding the types of messages and when they are charged is key to managing communication costs and optimizing engagement. Below are the primary message categories under the new pricing model:
1. Marketing Messages
Definition: Outbound promotional messages sent to users, such as product offers, announcements, and re-engagement campaigns.
Pricing: Charged per delivered message, regardless of customer service window status.
Use Case Examples: Sales promotions, event invitations, abandoned cart reminders.
2. Utility Messages
Definition: Transactional messages that relate to a specific, agreed-upon transaction or update.
Pricing:
Charged per message when sent outside an open customer service window.
Free if delivered within an active 24-hour customer service window initiated by the user.
Use Case Examples: Order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders.
IMPORTANT: Each category has specific initiation methods.
- Marketing, utility, and authentication conversations can ONLY be opened with template messages.
- Service conversations can ONLY be opened with free-form messages.
Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations
These conversations remain open for 24 hours from the time the first template message is delivered unless closed by a newly opened free-entry point conversation.
- Marketing Conversations: Used for promotional messages, product or service announcements, retargeting campaigns, and cart abandonment reminders.
- Utility Conversations: Used to provide information requested by users, such as order updates, delivery notifications, and payment reminders.
- Authentication Conversations: Used to authenticate users via one-time passcodes for processes like account verification and recovery.
Service Conversations
This 24-hour timer begins when a customer messages you. During this window, free-form messages can be sent without opening additional conversations.
- Used to resolve customer inquiries and issues.
- Service conversations are initiated when a free-form message is delivered to a customer, provided no other conversation of any type is open.
- These conversations rely on an active customer service window between you and the customer.
Example 1:Per message based pricing We charge for each template message a business sends to a user. For example, if a business sends 1 marketing message and 1 utility message, that incurs 1 charge for each category.(Click the phone image to zoom into the conversation) |  |
Example 2:When the customer service window is open, businesses can also send utility messages, at no charge. (Click the phone image to zoom into the conversation) |  |
Free Entry Point Conversations
Free entry point conversations provide cost-saving opportunities for businesses by allowing free communication for a limited duration.
- How It’s Triggered: A customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad or Facebook Page Call-to-Action button, and you respond to the message within 24 hours.
- Duration: These conversations last 72 hours and automatically close all other open conversations.
- Cost Efficiency: Once initiated, no additional charges are incurred for any type of message sent within the 72-hour window.
Example of Free Entry Point Conversation
If a customer messages you via a Click to WhatsApp Ad at 10 am and you respond at 10 pm the same day:
- The free entry point conversation starts at 10 pm and lasts for 72 hours.
WhatsApp Messaging Rates by Market/Country [Effective 1 July 2025]
Understanding conversation rates by market or country helps businesses plan their communication costs effectively. Rates vary depending on the type of conversation (Marketing, Utility, or Service) and the region where the message is sent. This information allows for precise budgeting and optimized communication strategies tailored to specific geographic locations.
Rebilling WhatsApp Messages
Rebilling offers agencies flexibility in setting WhatsApp messaging pricing for clients, creating additional revenue opportunities. Here’s how it works:
- Base Rates: Agencies pay base rates for each conversation category (e.g., Marketing, Utility, Authentication, or Service).
- Pricing Multiplier: Agencies can apply a multiplier to the base rates to determine the pricing for their clients.
For example:- Base rate for a Marketing message in the US: $0.0263.
- Multiplier set to 1.5X: Client is charged $0.0395 per message.
- Default Multiplier: The default multiplier is set at 1.05X to cover payment processing fees.
Your Client's WhatsApp Subscription
When YOUR client purchases WhatsApp services from you, two subscriptions are created:
- Between the client’s card and your Stripe account for client payments.
- Between HighLevel and your Stripe account to pay HighLevel the $10/month/location subscription fee.
Message Costs: Outbound template messages are billed based on the Market/Country and Conversation Category.
How to Set Up WhatsApp Rebilling
Proper setup of WhatsApp billing is essential to ensure accurate billing, seamless communication, and effective rebilling for your clients, and ensures a smooth process for communication and billing, empowering agencies to manage costs and client charges effectively. Follow the steps below to configure WhatsApp billing on HighLevel:
- Access Billing Settings: Navigate to the Settings tab in HighLevel.
- Select WhatsApp Billing: Click on the Billing section and locate the WhatsApp billing option.
- Enter Payment Details: Provide the necessary payment information to enable billing.
- Choose Subscription Plan: Select the subscription plan that best fits your agency or client location needs.
- Enable Rebilling: If applicable, configure rebilling options to charge your clients with your preferred pricing.
- Verify Setup: Review the billing setup to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Click here for a more in-depth setup guide for WhatsApp messaging and rebilling!
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